Virginia Lee Burton
Houghton Mifflin (1942)
And if I thought Harry the dog broght back memories. . . This book was a favorite of mine as a kid and still is today. Mirette loved it too.
It's about a little house that is nearly swallowed by the big city. I love how the house has feelings and a personality. It also brings back some kind-of longing for a simpler time before urban sprawl--a life I can only imagine. It's a sad book because it's so realistic. If houses did have feelings, I think so many of them would be crying out.
Virginia Lee Burton reminds me a lot of Margaret Wise Brown http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8749317886050281919#editor/target=post;postID=6830531492329285296, only a lot less eccentric. She really changed the world of writing for children and also incorporated social commentary into her tales. She was considering a career in dance, but chose art instead. She lived in Massachusetts with her husband and two children. Both her kids went to Harvard. One is a renown sculpture artist, the other owns amusement parks.
The best site I found on her: http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/features/mike_mulligan/biohome.shtml
There's also a movie about her life, but the website is currently down.
No comments:
Post a Comment