Books--A Poem by Walter De La Mare

November's here; frosty mornings and clear starry nights. Chilly afternoons and a nippy wind--too cold to play outside. Once again, a perfect time to find a cozy little nook, and curl up with a good book.

Here is a charming poem that expresses a boy's love for books quite succinctly.

Books

Walter De La Mare

A boy called Jack, as I've been told

Would sit for hours--good as gold--

Not with a pie, like Master Horner,

And plums, for dainties, in his corner,

But silent in some chosen nook

And spell-bound--by a story-book!

Whether the dawn brought sun or rain,

Back to its pages he'd hasten again;

He had even wheedled from his Friends

A secret hoard of candle-ends,

And slumber far from his round head--

Would read, till dead of night--in bed!

The Humbug Witch

Humbug Witch

Originally published 1965, reprinted 2003

Written and illustrated by Lorna Balian

After years of searching both my memory for the title, and libraries and used book shops for a copy, I finally found this witchy little gem as a spanking-new reprint. If you have a little girl who likes to make mixtures and potions (all four of mine loved making "slop"), or likes to dress up as a witch, then this is the perfect Halloween story for her.

The little humbug witch just can't get her spells to work, her broom to fly, or poor Fred, the patiently resigned black cat, to turn into anything.  Finally, she whips up some fabulous Magic Potion.  Will it smoke?  Will it explode ?  Will it finally transform Fred..?

Find out in this engaging, whimsically illustrated Halloween classic. The story is worth it for the pictures alone.

Available new from Amazon from $4.95, and used from $2.51, although I have seen used copies as low as 1¢!

If you want to buy local, almost any bookstore will do a special order at no extra charge.

Peter Pan... For The Very Young

Peter Pan Picture Book 

J.M. Barrie

Illustrated by Roy Best

2014 abridged reprint

While putzing in the vitamin and soap section of Whole Foods today, I came across this little gem and had to buy it just because the pictures were so beautiful.

The Peter Pan Picture book is meant for the tiniest of tots--there are only one or two sentences per page. It nevertheless manages to capture the gist of the story, with all its excitement, adventure and wonder:  Peter Pan and Tinkerbell; flying off to Never Never Land with its "strange inhabitants"; the motherless boys and their underground house; the ticking crocodile; Tinkerbell bravely saving Peter's life; the "fierce battle" with Captain Hook and his pirates; and finally back home again to London.

The Peter Pan Picture Book not only has a wonderfully alliterative title, it is the best abridged children's book I've ever seen; it contains not just the basic plot, but the flavor and action of the full version, and the illustrations are just superb. So many abridged versions of kids books are dumbed down with boring flat language. Not so this version, which should keep even a wiggly toddler glued to your lap--and the story.

The illustrations are rich, dreamy, and detailed. Roy Best really captured the vivid, imaginative world of Never Never Land.

It's never to early to start reading to youngsters, and this is a great choice for the kid who loves lots of action. The pages are thick and smooth, and can stand up to enthusiastic young bibliophiles. 

$9.95 at Whole Foods, or from laughingelephant.com. Check out their other vintage reprint children's books. They have very beautiful, reasonably priced animal stories, fairy tales, ABC books, children's Shakespeare and more.  And no, they didn't pay me to say that.

A Poetic Taste of Autumn: Flower Fairies

FLOWER FAIRIES OF THE AUTUMN 
with the nuts and berries they bring

By Cicely Mary Barker
1985 Edition
Originally published 1926

Delve into this wee little volume of fairy poems and pictures, and enter an enchanted little world where the spirit and character of each plant is wonderfully embodied in its fairy.

Exquisitely charming, expressive, and life-like, the fairies were all modeled on real children (often her sister's kindergarten pupils) who posed for Miss Barker in her little studio behind their home.

Miss Barker's art was part of England's long history of distinguished fairy painters, which included renowned  fairy painters such as John Anster Fitzgerald, Sir Joseph Noël Paton, and Charles Doyle, who was the father of Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes.  Fairy art was very much the rage in 19th and early 20th century England.

In fact, Queen Mary, who was an avid admirer of fairy art, even bought one of Miss Barker's paintings. Cecily had left  it for her as a gift, but the queen insisted on paying, with Buckingham palace sending Miss Barker a lovely note of thanks.

