Probably her most famous set is the following:īeginning with Bayou Suzette in 1943, Lois Lenski began writing a series of books which would become known as her 'regional series.' In the early 1940s Lenski, who suffered from periodic bouts of ill-health, was told by her doctor that she needed to spend the winter months in a warmer climate than her Connecticut home.

You can learn more about Lois Lenski and many of her books at Biblioguides.Many of Lenski's books can be collated into 'series' - but since they don't have to be read in order, you may be better off just looking for more information here. While it’s not necessary to break the bank to collect all of these, there is value in giving your children a taste of bygone days in pictures. Most are available in hardcover editions, though some are quite expensive. Several of Lenski’s “Small” and “Little” books have been published as board books.

Policeman Small spends his day helping people. Young children learn to talk by hearing you name things, and repeating the names and simple phrases. Voila! There you have a child-sized history and science lesson. If your child has ever seen a gas station attendant (say, if you live in Oregon), it’s unlikely he’s seen a gravity-fed gas pump. Small buys five gallons of gas.” As he gains more experience and makes observations about life around him, you can have conversations about what that man in the green pants is doing. Children will be drawn into the delight of words as they associate them with everyday activities.Īt first your child will look at the picture as you say, “The little Auto stops at a Filling Station. These simple little books are for your youngest listeners. She realized he wasn’t imagining the vehicles as characters, but rather, that he was seeing himself as the driver or pilot. Lenski said she got the idea for the “Small” books by watching her young son play with his toy trucks and airplanes. They were like peering into an old-fashioned dollhouse. I think that was part of the fascination. Published in 1932, the illustrations were already quaint when I was a child in the early 1960s. I’m almost positive The Little Family is one of the first books I ever checked out from our county library.

Now It's Fall by Lois Lenski