Dance At Grandpa's

My First Little House Books

by Laura Ingalls Wilder

A delightful Laura Ingalls Wilder classic story re-written so that younger children can enjoy these classics also. Laura and her family are going to Grandpa and Grandma's house for the big dance! Everyone in the Big Woods comes, too!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Classics, Collections

40 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Laura Ingalls Wilder was an American author, journalist, and educator whose "Little House" series transformed the arduous reality of the American frontier into a foundational pillar of children's literature. Born in the "Big Woods" of Wisconsin to Charles and Caroline Ingalls, Laura’s childhood was a nomadic journey through the heart of a shifting nation. Her family moved across Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Iowa, and the Dakota Territory—often staying just ahead of legal evictions or chasing the promise of fertile soil. These years were marked by extreme hardship, including the "Hard Winter" of 1880–81 in De Smet, South Dakota, where the family survived near-starvation. Despite the struggle, these experiences provided the raw material for her eight-volume record of pioneer life, a series that has since been translated into over forty languages.
Before becoming a world-renowned novelist in her sixties, Wilder lived several distinct lives. At fifteen, she became a teacher in one-room prairie schools, a job she took primarily to support her family financially. In 1885, she married Almanzo Wilder, beginning a partnership that endured fire, paralysis from diphtheria, and the heartbreaking loss of an infant son. These trials eventually led them to Mansfield, Missouri, where they established Rocky Ridge Farm. It was here that Laura developed her voice as a professional writer, serving as a columnist and editor for the Missouri Ruralist for over a decade.
The Great Depression and the 1929 stock market crash wiped out the Wilders’ savings, providing the ultimate catalyst for Laura to pen her memoirs. Her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane—a successful author in her own right—encouraged her mother to adapt her autobiography, Pioneer Girl, into a format more suitable for children. This resulted in a complex and often rocky literary collaboration; while Lane provided the professional "style," Wilder provided the "substance" and narrative heart. The first book, Little House in the Big Woods, was published in 1932 when Laura was sixty-five.
Wilder’s legacy is a blend of immense literary success and modern historical scrutiny. While her books remain staples in classrooms for their vivid descriptions of 19th-century domestic life, her portrayals of Native Americans and African Americans have led to recent reevaluations. In 2018, the American Library Association renamed the "Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal" to the "Children's Literature Legacy Award" to reflect these evolving cultural sensitivities. Nonetheless, Wilder remains a monumental figure in American letters, a woman who successfully "saved the American soul" by documenting the grit, faith, and unyielding persistence of the pioneer spirit.

Reviews

[Miranda Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The horses pranced, the sleigh bells rang merrily, and they went off through the woods..."

Laura and her family made the long journey from their little cabin in the big woods to their grandparents' home for a grand party!

"It did not seem long before they were sweeping into the clearing at Grandpa's house. Grandma stood at the door smiling and calling them to come in."

From there Laura's night was wonderful - full of dancing, good food, and plenty of merriment. The log home filled with people who had a joyous time, swinging their partners round to Pa's fiddle.

Ahhh, this is such a lovely addition to the picture books. Little House in the Big Woods was always my favorite of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books because it takes place in my home state.

As a child, I loved learning about a little girl who had grandparents who threw parties, just like mine, and who celebrated all the holidays surrounded by the big woods of Wisconsin.

One thing I love about these books are the gorgeous illustrations and color palette. It's so well done and matches the illustrations in my favorite version of the series so well.

I really liked seeing all of the party preparations and how the celebration went back in Laura's time - the fiddle singing, and the family members dancing, and enjoying all of the good homemade foods. I wish I could have been there.

[Danette · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction to the Little House Books.

4/25/18 Read with Julia.
7/16/18 Read with Naomi & Julia.
12/9/18 Naomi read to Julia & me.
1/2/19 Read with Julia
4/13/19 Naomi read to Julia, Skylar, and me.
3/27/20 Read with Julia #covidreader
7/21/20 Read with Julia

[Melody Schwarting · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty dresses and lots of food. This was my favorite one from the series when I was growing up.

[Cindy aka "The Book Fairy" · Rating 5 out of 5]

Precious slice of history from a favourite old family!

[Coach D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Also known to us as "Grandpa's Dance Party." This one has it all: pretty dancing moms, sleepy children, and super sour pickles!

[Kat Harnisch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another classic of the Little House series!

[Claire Binkley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last but not least, I particularly enjoyed this little warm-up story to the Little House on the Prairie series.

[Katie Beck · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very cute book to read to children. It reminds me of my childhood when I would read the longer versions of the The Little House Books. This is a good book to read to children to teach them about pioneer days.

[Jodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite parts of Little House in the Big Woods now a beautiful picture book. The illustrations are absolutely lovely. The story is one that I love. I treasured every minute of these stories.

[Nancy Vu · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Dance at Grandpa's" is a good book to read before the winter break. The students can expect parties, dancing, and lots of food. The best part is when Laura gets to spend and appreciate her time with family.

[Mandy J. Hoffman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series is such a great set for kids. It's simple and a quick read to younger kids, but a great intro intro to Laura Ingalls.

