Among the pleasures of raising a little person is the revisiting and rediscovery of books from my childhood. And, as my mother saved everything and my sister has shared the spoils (she had kids first), many of these books really are from my childhood - the actual, tangible copies, battered and repaired.
One that we've come back to again and again is a sweet illustrated story by Marie Hall Ets, called In the Forest. The book is a little bit of make believe: a boy plays in forest with imaginary animals, with the refrain "when I went for a walk in the forest". They make a parade and then a picnic, and then poof! Dad comes and the make-believe evaporates, and the last line is "when I come for a walk in the forest". It's dear, with lovely quiet poetic text and sweet black & white drawings. The book was originally published in 1944, and received a Caldecott Honor in 1945. Alas, the copy we have is a cheap Scholastic edition from 1966. It kind of makes me want to find a first edition.
(PS - #3 for Children's Book Week)
14 November 2007
In The Forest
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13 comments:
My girls are psycho for being read to, even more than my boys ever were. We have no shortage of books around here but I keep getting more, I'm glad they like stories. I'll have to find this one!
I agree. My favorite thing in the evening is another chapter from a Beverly Cleary with Patience.
I love your recs!
Julie
Using My Words
I haven't read this one.
I'm enjoying your recommendations too!
I hope W. or another family member is reading. Hello holiday gift idea!
oh, that cover reminds me of "Where the wild things are"! What fun.
What a wonderful thing to share with your children. We too, have passed books down to our children and they love it, even with the pages falling out. Reading is so important, and the love it can be instilled so early.
This one just resurfaced for us, too -- my brother got a raft of books from the owner of a house he was working on, and this was in the mix. When I got to the first refrain, it all came back to me.
never heard of this one.
i love the cover artwork.
thanks for sharing.
i think i read this as a girl! not positive, but it looks so familiar.
Great book
:)
Thanks for commenting on my blog. It's nice to see familiar faces.
Jillian
my mom kept lots of books from my childhood, and I love listening to her read them to MQ. my favorite was a bout a boy and his drum "rat-a-tat rat-a-tat rum-a-tum-tum"
that looks like a beautiful book!
I agree. This is one I loved but my son is a bit too young for (he'd rip every.single. page out).
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