This picture book on the surface seems like a simple story of a young girl from Kentucky awaiting the arrival of an "angel", but on another level it is a piece of american history. In the early years in the Appalachian mountains of Kentucky, children were often told that babies would soon be coming tucked safely in a saddlebag, brought up the mountain by an angel on horseback and this is how families grew. The legend has endured and this book is based on the tale that remains today.

In "Angel Coming" a young girl is told by her mom that an angel is coming and the family begins all the preparations necessary. Pap takes out the cradle made for her when she "was new" and Mama washes out her "bitty clothes and caps."

This is a gentle story of birth and the wonderment of anticipation.The soft muted colors in the illustrations by Susan Gaber, add to the charm and feeling of a folk tale unfolding.

Though the story can be read to a child as young as four, an older child, age eight or nine, will appreciate both the story and the information given in the back of the book, outlining the history of this tale. Also, a city child may have a hard time appreciating the simpler, but foreign way of life described here, yet it is one worth exposing them to.

This is also a great book for any child awaiting the arrival of an "angel" in his or her own family.