One of our favorite picture books is The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton. Most know Ms. Burton as the author of Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel. I happened upon The Little House while perusing library shelves some time ago and casually threw it into our book bag. Little did I know that I had a stumbled on a classic AND a new family favorite.
The Little House tells the story of, coincidentally, a little house! :) This little house is loved and cherished. Children play in her yard and she watches the seasons change around her in the rural area where she lives. However, the Little House starts to notice changes around her. More cars begin traveling the rural roads where she lives, fields start disappearing, and house and skyscrapers take their place. Before too long the Little House is forgetten and abandoned in the big city.
While we love the story (and it does have a happy ending), we love Ms. Burton's artwork as well! Her biography says that she always drew her pictures and then added the text. The pictures are simple but full of details that capture a child's attention. The house really is alive in the pictures!
If you are looking for a new book (or author) to try, we heartily recommend the works of Virginia Lee Burton and, most especially, The Little House. (As a note, Amazon.com has a compilation of 4 of her best known works - Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, Katy & the Big Snow, Maybelle the Cable Car, and The Little House - at a great bargain. We snatched it up this week to hold for a certain 5-year old birthday that we will be celebrating in a little less than a month!)
For more favorite children's picture books, head over to 5 Minutes for Books! I'm going to hopefully add some new ones to my list to check out the next time we're at the library. :)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for commenting!