[Elanor]

All by herself!

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The dance at grandpa's was always one of my favorite parts in Little House in the Big Woods. I loved getting to see all the gorgeous illustrations.

[Heather McC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warm and cozy, this picture book provides the same great nostalgia feel as the original 'Little House' series. The picturesque images remind me of my black and white illustrations in my collection at home. Great for a quick read any time of day.

[Jessica Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely picture book relating to the "Little House in the Big Woods" book. I like the picture book a little more than the actual book and is a great introduction to the series. The artwork is lovely and so well done! Looking forward to collecting more of these.

[Rosa Cline · Rating 4 out of 5]

These "First Little House" books are WONDERFUL, now you don't have to wait until your child is old enough for the original series, these are written basic and sweet but not to over non readers heads. I read this to my 2 year old granddaughter and we both LOVED it. The illustrations in these books are done so well so eye appeasing that it helps the non reader to stay with the reader.

This book the Ingallas family get all bundled up and take a trip into the Big Woods to Grandma and Grandpa's house. the entire family is there will all kinds of nice clothes, many babies, and lots of good things to eat!

[Mattie Troyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

My First Little House Books are my favorite! If you love Laura Wilder books then you will love these for your little ones! Dance at Grandpa's is about a party that takes place at her grandparent's house in the woods. She talks about all the fun things at grandma's house, like her feather bed and the fireplace in the room. Laura loved seeing all the women dress up for the party and from the illustrations they did look beautiful. I love the way the pictures are drawn in the Little House books. I would recommend this book to any fan of Laura's it is a great short kids book!

[teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The My First Little House is a collection of books in which they took events in the longer Little House books and make a picture book version of it.

The illustrations are done by Renee Graeff but in the style of Garth Williams who did the illustrations for the books I grew up with. (He also did the illustrations for Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little.)

I love these books because they bring me back to being young and reading the Little House series for the first time.

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A "My First Little House Book" inspired by, what else, the Little House books. :-) This shows Laura and her family visiting her grandparents' home where they have a party. I love seeing Laura's love and loyalty to her family in just the little ways she looks at things. And I like "seeing" the party through Laura's child eyes. I'm glad they've created these picture books for the younger audience. But I think for Book Time the children could handle an actual chapter from the book.

[Inhabiting Books]

One of the simplified My First Little House Books, which I discovered when my first daughter was a toddler, this book tells the story of Laura, Mary, Baby Carrie, Ma and Pa going to a dance at Grandpa's house.

All of these books have been favorite reads with my littles. Right now this is my three-year-old's favorite of the series. (This series is adapted largely from "Little House in the Big Woods", with a couple of stories from "Little House on the Prairie".)

[Tasasha Battle · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is all laughs and beautiful music at grandpa's house. Laura thinks that the whole night is beautiful, from the babies lined on the bed to her mother dancing in her green dress. She has the best time with her family. This book can be used to discuss the topic of family and eating dinners. Also, this book can help students understand the value that illustrations can whole when expressing oneself. The fact that they can aid in the telling their story.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't started reading the Little House on the Prairie books to our girls yet, so in the meantime, we are reading the picture books that are for a younger audience. They are nice little stories, snippets of what occurs in the other books, with great illustrations that really help bring the story to life.

[Anna Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was SO excited to find these simplified Little House books to read with my 3 year old. I'm not usually a fan of abridgements, but these are very nicely done and do manage to retain the flavor of the original Little House books while bringing them down to a 3 year old level. A perfect way to introduce my girl to Laura Ingalls Wilder! The illustrations are lovely, too.

[Katlynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book describes well about festivals and going back to our grandparent's house which made me think of the time on January 1st, snowing hard and our family going to our grandparent's house. I'm living in Vietnam, so for 4years I couldn't visit my grandparents in winter. This story leads me to think of so much other thoughts.

[Brianne Larson]

Laura Ingalls was always my favorite book character as a child and I was delighted to find that there are books about her life for younger ages as well! I remember the dance at grandpas in her chapter books, and i loved the illustrations for teh scene. It's just as my little imagination saw it when I was a little girl!

[Gloria Linkiewicz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historical Fiction
2nd-3rd grade reading level
Learning about pioneers was always my favorite as a kid. I even made my mother buy me a pioneer dress. I loved reading Dance at grandpas and seeing all the dresses they would wear back then. I wished I read this book when I was younger because I would of loved it.

[Deborah Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Little House book that is a quick read. It can be used to talk about the difference in pioneer days and now. The book is filled with adjectives. I also like the use of unusual verbs, pranced, swirled.

[Bree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Notes:
All the books in this series are beautiful.
Great intro to pioneer life, but may not connect to preschoolers with no frame of reference.
Son read them after he first learned to read.
Excerpted from Wilder's actual books.

[Lilly Fife]

I read this a couple days ago while we were in the car. I've always loved Little house on the prarie books. This one is for young ones to read too now.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pa packs his fiddle and the family leaves for a winter party. Laura loves how beautiful her mother looks as they swing along.