N.C.Wyeth's Pilgrims

What a treat!!!  In N.C. Wyeth's Pilgrims, acclaimed children's author Robert San Souci takes Newell Convers Wyeth's series of murals originally created for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in New York and gives them a voice with his thoroughly researched text (text copyright 1991 and illustrations copyright 1945).  Souci's succinct yet detailed account presents a thorough summary of events from the excellent contrast between the Pilgrims and the "strangers" to a factual synopsis of life in the village after the feast.

Wyeth's twelve paintings, although not entirely historically accurate, provide a visual feast.  For those of you unfamiliar with N.C. Wyeth, he is father to Andrew Wyeth and to a lineage of talented American artists.  Here's a website to quickly view some of his most recognizable children's book illustrations: click here.  And last, but certainly not least, the book's endpapers supplies a copy of the Mayflower's original passenger list, furnishing a fascinating historical read.

A Pilgrim father shows his son how to shuck corn.

"I Like Fall"

I Like Fall
by Aileen Fisher

I like fall:
it always smells smoky,
chimneys wake early,
the sun is poky;

Folks go past
in a hustle and bustle,
and when I scuff
in the leaves, they rustle.

I like fall:
all the hills are hazy,
and after a frost
the puddles look glazy;

And nuts rattle down
where nobody's living,
and pretty soon . . .
it will be THANKSGIVING.


Great tip from my mom, Beth: This is a great poem to identify new vocabulary with musical instruments.  Some ideas: use the wood instrument for "smoky," slide the sandpaper for "scuff," rustle paper for "rustle," slide cymbals together for "hazy," play the triangle for "frost," and shake the rattles for "nuts rattle down."

The Thanksgiving Story

The Thanksgiving Story written by Alice Dalgliesh and illustrated by Helen Sewell received the 1955 Caldecott Honor, making this the earliest Thanksgiving book that I'll feature.  What I like best about this book is that Dalgliesh personalizes the Thanksgiving account by telling the story of Giles, Constance, Damaris, and little Oceanus who was born at sea. Through her simple text we learn about the day-to-day activities that the Hopkins family experiences through surviving, planting, harvesting, and feasting.  This is  shorter than Weisgard's version, allowing the little ones to follow it more easily. 

The Plymouth Thanksgiving

Hello, readers!  Now we're getting into the books telling about the Pilgrims journey from England to the New World, their grueling winter, the Wampnoag tribe's critical help during the planting season, and the celebration of the very first Thanksgiving feast.  Over the course of the next few days, I'm going to acquaint you with a handful of my top picks (after examining many choices) that introduce this story.  In each book, I learned something new about the Pilgrims' journey which became the exciting part of this process.  Of course, each story-teller and illustrator communicates their version of Thanksgiving story differently, so hopefully you'll find one version that's best suited for each of your children.


Today, we're going to take a look at illustrator Leonard Weisgard (1916-2000).  Weisgard won the Caldecott Medal in 1947 for his illustrations of The Little Island, and you can read more about him in this short biography.  Weisgard wrote and illustrated The Plymouth Thanksgiving (copyright in 1967), striving to attended to detail and accuracy by using William Bradford's diary and by spending extensive time and research at Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Weisgard is best known for his illustrations, and this is no exception (I've included two different cover illustrations).  The kids especially liked being able to see the detail of the Mayflower interior.  Personally, I was gripped by the listing of all the passengers on the Mayflower, which made the story come alive for me (and made the fact that only half survived all the more startling).

Deal of the Day:

Hi, friends!  I just thought I ought to share my finds with you.  I LOVE the Target $1.00 aisle.  And today was no exception.

In the past, I've encouraged you to purchase a collection of Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes for your children.  Well, who can beat a $1.00 for a board book containing an average of 12 or more nursery rhymes?  Target has it.  They have four different board books with different nursery rhymes in each.  So if you bought all four, you'd still only be paying a total of $4.00 plus tax.  Frederick Richardson (1862-1937) does the vintage illustrations that you'll quickly be charmed by.  If you aren't familiar with his work, he's an American illustrator who illustrated books around the turn of the century.  To see examples of his work, check out Frederick Richardson here.  The board book itself is 4.25 x 5.75 inches, a perfect size for little hands.  I find that my children enjoy books that they can hold comfortably best of all.