Miss Barker's sensitively-rendered watercolours capture perfectly the glowing colors, warmth and woodland bounty of autumn. Among the autumn fairies there is the mischievous but winsome robin's pincushion fairy; the naughty blackberry fairy who teases and tears with her brambles, but richly rewards with her fruits; to the wicked nightshade fairy who tries to lure children to taste of his poisonous fruit; and the more domestic crab-apple fairy, who plans to stew her apple, and store it in acorn cups.  

She tells us, in "The Song of the Crab-apple Fairy":

"Crab-apples, Crab-apples, out in the wood, 

Little and bitter, yet little and good!

The apples on orchards, so rosy and fine,
Are children of wild little apples like mine."

There's the playful horse chestnut fairy, who tired of being pelted by boys seeking nuts, pleads for them to stop--so he can throw some!

There are eighteen fairies in all, each with a lovely picture (all but one in color), and an accompanying poem. The poems are short, simple, and not only charming, but capture the nature of each fairy surely and succinctly.

This book is a lovely choice for any child who loves fairies, is a great way to share poetry with young children, and is a real treasure for collectors of fairy art. And the diminutive size fits perfectly into little hands.

 

There are other Cicely Mary Barker fairy books available in this series: Flower Fairies of the Winter; Flower Fairies of the Spring; Flower Fairies of the Summer; Flower Fairies of the Wayside; Flower Fairies of the Garden; and Flower Fairies of the Trees.

There are also Cicely Mary Barker flower fairy stickers and activity books, coloring books, postcards, and paper dolls.  


Available new from $3.05-$7.99.  Used copies from $2.12.

Baba Yaga's Secret

Baba Yaga's Secret

1957

By Nancy K. Ford
Pictures by Kurt Werth

Russian legend tells of Baba Yaga, "the witch, her powerful magic, her strange secrets, and her terrible temper." She lives in an odd little house named Izbushka, that turns itself around on chicken legs.

This story is based on those old tales.

In Baba Yaga's Secret, the Tsar and Tsarina have a new baby princess, and Baba Yaga is determined to present the tiny monarch with a most special gift. Something not only rare and beautiful, but that will protect her tiny highness from harm. To do this, Baba Yaga enlists not only her magical powers, but her un-named and overworked cat, who despite his prominent role in the story, is only called "the cat".

To create the gift, the poor cat must gather "one thousand and one newly spun spider webs" in the course of a night. (The idea of spinning a garment from dewy gossamer webs really caught my fancy as a child, and as a result I spent years trying to track down a copy of this book. Finally I found one in time for my youngest child to enjoy.)

The cat must also outwit a fox, a giant malicious spider, a shape-shifting Cossack, and Baba Yaga's notorious temper! Along the way we see magical copper, silver and gold shuttles that weave all by themselves, an enchanted black stallion, and Baba Yaga flying through the night skies in her iron mortar.

Being a fairy tale, all ends well. The wicked sorcerer-spider is defeated, the little princess receives her magic kerchief, and is saved from an evil fate.

If you have a child that loves magic and fairy tales, this is the book for them! I still remember gathering cobwebs and trying to make something beautiful out of them after reading this book when I was in 4th grade. It didn't work for me as well as it did for Baba Yaga.

Used, from $27.03 on Amazon. Availability varies. I paid 40 bucks for mine. That's a lot for a cheapskate like me.

Georgie---Literature's Most Winsome Ghost

Georgie 

by Robert Bright
Copyright 1944Reprinted 1999

Georgie is an adorable little ghost who lives with elderly Mr. and Mrs. Whittaker, and Herman the cat, in their old farm house. 


He resides up in the attic, keeping company with Miss Oliver the owl and various picturesque antiques.

Dutiful and punctual, every evening Georgie makes his rounds about the house to make sure that everything squeaks and creaks properly.

"And then Mr. And Mrs. Whittaker knew it was time to go to bed. And Herman the cat, he knew it was time to prowl."

Everything is happy haunting until Mr Whittaker takes it into his head to do some home improvement, and suddenly, Georgie's out of a job.

He roams throughout the neighborhood looking for a home where he's needed, but everybody's full up on ghosts. 

Desperate, Georgie wafts into crotchety, aged Mr Gloams gloomy old gothic mansion -- and nearly gets frightened to death.

New England weather works its wonders, and happily Georgie returns home and all is well. 

This is a wonderful Halloween story for the younger set. Georgie is cute and helpful, and not at all scary, even at bedtime. I loved this book as a kid, and was so happy to find it again for my younger owlets. Winsome little Georgie has generations of fans, and you may find yourself among them. My one daughter says,"Georgie is the cutest ghost ever to have lived."


The expressive, humorous illustrations are full of character and spooky charm--the unusual choice of eerie blue ink adds to the effect.

Georgie appears to be out of print at the moment, but have no fear--used copies are  readily available on amazon and etsy ranging from 1¢ to $12. Try your library too--most set out a special selection of holiday books at relevant times--or try an inter-library loan. I have found some hard-to-find classics that way.

There are 13 books in total in the Georgie series, including Georgie and the Robbers,  Georgie and the Magician,Georgie's Halloween, and Georgie and the Noisy Ghost. Stand by for future Georgie reviews.

Autumn Musings and Vintage Poem

Last night we heard a screech owl calling in its eerie tremolo from the woods behind our house. Yesterday we walked down to the old graveyard and admired the weathered and blackened antique headstones, with their often unusual and archaic names.

On the way home we picked pale green catalpa pods and scarlet sassafras leaves for autumn projects. The girls weaved and wove their way in and out of a rustling, labyrinthian cornfield .

Golden-lit evening walks along a dirt road include epic battles as war-hardened youngsters club each other with fuzzy cat tails and fence with phragmites. Curious mushrooms capture the imagination--ingredients for witch's brew, perfect perches for gnomes and elves.

In that spirit, Here is a vintage taste of autumn to share with you:

This poem is in the public domain.

Bonus Extras: This poem was also set to music. Olddesignshop.com has a picture of the sheet music from 1914 if your family likes to play an instrument or sing. 

Should your family enjoy creating art, try painting your own autumn art cards, using a stanza of this poem for the card text. Colorful leaves, acorns and other trinkets from nature make fine subject matter.

October: Harvest Time and Halloween

October Musings 


The days grow short and the wind grows chill... tress flame with red and yellow. The hummingbirds have long since left for warmer climes. The sand hill cranes mass by the thousands in preparation for their journey southward... pumpkins squat or porches  flanked by cornshocks... and cheesy Halloween decorations haunt yards and windows... sounds like a good time to go inside where its warm and grab a good book.

Make the most of those warm, sunny Indian Summer days, too. One thing we like to do at Mrs. Owl's house is drag an old sleeping bag out in the orchard, find a sunny spot, and plunk ourselves down with (you'll never guess) books, writing and sewing projects, maybe the old dulcimer or some cider. Mr. Dog comes and lounges nearby, and the cats arrange themselves artistically, and close to hand for any petting they might deign to allow. Sometimes we each read to ourselves, sometimes The Fourth Owlet reads to us from her beloved Very Bad Poetry, or most often, Mrs. Owl reads to her brood. At the moment, we are deep in the clutches of Bram Stoker's Dracula.

This month of Hunter's Moon and Halloween, Mrs. Owl will stick with the theme and review books pertinent to the season, with plenty of Halloween reads ranging from tots to teens. We hope you enjoy the selections.

A Boy, his Raccoon, and a Bittersweet Tale of Friendship

Rascal

By Sterling North, 1963. Illustrated by John Schoenherr.

Engaging, well-written, funny, a touch poetic at times, Rascal is filled with incredibly rich descriptions of a still largely agrarian and rural America , as well as many extremely entertaining episodes. This Newberry Award-winning true story is one of those, “Just one more chapter, pleeeease mom?” books.

Exploring in Wentworth’s woods one day in May, Sterling, our 11-year-old protagonist, his best friend Oscar, and huge-but-gentle St. Bernard discover a nest of baby raccoons, and manage to catch one. It’s love at first sight for Sterling and Rascal, the little raccoon kit. Oscar’s kind Norwegian mother shows the boys how to feed Rascal with warm milk through a wheat straw. 

