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Among the People #1
Among the Meadow People
Excerpt from Among the Meadow People
Many of these stories of field life were written for the little ones of my kindergarten, and they gave so much pleasure, and aroused such a new interest in "the meadow people," that it has seemed wise to collect and add to the original number and send them out to a larger circle of boys and girls.
All mothers and teachers hear the cry for "just one more," and find that there are times when the bewitching tales of animals, fairies, and "really truly" children are all exhausted, and tired imagination will not supply another.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
Many of these stories of field life were written for the little ones of my kindergarten, and they gave so much pleasure, and aroused such a new interest in "the meadow people," that it has seemed wise to collect and add to the original number and send them out to a larger circle of boys and girls.
All mothers and teachers hear the cry for "just one more," and find that there are times when the bewitching tales of animals, fairies, and "really truly" children are all exhausted, and tired imagination will not supply another.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
131 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1897
About the author
Unknown
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
September 4, 2021
This was recommended to me by an experienced homeschool mom who also uses Sonlight and Charlotte Mason. It's not available via library here, so I took the leap and bought it...OH MAN, we were NOT disappointed. My seven-year-old gives this "10,000 stars." (I think that's stretching its praise a bit, but it shows how much she loves it.)
Naturally and lightly, Clara Dillingham Pierson writes stories that simultaneously accomplish two things: teaching kids about nature and delivering an Aesop-like moral. Think Thornton Burgess's natural philosophy but with language that's not as overstuffed and plodding, and think morals from Margaret Gatty's Parables from Nature but shorter and easier for young kids to understand. I was always honestly in awe of how effortlessly she worked in the natural science lessons, and at how effortlessly my kids and I absorbed them. Everything, from the characters to the organic moral, was done with the lightest of touches.
Don't start with Burgess and Gatty: start with these! (Among the Meadow People is her first.)
I will add also this: I got this copy from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Among-Meadow-P...
--and it is by far one of the ugliest books I have ever owned. The cover is printed at too low a resolution and has an ugly black bar at the bottom where they didn't align it correctly, the spacing is all wonky and badly formatted within, and the "illustrations" are just random clip arts placed at the ends of chapters that have nothing to do with their subjects. DO NOT buy that edition. Go to AbeBooks and get yourself something nice.
Naturally and lightly, Clara Dillingham Pierson writes stories that simultaneously accomplish two things: teaching kids about nature and delivering an Aesop-like moral. Think Thornton Burgess's natural philosophy but with language that's not as overstuffed and plodding, and think morals from Margaret Gatty's Parables from Nature but shorter and easier for young kids to understand. I was always honestly in awe of how effortlessly she worked in the natural science lessons, and at how effortlessly my kids and I absorbed them. Everything, from the characters to the organic moral, was done with the lightest of touches.
Don't start with Burgess and Gatty: start with these! (Among the Meadow People is her first.)
I will add also this: I got this copy from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Among-Meadow-P...
--and it is by far one of the ugliest books I have ever owned. The cover is printed at too low a resolution and has an ugly black bar at the bottom where they didn't align it correctly, the spacing is all wonky and badly formatted within, and the "illustrations" are just random clip arts placed at the ends of chapters that have nothing to do with their subjects. DO NOT buy that edition. Go to AbeBooks and get yourself something nice.
August 16, 2020
4 stars & 4/10 hearts. I really love Pierson’s works! These stories are just right for children but they’re well written and interesting and I enjoyed them all. The lessons are excellent too.
A Favourite Quote: “After that the Walking-Stick had nothing more to say. He never felt quite sure whether the Harvestman was too stupid to understand or too wise to gossip. Once he thought he saw the Harvestman's eyes twinkle. The Harvestman didn't care if people thought him stupid. He knew that he was not stupid, and he would rather seem dull than to listen while unkind things were said about his neighbors.”
A Favourite Quote: “After that the Walking-Stick had nothing more to say. He never felt quite sure whether the Harvestman was too stupid to understand or too wise to gossip. Once he thought he saw the Harvestman's eyes twinkle. The Harvestman didn't care if people thought him stupid. He knew that he was not stupid, and he would rather seem dull than to listen while unkind things were said about his neighbors.”
June 9, 2012
This is a collection of fable which is good for both children and adults. The writer tries to bring oir mind to the imagination " what if I were a cricket? a frog? a snake?" and other animals. Have you ever wondered what those animals think about you as a human? Have you evervwondered what they speak? If you say "yes", then go ahead and read this book! The stories are also full of moral values which can be good for bed-time stories for your children.
July 9, 2012
Cute little kids book about the Meadow People (butterflies, grasshoppers, spiders, snakes and frogs) - with little lessons within each story to remind you what happens if you are a cranky gossip and how it is better to be kind and pleasant.
