Illustrator: Virginia Lee Burton
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
ISBN:0-395-18156-9
After this weeks class, I started to think about which Caldecott Medal winner book I was going to choose to write about. As I looked at the list of winners, it occurred to me that I have read some of these books as a child. It wasn’t til now that I realized that these books were apart of a very distinguished award. As I continued to look I came across the book “The Little House” by Virginia Lee Burton. I thought to myself, that this sounds very familiar to me. Sure enough this book is on the bookshelf in the pre-k room at the daycare where I work at. When I took the book from the shelf to read I couldn’t help but think about my own home. I recently moved from the home and as I looked through the illustrations it brought back many memories. Some of these memories include close friends and family member. These people who were in my life were either coming or going as I lived within that home. This showed me that through the years of living there, that time has changed and we must grow with that change.
“The Little House” was awarded the Caldecott Medal in 1943. Author Virginia Lee Burton stated that “The Little House” was based on her own little house. The story centers on a house built at the top of a small hill, far out in the country. The original owner said that this house shall never be sold. He wanted to see the great-great grandchildren’s, great- great grandchildren’s living in her. The house watches the seasons pass, and wonders about the lights of the city, which grow ever closer. As the year pass, the city comes closer and closer and eventually surrounds the little house. The dirt that was once in front of the house eventually is made into concrete roads. The house sees its change by roadside stands, gas stations, and more little houses. These small houses are then replaced by tenements and apartments. In addition, streetcars, and elevated railroad, and a subway appear to surround the house. The final change was the two gigantic skyscrapers are built, one on each side. When the little house realizes that its surrounding have changed it makes her miss the old hills and trees that once were.
After many years, the great-great granddaughter of the builder sees the house and remembers stories that her grandmother told her about living in just such a house far outside the city. The great-great granddaughter discovers that this is the same house and arranges to have it moved out of the city. She then decides to move the house back to a hill in the countryside. The little is now once happy again to watch the seasons pass.
As I read through this book, I couldn’t help but notice how the text met to each and every illustration. Even though the illustrations look simple, they have great detail. Each illustration is unique and interesting to look at. I couldn’t help but look at every little detail that was provided within the illustration. For example, the way Burton
I like how you included a self to text connection at the start of your blog. How true it is that time brings changes, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worst, but we grow as a result of those changes none the less. The memories I have gathered over the years can bring a smile to my face or a tear to my eye. Not only do we as individuals change, but the world around us does too! Innovations in technology and science have made our world look and work differently than it did in previous years, and from your response I can tell that this book is special because Virginia Lee Burton captured those changes over time with both her words and her illustrations.
ReplyDeleteFrom your blog, I gathered that The Little House can be used for integrating Social Studies with literacy, teaching personification, and making meaningful self to text connections about change. Your review has made me want to watch the season’s change with the little house. I especially like how you closed your blog with a question so that we can each write our own little story about the little house! I believe that history has a habit of repeating itself, but it would be interesting to see what happens to the little house after she moved to the country. It sounds like you enjoyed your blogging experience. I was nervous about writing my first blog and so I edited it over and over again before I finally posted mine. I look forward to your next post!