The two become inseparable, with Rascal curling up in bed with Sterling, and learning to eat in the old highchair at the table with Sterling and his father, whom he refers to as a “casual parent"…"living much in the past”.

Casual puts it mildly, as not only does Rascal become an intimate part of the family, but Sterling also is allowed to come and go as he pleases, and follow his interests, such as building a 17-foot canoe in the middle of the living room. Rascal quickly shows his own idiosyncratic personality. He enjoys listening to the Victrola, has a keen fondness for strawberry pop, and is a “speed demon” who loves to ride going full-tilt in the basket of Sterling’s bike.

Sterling’s mother, a biologist, passed away young at age 47. A tender, sensitive woman, she taught him much about the natural world and instilled his life-long love for nature. Motherless boy and motherless raccoon form a deep and profound bond based on their mutual loves and losses.

It's an idyllic summer, full of fishing, swimming, hunting for arrowheads and agates, camping, competing in a pie-eating contest, visiting his aunt and uncle's farm, growing a victory garden, and visits from his fussy-but-loving older sisters.

No honeymoon lasts forever, and as Rascal gets bigger, he gets into bigger mischief. After discovering sweet corn, he begins raiding the neighbor’s gardens—and then hen houses. Neighbors threaten to shoot the masked bandit if Sterling doesn’t do something. First, he puts him on a leash, and finally has to build him a cage. Nearly full-grown, raccoon—and boy—are miserable. In one of those painful, turning points of growing up, Sterling has to make a tough decision. So one evening, boy and pet take a canoe ride, where, chirring to a female, Rascal returns to the forest and thus nature continues her cycles. 

Making the summer all the more bittersweet, it’s one of the last summers that Sterling is healthy and roaming free, for several years later he is stricken with polio, and confined to a wheelchair.

Rascal takes place against the backdrop of WWI, where Sterling’s brother is fighting on the front in France; the transition from horses to automobiles; the Spanish influenza pandemic;armistice day; and  a time when kids could ramble the countryside and play free outdoors, yet were expected to pitch in and work hard when the need arose.

Rascal is not only a fascinating story, but an authentic and natural way to learn about early 20th century history through true life events. This is a great book for homeschoolers, and those using the Charlotte Mason method. Many kid’s books seem to be written for girl’s interests, but this is definitely one boys will really enjoy also.

Rascal is widely available as an inexpensive paperback, or at your local library.

Antique Moon Poem to Celebrate the Super Moon Lunar Eclipse

Our family spent the evening outside watching the super moon/blood moon/lunar eclipse. It was a perfect autumn eve, balmy and bug-free, just right for moon-gazing. The lunar display did not disappoint, being both beautiful and eerie. Nor will it happen again until 2033. This poem is one of Mrs. Owl's favorites.

The Fairy and Child
By Eugene Field (1910)

Oh, listen, little Dear-My-Soul,
     To the fairy voices calling,
For the moon is high in the misty sky
     And the honey dew is falling;
To the midnight feast in the clover bloom
     The bluebells are a-ringing,
And it's "Come away to the land of fay"
     That the katydid is singing.

Oh, slumber, little Dear-My-Soul,
     And hand in hand we'll wander--
Hand in hand to the beautiful land
     Of Balow, away off yonder;
Or we'll sail along in a lily leaf
     Into the white moon's halo
Over a stream of mist and dream
     Into the land of Balow.

Or, you shall have two beautiful wings
     Two gossamer wings and airy,
And all the while shall the old moon smile
     And think you a little fairy;
And you shall dance in the velvet sky,
     And the silvery stars shall twinkle
And dream sweet dreams as over their beams
     Your footfalls softly tinkle.


*This poem is in the public domain.

The Circus Baby: A Picture Book by Maud and Miska Petersham

The Circus Baby
Copyright 1950, reprinted 1989
A Picture Book by Maud and Miska Petersham

Mother Elephant and her baby live with the circus. Mother Elephant is justifiably proud of her little elephant. He tries hard to please her, but after all he's only a little fellow.  They are good friends with all the circus people, especially Zombie the Clown and his family. Mother Elephant likes to poke her rather large head in their tent and see what they're doing.

One day she sees the baby clown, "with a pretty bib" sitting in his high chair, having his dinner.  Mother Elephant decides her baby must learn to eat properly,"just as the circus people did."

What ensues is worthy of a circus act itself! Mother Elephant' s attempts to feed her baby in the high chair don't go quite as planned. After a hilariously failed attempt to civilize baby elephant, the clown family sees their tent mysteriously walking away!

Moral? Just be yourself. Otherwise you're sure to hit disaster--
and make yourself a laughingstock of the whole circus.

The  colorful illustrations, drawn in circus-y red, yellow, and black, 
incorporate stylized traditional circus motifs, 
yet capture the emotions of the elephants beautifully.

Our copy has the cover taped back on but otherwise
managed to last through five kids! I mean owlets!


Out-of-print but still easily available on Amazon from 1¢!

(Unread copies going for $139.18-$197.79!)

The Tucker's The Wonderful New House

The Tucker's 

The Wonderful House

Copyright MCMLXI (1961)

By Jo Mendel

Pictures by Jackie Tomes

The big, noisy, lovable Tucker family is finally moving into their own house! After living for years in a cramped apartment, Father, Mother, 11-year old Tina, 9-year-old twins Terry and Merry, 7 year old Penny and 5 year old Tom move into a great big old ten-room house with a yard, a carriage house, two strange iron deer on the lawn---and a mystery!

The previous owner of the house had a valuable coin collection--which vanished at his death. And the Tucker's are convinced it's hidden somewhere in the house. Meanwhile, there are grumpy neighbors who are less than thrilled with noisy kids, a scrappy black cat, and a great big huge dog. Plus, there's a new school, making new friends, fixing up their new rooms, and an exciting trip to the lake with Grandpa and Grandma Tucker.

As you already guessed, the Tucker kids solve the mystery, find the old coin collection--and collect the reward. Now the Tucker's have to decide what best to do with the money. After the usual brainstorming and bickering, the family hits on a wonderful decision that makes everybody happy.

There's never a dull moment with the Tuckers, although I'm sure their parents wished there were.

While the writing style is at times a little bit choppy, the likable, relate able characters and their non-stop escapades make up for it. The Tucker's are wholesome without being prim. They squabble, break things, and get into trouble like any kids. Yet they stick up for each other, and all pitch in when there's a problem to be solved. The plucky kids never give in to a problem--they work through it no matter how hard, embarrassing or difficult. The parents are loving and supportive, and they give the kids a lot of freedom-- and responsibility. 

The casual colored-ink line drawings fit the come-on-in-and-make-yourself-at-home feeling of the book wonderfully. And I love the girl's 1960s dresses.

I discovered this book at antique store last summer. I read it to my 7 year old, and we both enjoyed it so much we hunted down and read the rest of the series, and became pretty attached to the Tuckers. We were both sad to finish the series.

While never reprinted, these hardcover-only books are pretty easy to find online. Expect to pay about $2-$12.00. Amazon usually has it for about $4.   If they don't have the title you want one week, they likely will the next. I found a couple in an antique store for only 2 bucks apiece. I love antique stores.

The Harvest Craft Book. Fun, beautful autumn crafts for the whole family.

                                The Harvest Craft Book

                              By Thomas Berger, 1992. 

                             Originally published in Dutch.

     "For many years now our family has collected chestnuts, acorns, beech-nuts, autumn leaves and so on, from which we have made all sorts of things.  In this way gradually one acquires a better eye for the beauty of nature."

                                            ----From the Foreword

Autumn is a time of beauty and abundance. Sure there's the requisite colorful leaves and jolly orange pumpkins, but there arealso all manner of nuts, cones, grasses and grains, rose-hips, corn husks, seeds and teasels.

It is a scavenger's paradise and a crafter's mega-mart. On every autumnal stroll, my youngest daughter fills my pockets with acorns and hickories, wild apples, milkweed pods,and a dozen other fall-en treasures that catch her eye.

The Harvest Craft Book has absolutely beautiful color photographs, as well as line drawings to illustrate the different steps and techniques.

