Nobody knew how to honor a state quite like John Denver. Though Colorado is the state most often identified with him - heck, it even inspired his name - he made his mark throughout the country, from Montana to Alaska. And then, of course, there was West Virginia.

In a few paragraphs in the back of Christopher Canyon's picture book adaptation of Take Me Home, Country Roads, we learn how that very famous ode came about, with Denver helping to put the finishing touches on a song started by his friends Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert. He was the one who decided it would be about West Virginia, though despite the specificity of the references, it also serves as a tribute to one's childhood home, wherever that may happen to be, especially if it's someplace rural.

West Virginia does not get lost in the shuffle in Canyon's book, though. One illustration features a man in a jeep chugging along past Mud Creek Coal Mine; another shows a train bearing the words "West Virginia & Ohio." The landscape is full of green hills, modest shacks, general stores and rolling rivers. It looks like West Virginia, or rather a very stylized version of it.

What's especially neat about this book is Canyon's unique method for bringing these scenes to life. Each page looks like a quilt, with stitched swirls filling the sky and a variety of patterns filling the patchwork grass. It's a wonderful way to show the idea of all these people bringing something special to the complete picture of the family reunion, which is the final destination of every traveler we see in the book. There's a father and son in a pick-up truck, with a dog, cat and banjo riding in the back. A purple hippie-mobile decorated with daisies and a big green peace sign holds a ragamuffin group of happy young adults, and a farmer and his gal zoom toward the party in a pink motorcycle.

I love the deep, moody tones of the nighttime, illuminated by a blue patchwork moon and an array of greenish fireflies, and the parade of motor vehicles crossing a rickety wooden bridge as the sun rises is a nice way to bring all the visitors together before they actually arrive at the big old farm for their enormous family picnic.

As with all the books in this series, this one includes both sheet music and a CD with a recording of the song, so along with Canyon's imaginative illustrations, readers can get the full sense of the lyrics with Denver's melodious rendition. Like Grandma's Feather Bed, which followed this book, Take Me Home, Country Roads is a celebration of family and good country living. I love all four of Canyon's Denver adaptations, but I'm so taken with the quilt-style paintings that this one may be my favorite. Let Canyon and Denver lead you to a land of wonder and enchantment otherwise known as home.

Ancient Rhymes
Sunshine On My Shoulders
Grandma's Feather Bed

Recommended: Yes