A Farm
Paintings from a Bygone Age

Carl Larsson

Hardbound

$24.95

Carl Larsson's books about the life on his farm, Spardarvet in western Sweden, were some of the most sparkling jewels on our bookshelf during the time when our children were growing up. They are so filled with life and beauty, and the portrayals of family and farm life in those days are so wonderful that we spend hours and hours just pouring over them, talking about what the people were doing, what certain things in the room were, thinking about family and home and life.

I can't recommend these highly enough - they are the sort of books that are pulled from the shelf time and time again, to be looked at anew by everyone, regardless of age.

The Story of the Snow Children

Sibylle von Olfers

Hardbound

$17.95

Poppy is gazing out of the window at the snow when, all of a sudden, she sees that the snowflakes are really little Snow Children dancing and whirling in the garden. Soon, they whisk her away to the Snow Queen’s wintry kingdom.

From the author of The Story of the Root Children, here is another classic children’s story with beautiful illustrations.

(Age 3–5)

The Story of the Root Children

Sibylle von Olfers

$9.95

Hardbound - Mini Edition

The perfect book to follow the seasons! Join Mother Earth as she awakens her Root-Children in the spring and gently guides them through the seasons of the year. Beautifully told and illustrated. For children of all ages, especially 3-7! The mini edition is identical to the full-size story book, just smaller.

The Story of the Root Children

Sibylle von Olfers

$16.95

Hardbound - Storybook Format Edition

See the description above -- this is the full-sized edition.

The Last Little Cat

Meindert DeJong

Drawings by Jim McMullan

Softbound - sweet illustrations

$7.95

Meindert DeJong, a Newbery Award-winning author, published The Last Little Cat nearly four decades ago. Now it is back in print to delight us all.

The last little cat was born in a kennel, surrounded by dogs and dog cages and dog noises. The little cat was always half cold and half hungry - until the day it fell into the cage of hte old, blind dog.

Then, for a while, the last little cat was warm, and the last little cat was well fed. But how could such a small cat know that the barn doors are closed at night and that there are people in the world who do not want to help a helpless kitten?

This story of how the last little cat found a home, not just any home but a perfect home, is one that any child will love. It can serve as an early "long book" reader (late 2nd grade, or thereabouts, depending on ability) or a warm and loving "read-to-me" (age 4 and up). A true book for the heart.

The Velveteen Rabbit

Margery Williams

Illustrated by William Nicholson

Original Edition - paperbound

$3.99

A story great enough to last a child a lifetime! A gift of love from a child carries life itself to his favorite stuffed bunny.

"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real. It doesn't happen all at once. You become. It takes a long time. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But those things don't matter, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

Ages 4-9.

The Story of Ferdinand

Munro Leaf

$6.99

Softbound

Ah! Ferdinand! The little bull who was such a master of peace that he even pacified the hearts of the toreador and the crowd at the bull ring. I grew up with the story of Ferdinand, and the picture of him sitting under his cork trees, smelling flowers has never left. This is a book for every child, ages 4 and up.

Pooh's Library
Contains: When We Were Very Young, Now We Are Six, Winnie-the-Pooh, and The House at Pooh Corner

A. A. Milne

Original Illustrations by E. H. Shepard

Hardbound, dust jacketed

$48.00
Boxed Set - 4 volumes

Before Disney Studios turned Winnie-the-Pooh into a characature of himself, these stories, illustrated with warmth and love by E. H. Shepard, filled children's and parent's heart with a glowing delight. Fortunately, the originals are still in print and you can discover them, too.

These are the books I grew up on and still love. Whenever I reflect on any of them, I break into a smile and (I'm told) am inclined to begin humming or singing. This is what I hope your children will find, also - a lifetime of delight. Whether they are captivated by such dancing poetry as "James James Morrison Morrison; Weatherby George Dupree; Took good care of his mother; Though he was only three." or whether they giggle their way through Pooh and Piglet's attempts at capturing a Heffalump, it is my belief that such joy will last them a lifetime. "Sing Ho! for the life of a bear!" An essential classic.

The Giving Tree

Shel Silverstein

Hardbound, Dust Jacketed

Includes Full Story on CD - Delightfully read by the author!

$18.99

It’s probably a good idea to read The Giving Tree first - before looking at the photo of the author on the back of the jacket. Shel Silverstein is one of those people who enjoys presenting the world with a clear invitation to see beyond the surface - in this case beyond his hard-core rocker exterior - and into. . .well, we think Shel is probably the warmest hearted, delightfully creative, generous children’s author on the planet. If you haven’t already read this classic, you are in for a treat. We won’t tell you the story so you can discover it yourself, but we will give you a hint: The Giving Tree in the story is exactly like Shel, without the rough exterior. Ages 3 and up for read-aloud; age 7 for read read-alone; adults for a gentle reminder of what life is really about.

The Chronicles of Narnia

C. S. Lewis

Boxed Set - 7 volumes

Paperbound

$45.00

Our children went to Narnia more times than we can remember and lived and played in that realm for years. It is a wonderful, invigorating journey, filled with high adventure, good friends, and the Beauty that is Truth. This boxed set makes it easy to travel the land for as long and as often as you want. Recommended without reservation! For children of all ages, especially ages 5 and up.

Little Phillip

Leo Tolstoy

llustrated by
Tatiana Kisseliova

$12.95

Hardbound

Little Phillip wants to join all the other children going to school, but he is still too young. So he makes his own way there through the village. A charming story for ages 3-5.

The Apple Cake

Nienke van Hichtum

Illustrated by Marjan van Zeyl

$14.95

Hardbound

A rich and beautiful story, this one. An old lady sets off to market to buy some apples for her cake, taking a basket of plums to trade along the way. As she travels, she meets one person after another to whom she gives what she has brought and from whom she receives a gift in return. At last, it is too late to reach the market - besides she no longer has the plums to trade! How she comes to have apples for her cake is a story that will inspire warm faith in the goodness of the world. A warming, inspiring story for ages 5-8. Includes a recipe for a delicious apple cake!

The Chicken Who Wanted to Fly

Evelien van Dort

Illustrated by
Veronica Nahmias

$14.95
Hardbound

There was once a little brown hen who wanted to fly. She used to watch the birds flying in the wood and wanted to be like them. One night she decided to stay in the wood and sleep among the trees. What happens that night changes all that forever! A charming story for ages 3 - 7.