For my Friday children's book feature (which is usually vintage school books), I wanted to feature children's books by one of my favorite illustrators, Garth Williams. I first became aware of Mr. Williams when I was in grade school, probably fourth grade or so, when I began reading the
Little House series of books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Although several of my favorite
Little Golden Books were illustrated by Mr. Williams (
The Sailor Dog and
Mister Dog, for example) it wasn't until I started paying attention to his loving portrayal of the Ingalls family that I really became a fan. Shortly thereafter, I read
Charlotte's Web, and I was hooked.
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| From Little House in the Big Woods |
Here are some of my Garth Williams books. I have a number of Little House books in paperback that I've collected through the years, although the two hardbound editions are my own childhood books.
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| From Three Bedtime Stories |
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| From Three Bedtime Stories |
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| From Animal Friends |
Two adorable Little Golden Books are on my shelves:
Three Bedtime Stories, and
Animal Friends.
In addition to
Charlotte's Web, I also have
Stuart Little, by E.B. White. They are classics in every sense of the word!
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| From Charlotte's Web |
Another fun book is The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden.
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| From The Cricket in Times Square |
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| From Wait Till the Moon is Full |
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| From Wait Till the Moon is Full |
The books Mr. Williams illustrated were the recipients of many awards: Newbery, Caldecott, and various honor awards. He was famous for his animal art, but his children and scenes were superb as well. I was definitely influenced by his wonderful tonal renderings, as well as his line art.
If I had planned this a little better, I would have done my homework, and realized that Monday, April 16th, would have been Garth Williams' 100th birthday! Happy birthday, Mr. Williams!