Chapter 1, Decorating and Harvest has simple instructions for gathering, drying flowers, mounting materials, making posies, and a wreath.

Chapters 2,3 and 4 all cover working with straw, from basic techniques to beginner projects such as a bouquet of cereal grasses, simple ornaments, and classic straw hearts. It then moves on to more elaborate ornaments, wreaths, straw spirals, and even straw goats, horses, rooster, and people. With no previous experience, I made the goat, and he was easier than he looked. The older kids made goats and horses that also turned out pretty good.

Chapter 5, Corn Husk Dolls, teaches how to make traditional corn husk dolls. We made these, and they are fairly easy and turned out quite handsomely. A smaller child could make a simple figure, an older child could make one with a more stylish outfit or corn silk hair.

Chapter 6, Harvest Materials from Woods and Fields, shows how to make various people and animals, and even an owl and a bee, from assorted nuts and cones, as well as a teasel spider and hedgehog. This is pretty easy and rewarding for young children. Intriguing shapes of deadwood, roots, and driftwood magically transform into tree spirits and trolls  Leaves, corn, berries and seeds are strung into handsome decorative garlands and mobiles. Autumn crafts are a nice way to enjoy the fruits of fall, and bring some welcome color and nature into the house before the snowy monochrome of winter.

Chapter 7, Harvest Leaves. This chapter shows how to make leaf crafts that are useful as well as beautiful. Tips are first given for working with leaves, as well as drying and pressing them.  Instructions are even given for making your own leaf and flower press.

Once you have some nice dry, flat leaves, leaf crafts are a cinch.  These leaf projects are especially 

rewarding for younger children because they are quick, easy, and visually rewarding. There's a beautiful frame of exquisitely colored leaves glued on a cardboard base. Mr. Berger suggests using it as a window decoration, but we used ours as a picture frame for autumnal kid art.  There are leaf transparencies which are beginner-easy but look great.  There are postcards and note cards decorated with leaves. this is a great way to get little Billy and Susie to send hose overdue thank-you notes.  There's a leaf crown, just like the one September wears in Christopher's Harvest Time (see previous review). We made a number of these with maple leaves, and it's easy if you're gentle, and it look great! Prepare for photo-op! Especially nice if you have a  kid who likes to dress up as a fairy or elf.

Chapter 8, Autumn, Michaelmas, and Hallowe'en has crafts for each of these holidays.  Michaelmas has a beautiful leaf-collage of St. Michael fighting the dragon, decorating candles for the dark winter days ahead, and making a dragon candle stick of clay. Hallowe'en brings us cobwebs of a chestnut, string and toothpicks. Our family made these and they were fairly easy and really looked like cobwebs. The dragon made of prickly chestnuts turned out impressively, but was quite delicate. Other crafts include a sling, a kite, a fancy dragon loaf of bread, and colorful tissue transparencies. Transparencies are easy to make and add beautiful color to combat the coming winter blahs.  

Chapter 9 details Tools and Materials. Most of the stuff is pretty easy to get (or pick up off the ground for free). The only thing I found hard to get was nice straw, especially with the seed heads still attached. However,to make your autumn crafting easy. I've included sources for materials below.

Straw:  blackbeards-wheat.cc    carries a variety of cereal grain straw, with the seed heads.

             polart.com   carries clean, evenly-cut straw

             achildsdream.com has plain and colored evenly-cut straw

             save-on-crafts.com  carries wheat straw with seed heads, wheat straw wreath bases and    

             bouquets, and cotton branches with raw cotton bolls.

Stockmar candle decorating wax  may be obtained from magiccabin.com or on amazon. It's a tad expensive, but even a young child can decorate lovely, colorful candles with it for holidays or gifts.

Enjoy your crafting, and feel free to comment below.

Uncle Wiggly and His Friends

Uncle Wiggly and His Friends

 1955 By Howard R. Garis Illustrated by George Carlson

 This is one of those books, which upon opening, magically transports one back to the strange, magic golden days of childhood. When I found a facsimile reprint of it for my oldest child, the second I opened it and saw those vibrant colors and familiar drawings, I was instantly transported back to my own childhood. Colorful, lively, engaging and just plain fun! I loved this book from the minute I opened it

 Discovered at age 7 on the vast and varied bookshelf in my grandparent's upstairs hall, the vivid colors and charming anthropomorphic characters are a real kid magnet .

