Little House in the Big Woods (Little House, #1) in Retro Chapter Chicks

Jul 29, 2017 Brina rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: childhood-favorites, classics, historical-fiction

My two younger daughters recently discovered the Little House series and are speeding through the books this summer. As I am in between books and wanted to avoid a reading rut, I decided to revisit the first book in the series for myself. As I am always on the lookout for quality children's books, I spent a few hours rereading the beginning of a series that I had enjoyed when I was my daughters' age.

Little House in the Big Woods begins the classic children's saga that follows Laura Ingalls Wild My two younger daughters recently discovered the Little House series and are speeding through the books this summer. As I am in between books and wanted to avoid a reading rut, I decided to revisit the first book in the series for myself. As I am always on the lookout for quality children's books, I spent a few hours rereading the beginning of a series that I had enjoyed when I was my daughters' age.

Little House in the Big Woods begins the classic children's saga that follows Laura Ingalls Wilder on her journey from childhood to marriage. It features a wide eyed five year old girl who has her entire future ahead of her at a thrilling time in American history as the country has moved past the civil war and is starting to settle the west. Ingalls was born in 1867 in the big woods of Wisconsin. She lives with her parents and sisters Mary and Carrie in a log cabin in the middle of the woods and has rarely traveled anywhere other than to visit her grandparents and aunts, uncles, and cousins. The woods and all that was in it made up her entire life.

Even if the country was beginning to modernize, and we glimpse it with the horse powered threshing machine toward the end, the industrial revolution had yet to come to Wisconsin. The Ingalls family lived according to the seasons of the year, was a devout Christian family, and each member of the family worked from morning to night doing their share of chores. Pa hunted and farmed while Ma cooked, baked, and sewed the entire family's clothing from scratch. Mary and Laura were expected to do their share of chores as well, including helping with the dishes and basic needlepoint and cross stitch. Both girls were model citizens who children of today could learn many lessons from, especially in obeying their parents and knowing to be seen and not heard.

The edition I read is the collectors edition illustrated by Garth Williams. Williams had illustrated over one hundred books for children including the classic Charlotte's Web. His illustrations bring Laura's life to life as readers see her dancing at her grandpa's barn dance, going into town, and her daily life throughout the year. Williams met an adult Ingalls and traveled to all of her homes in order to view first hand how she lived. I felt the illustrations were vital as children are reading about a different era in history, and illustrations can assist them on their journey through time. Even an adult can benefit from viewing color illustrations as they can once again become captivated by a series they read as children.

As an elementary aged student, my favorite series was All of a Kind Family. I had much in common with the girls in the story and reread more times than I could count. Yet, Little House was easily a close second as I was and am a lover of history and enjoyed reading about a girl and her family in an earlier part of my nation's history. I am glad my daughters have discovered this series as we can share our memories of it as they continue Laura and her family's journey through life. ...more

114 likes · Like · see review

Feb 11, 2015 Kris (My Novelesque Life) added it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, memoir, america, history, 1800s, fiction, children, writers, childhood-memories, chapter-book

I will be rereading and will do a review then.

4 likes · Like · see review

Nov 17, 2012 Book Concierge rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: nature, audio, series, 19th-century, family, strong-women, concierge, children-s-literature, library

Audio book narrated by Cherry Jones

This classic children’s book is the first of the “Little House” series in which Wilder recounts what life was like for her and her family in late 19th century America. In this book Laura is but five years old and has never seen a town or a store. She is completely reliant on her parents for food and shelter, and on herself for entertainment. Fortunately she is part of a strong family unit with plenty of love. She recounts the hard work her parents, and other pi ...more

2 likes · Like · see review