Miss Rumphius

Miss Rumphius is hands-down our favorite book by the beloved Barbara Cooney (c. 1982).  Oh, the illustrations are simply enchanting.

Whether you're drawn to Miss Rumphius' tales of adventure or your drawn to her love of lupines (those beautiful flowers you see on the cover), you're bound to find something appealing in this story:

Great-aunt Alice was once a little girl who loved the sea, 

 

longed to visit faraway places, 

and wished to do something to make the world more beautiful (publishers).

Seven Little Rabbits

I think we're permanently "borrowing" this darling little book from Uncle Steven.  Seven Little Rabbits by John Becker and illustrated by another of our favorites Barbara Cooney remains a uniquely special book to us because Grandma gifted it to Uncle Steven shortly after it's publication date (c. 1973).  Our edition shows gentle signs of love, both from the previous generation and now the present one.  Don't you just love that?!

I especially appreciate that the publishers have realized this title needed an updated printing.  So, if you end up on a waiting list trying to check Seven Little Rabbits out of your local library, you also have the option of purchasing it, which I would highly recommend too. The publisher says it best:

Over half a million children have counted their way to sleep with these beloved seven little rabbits.  Available in its original hardcover format for the first time in twenty years, this delightful first counting book, chock full of gloriously endearing illustrations and humorous asides by two-time Caldecott-Medal-winner Barbara Cooney, is sure to be a bedtime favorite for a new generation of bunny lovers.  Just the right size for little hands, the repetition and rhyme invite reader participation--right up until the moment it lulls its unsuspecting audience into slumberland.

So if you're looking for a new story to lull the little ones to sleep, try Seven Little Rabbits.  And don't miss Cooney's lovely detailing framing each versed page.

The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree

If you read no other book recommendation from my blog this year, be sure to check out The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree (c. 1988), by Gloria Houston and illustrated by Barbara Cooney, to read to the kids!  It's a timeless story that sings the spirit of Christmas.

Barbara Cooney is not only one of our family's favorite illustrators, she's America's beloved illustrator, illustrator of over one hundred childrens' books and recipient of two Cladecott Medals.  So glance over the illustrations, and you'll find that they speak for themselves.

In addition, acclaimed author Gloria Houston retells this heartwarming Appalachian story as it was passed down from her grandmother and mother.

So what's this perfect tale about?  Let's read what the publishers have to say: "The Armistice has been declared, but still there is no sign of Ruthie's father in their little Appalachian town. So, in accordance with the traditions of Pine Grove, it falls to Ruthie and her mother to bring home the perfect Christmas tree to donate to the town. Ruthie had accompanied her father to the rocky cliff where he marked a tree in the spring, so she and her mother set out to find it again, and haul it home. Their trip becomes the basis overnight of a new town legend; [meanwhile] Ruthie [is] chosen for the role of the heavenly angel in the the church Christmas play . . ."

However, while Ruthie's father is away at war, many of the income earning responsibilities cannot be accomplished by Ruthie or her mother.  So they scrimp where they can, leaving the question of an angel's costume and a Christmas gift for Ruthie an unattainable wish.  Find out what happens to all these dilemmas in the story's joy filled ending.  Just be sure have a tissue ready to wipe those tears.

Ox-Cart Man

Do you remember this book?  I think I first discovered it via Reading Rainbow as LeVar Burton read it to his audience.  Ox-Cart Man (c. 1979) by Donald Hall with Caldecott award winning illustrations by our beloved Barbara Cooney recalls the days of a 19th century New England family.  Take a journey back in time from the moment you open the first page:

                                           In October he backed his ox into his cart
                                           and he and his family filled it up
                                          with everything they made or grew all year long
                                          that was left over.

A beautiful depiction of early settler life throughout the seasons, Ox-Cart Man takes the ten day travel to town to trade his goods for the necessities for surviving the next year on his family farm.