 Uncle Wiggly Longears, "the old rabbit gentleman" who, depsite his rheumatism and need for a " red and white and blue striped barber pole crutch", spends his days having adventures in the forest, helping others, and playing with the various animal children. I wish more humans were as nice as Uncle Wiggly!

 My all-time favorite chapter is Uncle Wiggly and the Apple Dumpling, where Uncle Wiggly, motoring through the forest in his automobile --"all of a sudden"--, finds a broken down tree stump house, with a cold, hungry squirrel family shivering inside. "Ha! I'll soon fix this!" cried Uncle Wiggly'. He immediately whips out the apple dumpling intended for his dear friend Grandpa Goosey Gander. "Here little squirrels, he cried---"here is something to make you warm. Just gather around it, and toast your tootsies! I'll soon have a regular fire here, and you'll be all right, but get warm at this pail first."

 Not content with that, Uncle Wiggly rushes off to buy coal for the stove, and plenty of groceries Upon his return home, Nurse Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy, the kind muskrat lady housekeeper, wonders what has become of the apple dumpling? Not one to boast of his kind deeds, Wiggy just asks for his apple dumpling, which he then takes to Grandpa Goosey.

 Eight chapters include: Uncle Wiggly and the Barber, where the kind monkey barber helps Wiggy out of a "sticky" situation. Uncle Wiggly and the Apple Dumpling (see above). Uncle Wiggly Learns to Dance, wherein Wiggy doesnt let his rheumatism stop him from learning some fancy new steps and surprising everybody when he and nurse Jane step out and cut the rug at the animal's Dance party.


 Uncle Wiggly and the Snow Plow, where not only does a snowstorm fail to keep Wiggy housebound, but becomes an opprtunity for rabbit ingenuity and a fun way to help others.

 Uncle Wiggly and the Wagon Sleds, where good ole Wiggy turns a bad dog day for Jackie and Peetie Bow Wow into a clever new way to have fun ( and recycle old baby carriages).

 Uncle Wiggly and the Peppermint, in which Wiggy , on a mission to get peppermint for nurse Jane's indigestion, outwits an unfriendly bear. He also manages to remains polite and cheerful, even when his demise appears imminent. 

Uncle Wiggly and the Red Spots, which may not be what they seem Uncle Wiggly and the Canoe, an island adventure leads to an airborne mishap, an "isolated" situation, and a skillful escape.

 Each chapter has an accompanying poem, and a silly teaser at the end to get you to read the next chapter; "But in the next story if the pancake-turner doesn't go to a dance with the egg-beater and break its handle, I'll tell you about Uncle Wiggly and The Wagon Sleds."

 Uncle Wiggly is loads of fun, and teaches kindness to others as well as solving problems ingeniously, without ever being preachy or moralistic. Nor does Wiggy let chronic rheumatism get in the way of adventure or charitable deed. All five of my little owlets enjoyed this book.

 It was reprinted in 1986 in a facsimile edition of the original colorful 1955 edition. Both are available from amazon, eBay , etc. starting at about $6.00.

 There is also a contemporary (1987) reprint of Uncle Wiggly's Story Book (originally published in 1921) which has a modern cover, but the original drawings and text. The stories have people as well as animals. I found them to be a little contrived, cutesy, and moralistic, and we never finished the book. If you are a die-hard Uncle Wiggly fan however, you might want to check it out.

 There are also several Dover Thrift Editions of Uncle Wiggly available for about $2.50, such as Uncle Wiggly's Bedtime Stories and Favorite Uncle Wiggly Animal Bedtime Stories.

 If you're an antique book enthusiast, there are other un-reprinted Uncle Wiggly books available on amazon and Etsy, as well as at used book shops, starting around $6.00 and up. There's even an Uncle Wiggly Game for children. It's fast-paced and plenty of fun, and helps reinforce counting and early reading skills. It has been played quite a bit at our house. Widely available for about $14.99.

