I love children’s literature in general, but my favorite stories tend to be the classics, featuring themes that endure through the years. One such classic story is one that I recently purchased for my daughter’s second birthday (knowing she will probably enjoy it more in the years to come): The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton. I fondly remember reading this book as a child and wanted to pass that enjoyment onto my children. The copy that I purchased came with an audio recording on CD, so we immediately popped it in and listened in the car. Much to our (pleasant) surprise, there was a bonus track included in which Maybelle the Cable Car is read aloud! We haven’t had a chance to read the book yet, but I have a trip to our local library planned to pick it up soon. The Little House won a Caldecott Medal in 1943 for its charming illustrations, but what really strikes me is the lovely story and the different themes throughout the book. Maybelle the Cable Car didn’t disappoint on either front and had some of the same themes. I am a little geeked out that at ages three and two, my children are getting exposure to ideas such as:
· Urban sprawl
· Celebration of the quiet country side
· Nostalgia for simpler times
· Importance of connection to the outdoors
· Knowledge about seasons, phases of the moon, and the evolution of transportation
· Impacts of technology advances on human interaction and behavior (people distracted, hurrying, not paying attention to the world, etc)
· Power of democracy
· Importance of people in a community
· Unique vocabulary – tenement houses, surveyors, cellar, committee, petition, ballot, vote, election, polls, vote, citizen, democracy, sentimental, economical
It is fine and good for a children’s book to be enjoyed and appreciated by adult readers, but the true test is if the child latches on and enjoys the story. I think the answer from my house would be a resounding “YES” from both children. Their favorite line from either book (context – townspeople of San Francisco think the new horseless carriages look silly): “GET A HORSE!”
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| The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton |
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| Maybelle the Cable Car by Virginia Lee Burton |