Okay, but that's not all.  Target also has Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas paraphernalia.  We purchased these two cute bags: Cindy-Lou Who and the Grinch's dog, Max.  And we left so many other choices behind.  

I plan to feature How the Grinch Stole Christmas next month.  But you know Target, you have to get it now before it "gets gone"!  So as a courtesy, I wanted to let all my readers and friends in on this deal.

This First Thanksgiving Day

Over the next few weeks, I'm going to feature a few Thanksgiving books so you'll have time to check them out before Thanksgiving day.

One of the stories that the kids have wanted read to them over and over again is This First Thanksgiving Day: A Counting Story by Laura Krauss Melmed and illustrated by Mark Buehner.  They're taken with Buehner's bright, artful illustrations, jammed packed with "I spy" elements of squirrels, rabbits, and other creatures.  As Melmed writes the text in twelve poems, she highlights the day-to-day harvesting activities from the children's points of view.  Then Buehner ends with a beautiful scene of the two villages eating the first Thanksgiving feast together.

This story provides many fun teaching elements too! 

• Since this is a counting story, practice counting the participants in each page as they ready for the very first Thanksgiving. 
• Listen for the rhyme in the second and fourth lines. 
• Have your children find the hidden turkey in each page. 

 Note: For children unfamiliar with the Thanksgiving story, I'd recommend begining with a book that gives a more comprehensive account of how the Wampanoag and the Pilgrims came together to share a bountiful harvest before I'd begin with this book (and I'll be featuring some of those  recommendations later this week).  Also, this particular story is better suited for the kindergarten and toddler ages.

Carl Sandburg

A few weekends ago, we went to Carl Sandburg's home, Connemara, in Flat Rock, NC.  The kids loved running wild with the goats (a few are descendants from the prize winning dairy goats that Sandburg's wife, Lilian, raised).  And we loved walking through the beautiful fall foliage reflecting off the pond at this time of year.

So in memory of Sandburg, let me share with you one of our favorite Sandburg poems:

Fog

by Carl Sandburg

The fog comes

on little cat feet.

It sits looking

over harbor and city

on silent haunches

and then moves on.

If you're interested in reading more of Sandburg's poetry, I recommend Poetry for young People Carl Sandburg edited by Frances Schoonmaker Bolin and illustrated by Steven Arcella.

In November

Can you believe we're already in the month of November now?  Here's a book describing the events that occur in November.  And if you haven't already checked out author Cynthia Rylant yet, here's your first opportunity with In November by Cynthia Rylant and illustrated by Jill Kastner.

First off, I just want to say that I want to frame a few of Kastner's brush-stroked oil illustrations in my home.  I mean, check out this beautiful painting of a cardinal couple in a snow and berry filled tree:

The illustration speaks for itself, doesn't it!

Then Rylant takes her readers on a tour of the fall-ending, winter-readying activity of animals hibernating, birds flying south, and families preparing for the blessings of Thanksgiving.  Rylant's beautiful lyrical voice evidences throughout this book.  Her soft, quite tone reverberates the story's content of preparing for the sleepiness of winter.  Allow me to give you a taste of the poetic imagery in Rylant's writing with her last lines:  In November, at winter's gate, the stars are brittle.  The sun is a sometime friend.  And the world has tucked her children in, with a kiss on their heads, till spring. 

So readers, tell me what you think about this book!

"The Mist and All"

I like the fall,
The mist and all.
I like the night owl's
Lonely call --
And wailing sound
Of wind around.

I like the gray
November day,
And bare dead boughs
That coldly sway
Against my pane.
I like the rain.

I like to sit
And laugh at it --
And tend
My cozy fire a bit.
I like the fall --
The mist and all.

~ author unknown 

Pumpkin Pumpkin

My mom introduced me to this beautifully illustrated book by Jeanne Titherington called Pumpkin Pumpkin.  Titherington does the full-color art on each page strictly with colored pencils.  The detail in each illustration almost looks like it could be a photograph with the exception of the softness color pencils lend to each illustration.  Titherington's simplicity in chronicling the life cycle of a pumpkin introduces us to a little boy named Jamie who plants pumpkin seeds and watches a pumpkin grow until it's ready for carving.  The children especially enjoy looking for the insect, amphibian, or mammal in each illustration.