Sorry for the terribly long time in between posts!
It’s taken me a couple of weeks to get my world to stop whirling after the summer in England. But now that I’m relatively sane again, I’m excited to show you a few of the literary treasures I found during my summer adventure. There are bookshops galore over there and I certainly explored a bunch and found a few out-of-print beauties. But the books I’m featuring today were an entirely accidental find in a Lake District shop.
I knew of Kim Lewis from the single book of hers that made it into our library: First Snow was one of Joy’s (my little sister) and my favorite read-alouds. We both loved the simply told tale of a little girl and her mother on a hill farm in England and of their foray out into the pastures to herd in the sheep as the first snowstorm crept in. Joy loved the sheepdog especially. The pictures were half the appeal of the book with their realistic, but lovely portrayal of life in the hills, all drawn in warm, earthy colors.
Thus, imagine my surprise and delight when, rumbling through the corners of a print shop, I found four Kim Lewis books on half price sale and so bought the last four titles they had. I don’t know why I had never searched to find more of her titles before, but I’ve been thoroughly delighted to discover that she has a large body of work. Her books are simple, wholesome, based on the English farm life that she and her husband actually live. The realistic, wholesome nature of her pictures and the warm colors she chooses are perfectly suited to the eyes of little children as they begin to discover the wonder of the real world around them. (A quality which I find quite refreshing in an age of illustration whose whimsy sometimes borders on inanity.)
I’m eager to add more of these to my collection, but for now, am quite content to sit down with my four lucky finds:
Emma’s Lamb
Floss
The Last Train
Friends
If you’re interested, head over to Kim Lewis’ quite welcoming website. You’ll find a full page of her books with samples of story and picture, as well as a little more information on her life in the hills of England. Meanwhile, I’m off to enjoy the first of September with a cup of tea and these beautiful books.
I came across one of her books that had three or four of the stories all in one book. I’d never heard of her before but I was captivated by the storyline and illustrations.
I HAD to buy the book for my little guy’s 4th birthday last May. He loves animals so I knew it would be a big hit.
I’ll check her website soon.
Sarah,
Thanks for pointing Kim Lewis out. I checked 4 of her books out at the library and was amazed at what I saw. The art work is incredible to me, and incredibly expressive. My kids are “too old” for picture books so I just left them lying around. Each of the kids has casually perused the books while lounging in the living room, appearing, to me at least, to be caught by the artistry, turning the pages slowly as they looked.
Best wishes.
OH! I can tell this is going to be a very expensive blog for me to read!
Can’t wait to see what you post next!
Sarah,
What a blessing you are! I heard you share your ideas and facts about reading and technology at the Home-Schooling Mom’s Conference (in Irvine). Thank you so much for sharing all that you are learning. I really enjoyed reading your blogs! Bless you!
I am excited to begin the adventure! I looked at my local library catalog and I have lots of books to choose from. I’m sure my boys will enjoy these sweet tales. There is one titled “The Shepherd Boy,” perhaps I will start from there.
Thanks for your sweet spirit and your encouragement to us moms to instill the value of reading to our children. Bless you!
PS: I have a little envy. Wish I was in England sipping tea, and walking the cobblestone streets with old bookshops to browse through. One day, my friend. Enjoy your time there!
I truly enjoy your recommendations on literature. I too was blessed by your talk (with mom in Irvine) and am whole-heartedly pursuing more quality books to read with my two year-old son. I found some Kim Lewis books at my local chain bookstore and she is wonderful! I hope to meet you again someday and learn more from all your research. Again, I want to thank you.
What lovely books! She even has some board books for really little ones.
I totally understand what you mean about some of the illustrations in children’s books… It is such a treat to find books that have beautiful illustrations as well as beautiful text. Apple Cake by Nienke Van Hichtum was our most recent “find” and we really love it!