Virginia Lee Burton’s Inspiring Children’s Books

One of my all time favorite books of childhood is The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton.

I’m not the only one who loves; it won the 1943 Caldecott Medal.  It’s the story of a well-built house in the country who watches the city encroach upon her natural setting over time.  Eventually the great, great granddaughter of the man who built her discovers the home in disrepair in the middle of a bustling city, and hires a truck to move the house back to the country.

As a child I enjoyed the beautiful illustrations full of tiny details that await discovery on each page.  I especially enjoyed the house being moved by a truck.  How amazing to imagine that!  I connected to a sense of justice and the world being set right again when the little house is returned to the countryside.

Reading it to my own children, I realize that this is also an excellent history lesson about how cities developed.  My children take cars, skyscrapers, and trains for granted.  This book shows how they slowly built up, and the consequences of development.  There are also several beautiful pages devoted to showing the passing of the seasons.  It has stood the test of time.  It is my three year old’s favorite story.

I purchased The Little House in a collection of Virginia Lee Burton’s work, and I highly recommend you do so too.  There are three more terrific stories included in the treasury.

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel

Plot: 

Mike Mulligan and his steam shovel, Mary Anne, have difficulty finding work when steam goes out of fashion.  They hear of a new building project and offer the promise to dig the cellar in just one day or forfeit their pay.  The greedy developer agrees, assuming his failure will amount to free work.  Mike and Mary Anne attract spectators whose energy inspires them to work faster and better.  Just in time, they finish the job, but have forgotten to dig themselves out of the hole.  The developer claims victory and the crowd is outraged until a boy devises a plan to convert Mary Anne into a furnace and hire Mike as a janitor for the new building.  The solution works for everyone.

Why You’ll Love It:

This story drives home common Burton themes of hard work, persistence, justice, and ingenuity.

Why Your Kids Will Love It:

Of course, Burton’s illustrations are top notch and energetic.  She also is very adept at making readers feel a part of the story, eagerly cheering as Mike works against the clock.  Kids love the fact that a child comes up with the idea to save the day.

Katy and Her Snow Plow

Basic Plot:

Katy is the strongest truck in the city.  During a horrible snow storm only she can clear the roads for the fire station, hospital, and police.  As each emergency crops up, Katy solves it by her strong work ethic. Only after the entire city is clear does she head back to rest.

Why You’ll Love It:

The hero in this book is a heroine, which is unusual because she is a rough and tough truck.  It’s a nice play on typical gender divisions.  This book also explains how a city works and gives children an introduction to city planning and map reading.  The theme of slow, steady, hard work is apparent.

Why Kids Will Love It:

It’s so much fun to watch the city slowly appear Katy’s plow reveals buildings and roads one at a time.  Any kid who loves trucks will love this gem.  Perfect for families in snow-bound climates.

Maybelle the Cable Car

Basic Plot:

This book shares the true story of how the people fought to save the San Francisco cable cars.  Citizens signed petitions, debated, and finally voted, taking full ownership of their city.

Why You’ll Love It:

This story has the best illustrations of all!  If you love cable cars, these are terrific renderings you’ll adore.  For me, the plot is a bit heavy-handed, but it nicely introduces the idea that cities are about all citizens, not just a few people in power.  It’s an excellent early lesson in civics, activism, getting involved, and working together as a community.

Why You’re Kids Will Love It:

My kids go bonkers for this tale!  I think they enjoy the fierce debate.  Of course, trolley lovers will be enraptured.

Virginia Lee Burton wrote excellent children’s literature that inspires children to feel a sense of ownership in their communities.  There are themes of good versus bad, the need to fight overdevelopment, the value in well-built things that last, ingenuity, resourcefulness, a can-do attitude, hard work rewarded, and the importance of banding together as a community.  There are many wonderful books for children, but nobody writes about these themes the way Virginia Lee Burton did.

READ THEM!