March 15, 2026
I really enjoyed how closely the author sticks to taxonomical knowledge, truths, and suppositions as she narrates her anthropomorphic animals’ lives. 🐛 🐞 Every story contained some kind of easy to understand moral lesson that my 7 and 4 year olds were either able to grasp right away or provided a foundation to talk about afterwards.
The main criticism I have is that the writing fits the time period where calling things stupid or silly or other light “name calling” might have been common place in children’s literature at the turn of the 20th century. I have had to remind my children that even if these characters use that language doesn’t mean they have to.
The main criticism I have is that the writing fits the time period where calling things stupid or silly or other light “name calling” might have been common place in children’s literature at the turn of the 20th century. I have had to remind my children that even if these characters use that language doesn’t mean they have to.
March 27, 2022
We read this for our Nature Lore for the first two terms of this year. Cute little stories about “the meadow people” that made us laugh out loud and also ponder life. We’ll take a break from this series and pick another one of her clever books for next year!
May 12, 2020
Excellent fables about insect size creatures, great bedtime stories.
March 8, 2021
Nice stories about insects and animals. We read this as a nature read aloud for school.
July 8, 2021
This series is a favorite read aloud in our family. Mom and kids alike enjoy these cute little stories.
February 8, 2022
Read for our 1st grade Language Arts homeschool curriculum.
February 22, 2022
This one is perhaps the best in the series for the youngest listeners or readers. The chapters/stories are short. And of course, anything by this author is enjoyable.
March 4, 2022
This was Jacob’s science read aloud.
November 15, 2023
Fun small stories about nature. We didn’t enjoy the moralism thrown into the mixture. It felt heavy handed and awkward.
April 4, 2024
A very sweet book
October 12, 2025
This book was charming enough, but didn't seem to spark my children's attention and imagination like other books did. We will probably use other nature lore books for now!
April 8, 2026
3.5 - Read for the school. The stories were cute and each one taught some different animal facts. Each story usually had some sort of moral as well.
May 19, 2026
Short parables. Quick to read and yet profound. Perfect for young children.
June 8, 2026
Captured my kids imagination with short stories and life lessons that stick with you. The kids were frequently giggling at the silly animals.
July 23, 2024
3 stars
Very sweet and funny at times. A mix of moral tales and science observations, chiefly of insects, butterflies, spiders, and frogs.
1. The Butterfly that Went Calling
2. The Robins Build a Nest
3. The Selfish Tent Caterpillar
4. The Lazy Snail
5. The Ant that Wore Wings
6. The Cheerful Harvestmen
7. The Little Spider's First Web
8. The Beetle Who Did Not Like Caterpillars
9. The Young Robin Who Was Afraid to Fly
10. The Cricket's School
11. The Contented Earthworms
12. The Measuring Worm's Joke
13. A Puzzled Cicada
14. The Tree Frog's Story
15. The Day When the Grass Was Cut
16. The Grasshopper and the Measuring Worm Run A Race
17. Mr. Green Frog and his Visitors
18. The Dignified Walking-Sticks
19. The Day of the Great Storm
20. The Story of Lilly-Pad Island
21. The Grasshopper Who Wouldn't Be Scared
22. The Earthworm Half Brothers
23. A Gossiping Fly
24. The Frog Hoppers Go Out into the World
25. The Mosquito Tries to Teach his Neighbors
26. The Frog Who Thought Herself Sick
27. The Katydid's Quarrel
28. The Last Party of the Season
Very sweet and funny at times. A mix of moral tales and science observations, chiefly of insects, butterflies, spiders, and frogs.
1. The Butterfly that Went Calling
2. The Robins Build a Nest
3. The Selfish Tent Caterpillar
4. The Lazy Snail
5. The Ant that Wore Wings
6. The Cheerful Harvestmen
7. The Little Spider's First Web
8. The Beetle Who Did Not Like Caterpillars
9. The Young Robin Who Was Afraid to Fly
10. The Cricket's School
11. The Contented Earthworms
12. The Measuring Worm's Joke
13. A Puzzled Cicada
14. The Tree Frog's Story
15. The Day When the Grass Was Cut
16. The Grasshopper and the Measuring Worm Run A Race
17. Mr. Green Frog and his Visitors
18. The Dignified Walking-Sticks
19. The Day of the Great Storm
20. The Story of Lilly-Pad Island
21. The Grasshopper Who Wouldn't Be Scared
22. The Earthworm Half Brothers
23. A Gossiping Fly
24. The Frog Hoppers Go Out into the World
25. The Mosquito Tries to Teach his Neighbors
26. The Frog Who Thought Herself Sick
27. The Katydid's Quarrel
28. The Last Party of the Season
February 3, 2013
I have been reading this series of books to my children. They are cute little stories told about the animals and insects that love in a meadow. They are told from the perspective of the animals. Each one has a little moral/message to learn. We have really been enjoying them!
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews