the little house book virginia lee burton

When they suggested edits, she went back to her desk and tried again. “Everyone hurried and seemed to be worried.” Yet at the same time, it provides a gentle introduction to civic action, as Burton recounts how the citizens of San Francisco petitioned the city for the trolley cars to stay a fixture in the town.īurton would often read her drafts to her children and their friends and ask for their feedback. Most of the story of Maybelle actually rhymes. Her books have a musical quality about them many have repetitive prose or sound effects (Maybelle the trolley car goes “ting ting ting,” Katy the snowplow says “chug chug chug”). I often have a lump in my throat as I finish The Little House for the ump-teenth time I love the sight of a home happy again with children running around it and apple trees swaying in the breeze.īurton worked at her prose until it sang to young hearts. If you are looking for a Wendell Berry-esque storybook, you might start here. She regularly explores themes of family, community, working together, and the potential unforeseen costs of progress. The Little House, Caldecott Medal winner of 1943, is a good example of the qualities you can expect to find in all of Burton’s work. It was only when I had children that I explored the rest of her books and found the other treasures she left for young readers.

I remember loving her most well-known book Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel when I was young. In Up, the house is pulled up by an enormous colorful bouquet of balloons in The Little House, the house is picked up on wheels and driven away by a family who loves it.īurton’s work has been a favorite of mine since childhood. Remember the scene in Pixar’s 2009 film Up where we see the sweet little house dwarfed by towering skyscrapers? That shot has always reminded me of a book I’ve loved sharing with my children: Virginia Lee Burton’s The Little House.

The little house book virginia lee burton