Autumn Picture Books

Summer is winding down and cooling off...trees are showing tinges of orange and gold...days are growing shorter...what better time to cuddle up with a little person and a story book?  Here are two of our family favorites. Both are written and illustrated by beloved Swedish children's author Elsa Beskow.

Woody, Hazel and Little Pip.  Written and illustrated by Elsa Beskow 1939. Available on amazon for a mere $9.95.

On a windy wild autumn day,  Woody and Pip, the two little acorn boys disappear while Mrs. Acorn and Mrs. Hazelnut gossip over coffee in their cozy oak tree house. Never fear, big sister Hazel, aided by impatient Mr. Squirrel sets off to find them.
Meanwhile, Woody and Pip have been pressed into service by the old gnome women, delivering freshly laundered beards to the gnomes. While searching for her brothers,  Hazel meets a magpie,  a gnome who lives in a mushroom and sells herbs, a grouchy troll in a juniper bush, and finally two gnomes hiding in a hollow tree, who turn out to be a disguised Woody and Pip.
On their way back home on an improvised lily pad raft, they meet the Chestnut Boys with whom they play. All is fun until a scolding Mr. squirrel shows up and hastens them home. Mr. And Mrs. Acorn are mad--but so relieved that the boys are safe they throw a party to which animals, bugs, elves and all are invited for a happy and magical ending.

This is a perfect book for ages 2-6...or those peculiar grown ups who love beautiful children's books.
Modern kids suffer so much from nature deprivation syndrome or whatever it's called. This book not only transports us to a magical forest, but it's almost sure to inspire some creative outdoor play.








Christopher's Harvest Time.   Elsa Beskow. 1920. Available on amazon for only $15.48!         Christopher is an only child, and one lovely autumn day he takes his new ball out to the garden to play...but surprise...there's a strange new boy there to play with him.
The boy, named September, tells Christopher strange riddles and plays a reed-pipe. Suddenly, all the plant spirits become visible. The gooseberry boys tussle over Christopher's new ball, Old Man Currant gripes about the time, the scarecrow complains of his rheumatism. The bean and pea ladies dance, and Mrs. Bramley, the apple tree, gives Christopher and his mysterious new friend apples, plays the lute and sings. The Misses Plum tease, and the Strawberries march pompously, while brash Mrs. Cabbage spouts off.
Finally, all the garden people gather together and September plays the lute and they all sing Song of Autumn.
       
             "The sun is still high in the sky,  
               Giving warmth and glee;
                Fruit and flowers all colorful
                Glow with good cheer.
                So come and dance with me,
                For autumn's here."

The illustrations are exquisite, perfectly capturing the different persona of the plants, and the warm, rich abundance of autumn.
       
             

Great Summer Reads for Kids

What makes a great summer book? A book you just can't resist curling up in the hammock with, or staying up way past bedtime to read? Besides, it's summer, and summer was meant for good books, staying up late, and sleeping in. 

A great summer book not only draws you in so deep you forget about the outside world, it has characters so interesting, fun, and full of good ideas you wish they lived next door so you could play with them. 

A great summer read is usually set in the summer, and has a more adventurous, light-hearted feel.  And while nobody reads War and Peace under the covers with a flashlight,

they sure do with Gone-Away Lake, Old Yeller, and Clue in the Crumbling Wall.

Mysteries make great summer reads because not only are they fun and exciting, but you actually have the time to read "just one more page" to find out who-dun-it.

Adventure stories make another great summer read. Many not only take place in the summer, but they fit that get-out-and-go summer vibe, and may inspire you and your friends to pack a lunch and head out to the woods, peek in the windows of that scary old house, or hop in the rowboat and go exploring.

Humorous books are another must for summer reading. Corny old joke books are often so bad they're funny.

A book is the perfect companion on those stifling hot days when mom's too busy to drive you to the pool and there's nobody to play wtih and it's too hot to play anyway. Find a shady nook, grab some lemonade or a shake, and curl up with Tintin or The Boxcar Children.

Check out summer reading programs at your local library--many offer prizes and free books. Barnes and Noble bookstores are also offering a free book as part of their summer reading program.

While this blog usually focuses on vintage books, today I'm going to cheat and throw in a few good modern ones too. Hey, it's summer. Please feel free to suggest your favorite summer reads too.