Hannah's Favorite Author

I never dreamed that my almost 3 year old would have a favorite author, but she does. So far she LOVES every book that we have checked out by Lois Lenski. Lois has authored a number of books where Mr. Small plays different roles. Most of these books were copyright in the 1930s, 40s, 50s, and as a result they provide the adult with a little bit of entertainment reading about how things were different in that era. We have currently checked out the following books:



The Little Fire Engine. Hannah is working on memorizing this one and she's pretty close to getting it done. Fireman Small arrives on the scene of a house fire where he permits the family to go into the burning house and remove some of their treasured belongings. I guess while carrying the sofa out they neglect to remember a little girl upstairs. Fireman Small ends up having to save her, but what good is a story with out hero? After the fire has been put out, Fireman Small encourages the family to move right back in. Never mind the smoke and water damage, along with the gaping hole in the roof! I'll have to be sure to teach Hannah proper house fire etiquette.




The Little Farm is a favorite. Hannah has this one memorized to a "T." In this book Farmer Small goes about his chores around the farm. It even teaches the child about some of the different seasonal chores that might need to be done. One of the most dated portions talks about Farmer Small putting the milk into the milk cans and then into the cooler. Then he sets the cans on the milk stand to wait for the milk truck. Unpasteurized milk sitting out in the sun...I think I feel food borne illness coming on!

Cowboy Small was the very first book of this series that we checked out. It shows Cowboy Small caring for his horse and working on the Bar S Ranch. Not a whole lot has changed about traditional ranch life, but I would venture to guess that not as many cowboy sleep in a bedroll under the stars. One of the most entertaining things about this book was the hand written library card inside. One of Ben's friends had checked it out when he was two or three years old, and there were many other local "kids" that we know on the card too.

The small library we visit most often is wonderful. Many of their books are checked out "on your honor" and don't have to be returned at any particular time. These favorites are so old they are those type of books. Hannah seems to have them checked out perpetually. I finally broke down and looked for some copies of her own. Apparently other people love these books too because some of them are quite expensive, even used. Here are the titles in this series. Check them out at your library soon for a good chuckle and a reflection of the past.

Cowboy Small

The Little Airplane

The Little Auto

The Little Farm

The Little Fire Engine

The Little Sail Boat

The Little Train

Papa Small

Policeman Small