Hiawatha's Childhood

 Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's famous poem (commonly memorized by school children in years past) gets a gorgeous retelling with Errol Le Cain's pictures.  Each full page spread is just beautiful.  This is a nice version for little ones because as you read Longfellow's lyrical words there's plenty for them to look at in Le Cain's art.

Hiawatha's Childhood

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

illustrated by Errol Le Cain 1984

 

Alfi and the Dark

Alfi and the Dark

Sally Miles

pictures by Errol Le Cain

 Somehow Sally Miles manages to tell a story about the Dark that is both curious and comforting.  Alfi, not afraid of the Dark, wants to know where it goes when he switches on the light.  Soon he is having a conversation with the Dark who promises to tell him his secret.  Cleverly Le Cain's anthropomorphized Dark can be seen on each page.

Growltiger's Last Stand

One thing I love about camping in Ithaca is going downtown to visit the town.  Ithaca has a really neat center called "Ithaca Commons".  It's an area with shops and restaurants, art sculptures and even a little playground.  Often there are street musicians playing music and always interesting people to look at.  There's a fantastic toy store that we like to stop in.  This year Henry bought a board game that we brought back to camp and played at the picnic table. 

Another regular stop is the used bookstore (of course!!)  The children's section isn't too bad and we always manage to bring a bag home with us.  The best part is coming back to camp and sitting around the fire reading our new acquisitions. 

Growltiger's Last Stand and Other Poems

T.S. Eliot

pictures by Errol Le Cain 1988

This was one such find. We read this late at night in the tent, Madeleine on one side and Charlotte on the other (Henry and Chris were playing cards). Madeleine and I got a case of the 'giddies' and thought the poems and pictures were particularly hilarious.

The Snow Queen

We had snow last night, just enough to make this morning, with it's pink sunrise, look startlingly beautiful.  No doubt it will melt today- great clumps are already dropping off the trees.  I was looking for a snow book to list and remembered this fairy tale.  With its story of friendship, robbers, a wild queen, a brave girl, and adventures over a frozen snowy landscape, it seemed perfect.

The Snow Queen

adapted by Naomi Lewis

illustrated by Errol Le Cain 1979

A version of Hans Christian Andersen's story with remarkable pictures by Errol Le Cain. The magical story follows two friends, Kay and Gerta. When Kay is lured away by the "tall, slender, brilliantly white" Snow Queen he forgets all about Gerta and his home.  But Gerta is determined to find him, asking wherever she goes and being led on her own deep adventure.  Past witches, rivers, crows, princes, and castles, Gerta finally meets a robber girl who helps her on her journey.  And in the far north castle of the Snow Queen she rescues her friend.

Kay looked at the Snow Queen; he could not imagine a wiser or lovelier face.  And she flew with him high up into the dark storm clouds, while the wind whistled and roared as if it were singing old ballads.

The coach stopped at the courtyard of a ruined castle.  Ravens and crows flew out of holes in the walls.  Inside, a large fire was burning in the middle of the stone floor.  The smoke rose to the roof, and had to find its own way out.  A great cauldron of soup stood over the fire and was bubbling away.

But where was little Kay all this time?  He was in the great cold palace.  The walls were of driven snow; the doors were of cutting wind.  The snow had formed into more than a hundred enormous halls; all were vast, empty , glittering, and icy cold.  The largest was many miles long; in the midst of it was a frozen lake, and there the Snow Queen liked to sit when she was at home.