With paint colors on the brain during our recent house remodel, I gleefully discovered a fun (new to me), vintage book: The House of Four Seasons, by the very talented mid-century modern author/artist Roger Duvoisin.
This colorfully illustrated book fits in perfectly with the current HGTV craze, and especially the hit show FIXER UPPER. It's almost as if The House of Four Seasons gives us a quick glimpse into the elements that make Chip and Joanna Gaines' show such a success: family, creativity, anticipation, hard work, and oftentimes, compromise.
By the way, if you haven't read The Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines, I highly recommend it. I think it's the rare couple that complement each other's gifts and strengths so completely as this duo does. But they don't rely on their talent alone. They've trusted God, and put family first the whole way through their journey. They've renovated broken houses into beautiful, functional family homes very intentionally - both for their own family and others - and it's lovely that they are so willing to let us in on how they do it!
Back to today's picture book...
Father, Mother, Billy, and Suzy - a very 1950's era family - take a drive in the country and see a house in shambles with a "For Sale" sign out front (and an owl in the attic window).
They buy the house, but each has a different idea of what colors they should paint the exterior. The four family members each base their choice of colors on one of the four seasons. This is where illustrator Duvoisin's gift for color palettes (like designer Joanna Gaines') shines, as he splashes the pages with everyone's visions of their dream home paint job.
The family goes off to their little neighborhood hardware store (remember those, before all the Big Box Do-It-Yourself Stores came into vogue?)
But, oh dear, the store's owner only sells the primary colors!
What's a fixer upper family to do??
Not to worry: with a few tricks, Father comes to the rescue, explaining to his family how color works. And your little readers, along with the family, get in on the secret.
You'll have to get the book and see how Father helps them come to a decision about what color to paint their house (you may or may not agree with Father's logic, but who cares?) I'm sure to most kids it makes perfect sense!
In the end, even the old owl finds a happy home!
I've decided to post some before-and-after photos of the exterior of our happy little house...now we just have to do our landscaping and put up some shutters! In my next post I'll reveal our new library!!!!
Don't miss out on another fun picture book that features a house and the four seasons - The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton. It's probably in the Top 10 of my own favorite childhood picture books!
