The Wily Woodchucks

Hooray for books for Christmas!  We are always adding to our library and it's a treat to buy some new family books to have wrapped up under the Christmas tree.  This was one and it's just the cutest story.  Illustrated by Wanda Gag's sister, Flavia (who I had no idea was also an artist), it tells the story of two determined woodchucks who keep eating up the garden.  The garden belongs to the Gag siblings and I can't help wondering how much of the story was true to life!  The author Georgia Travers was a childhood friend of the Gag's and even wrote Wanda's biography.  First published in 1946, the pictures are absolutely delightful and the story is sweet and simple as most mid-century vintage story books tend to be.

The Wily Woodchucks

Georgia Travers

illustrated by Flavia Gag 1946

Another New Year with Bobbie and Donnie

 Well it's another New Year (rung in very casually and with little fanfare by my household). 

Another New Year 

with Bobbie and Donnie

Esther Brann 1936

 These are some of my favorite style of illustrations from 1936.  Twins Bobbie and Donnie ring in the New Year and learn about the months in the process.  Which month is the coldest, which month is the windiest, which month has ripe strawberries, etc...   I adore each page of illustrations! 

  

Told Under the Christmas Tree

 Merry Christmas!  How about a vintage book illustrated by Maud and Miska Petersham?  It has Christmas themed poetry and short stories and even includes some Hanukkah ones!

Told Under the Christmas Tree

illustrated by Maud and Miska Petersham 1952

Love, love, love this cover!

Here I Am, Lord

 Based on the French versions of G. Vauthiers "Le Psautier des jeunes chretien" (which in turn was inspired by Pope Pius XII's Psalter), the Boland's illustrations make this book a lovely piece of art.  The Psalms are accompanied by soft round-faced pictures in medieval style.  I don't think I have any other Boland books, but I love their artwork so I will definitely be on the lookout for more!

Here I Am, Lord

G. Vauthier

illustrations by Josette and Suzanne Boland 1960

The Wee Christmas Cabin

The Wee Christmas Cabin

Margaret Hodges

illustrated by Kimberly Bulcken Root 2009

A sweet folklore tale about a foundling child who grows up to simply want a cozy cottage of her own.  But though her life proves to be full of hardship and wandering and displacement she never loses her kind heart.  Finally one snowy night the fairy folk take pity on her and build for her a little house that she can call her own.  A nice magical Christmas story.

Snowflake

Snowflake

Paul Gallico 1953

Frankly I was unprepared for how profound this story was.  Paul Gallico's lyrical writing tells of a snowflake, made in the clouds and coming to earth in a small mountain village.  That begins the gentle story of her life, all that she sees and wonders about.  Gradually she melts and begins a journey through rivers and lakes and adulthood.  Don't look for any scientific accuracy, this story is all allegory, contemplation about the meaning of our existence, our purpose, our time and experience through life, and our place in the universe.  Pretty heavy stuff, but told in a beautiful, simple way.  It's nice as a read aloud children's book, but probably best suited for those of us experiencing the existential crisis of middle age!

Indian Captive

Indian Captive

The Story of Mary Jemison

Lois Lenski 1941

     The story of Mary Jemison is true and fascinating.  Lois Lenski delved into the research, studying Seneca objects in museums, working with the native artist Gaoyaih, and even visiting some of Jemison's descendants.  The result is an enjoyable read that feels authentic and full of fascinating information about how the Native Americans lived in the late 18th century.

    This was driven home last Spring when my family visited the Pocono Indian Museum (a small but fascinating museum in Stroudsburgh, PA).  Not only were there artifacts and examples of tools and implements on display, but also life-size diaoramas depicting the very things I had been reading about in Lenski's story!

  

    What makes Indian Captive so good is the complex feelings and characterization that Lenski provides, never dumbed down for children, but still appropriate for young readers.  Mary Jemison spends much of the story wanting to escape her Indian captors who have killed her family.  This is never glossed over, but the Indians are not painted as the bad guys.  Through the eyes of the child Mary, we see customs and a way of life that is initially confusing and off-putting, but gradually begins to be understandable.  Like many other young Indian captives, the real Mary Jemison acclimated and spent the rest of her life with her Indian family.  

Perhaps the Englishman was right- she ought to hate the Indians for the crime which they had committed against her- but in her heart there was no feeling of revenge, no hate.  It was only war that she hated- war which set nation agains nation; the French against the English, and the poor Indians between them both.  It was a war which had deprived her of her family.  As she had suffered once in losing her family, so did the Indians suffer like losses, over and over.  Her loss was no greater than theirs.

No, by coming to the Indians, she was the richer.  She had learned much that she might not otherwise have learned.  No matter what lay in store for her, she was willing now to go out to meet it.  All that she had suffered in coming to the Indians would make the rest of her life easy by comparison.  No pain, no sorrow which the future held, would be too great to bear.  She was sister to the animals, to all growing things; she was sister to the Indians, because she had suffered pain with them.  Because her pain had been so great, she would be sister to the suffering as long as she lived.   Washed clean by pain, she faced the future unafraid.