HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO LOIS LENSKI (1893-1974)

Summer's over,

Now it's fall;

Just the nicest 

Time of all.

Down,

   down,

        down,

Leaves of red and gold and brown

Come falling,

              falling 

                    down.

Lois Lenski's life was a balance of family and career. Her close family and small town upbringing provided a strong foundation and served as an influence in all she did. Mrs. Lenski wrote and illustrated over 100 books - in addition to illustrating another sixty or so written by other authors. Some that I've blogged about are her MR. SMALL books (3-7) and the Betsy-Tacy series (ages 5 and up) that she illustrated by Maud Hart Lovelace.

Have you seen her (now out of print) DAVY books? I think they are adorable. She wrote them about her grandson.

To read more about Lois Lenski's life and see a list of all her books, CLICK HERE.
Source reference:  Milner Library, Illinois State University.

OCTOBER IS FIRE PREVENTION MONTH...FIREMAN SMALL TO THE RESCUE!!!!

THE LITTLE FIRE ENGINE by Lois Lenski. (ages 4 -8)  One of a series of picture books that feature Lenski's best-loved character, Mr. Small. This versatile hero becomes an aviator, sailor, engineer, farmer, fireman, cowboy, policeman, and father. In her autobiography Journey Into Childhood, Lenski credited her son Stephen with being the inspiration for Mr. Small. When watching Stephen and his friends playing, Lenski noticed that--contrary to what many adults believe--the boys never gave their imaginary automobiles, trains, or planes a personality, but instead were more concerned with being the driver of that vehicle.

The majority of the "Mr. Small" books were published in the 1940's.  Several have been re-issued as board books. (Just be aware that the board books have less text and pages.)  "And that's all about Mr. Small..."


Other books about Mr. Small from Lois Lenski: