Road Trippin' with Wanda and Jackie

The children's book author and illustrator Wanda Gag (1893-1946) is the subject of a new biography written by Gwenyth Swain. As reported by the St. Paul Pioneer-Press, Wanda Gag: Storybook Artist is  for middle-schoolers, and the story does indeed sound inspiring. Gag grew up quite poor and went on to write and illustrate many works for children. (Registration required for the Pioneer-Press.)

Given that quite a few Top 100 Children's Books lists include Gag's Millions of Cats, I was prompted to read it this summer and listen to  it on a book-on-tape on a long car ride with the family. So far, we're not clamoring for more Wanda, but I will take a look at the picture book classic again someday.

What we did like on our road trip was the storyteller Jackie Torrence's CD Classic Children's Tales, particularly "Three Billy Goats Gruff." Having enjoyed her warm voice and Southern cadences, I was  sad to discover that this gifted teller of tales passed away last November. She was only sixty. I'll see if our library has her B'rer Rabbit stories.

Comments

[Kim]

Thanks for stopping by my blog. I really love your blog. The design is great and the topic is one of my favorites! I'll be coming here for book recomendations now.

[Susan (editor)]

Kim, muchas gracias for coming to visit and for your very kind words. Your site is fun, too, and parents will get lots of good ideas from it! Kim has a great homeschool blog, everyone--do go visit if you haven't already.

Susan