Customer Reviews

Going to Town (My First Little House)

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When I was a kid my dad got me the whole Little House series of books. I loved them and read them for years. Now I have 2 daughters of my own and I'm thrilled to be able to introduce them to the Little House books at a younger age. The illustrations are great and the stories are well written. As I'm reading them to my daughters I remember the stories when I read them as a kid. Fun for all of us!

THIS INTRODUCTION TO THE LAURA INGALLS' BOOKS IS EASY TO READ, DELIGHTFUL TO LOOK AT AND AN ENCHANTMENT, IN MY OPINION, FOR YOUNGSTERS OF ALL AGES. EVEN OLDER CHILDREN WILL APPRECIATE ITS GENTLE HONESTY AND GORGEOUS ILLUSTRATIONS.

Adapted deftly from the Little House series made famous by Laura Ingalls Wilder, this gorgeous picture book tells of Laura's first day trip with her family from the Big Woods to the nearby town of Pepin Wisconsin. The writing is charming and warm, the typeface perfect for reading aloud or independently. The illustrations, inspired by Garth Williams' originals, are extraordinary...absolutely beautiful! I would not consider this adaptation to be a "dumbed down" version of the originals, nor it is too juvenile for older readers. Rather it is a perfect transition piece which lends itself to wonderful cuddling and conversation, both of which are important for developing strong readers no matter how old they may be.

I would also recommend the hardcover editions. They last longer through many readings and make reading aloud feel like a real treat.

Enjoy.

This book is part of the My First Little House series, which consists of picture books adapted from Laura Ingalls Wilder's books. This one focuses on Laura's days in the Big Woods when she gets to make a special trip to town.

That's one very important thing to point out in reading this to children. Laura and Mary had never been to town before, or even seen a store. They lived in such a rural area where going to town was a big event, and they had not been taken when they were younger because of the difficulties. They're overwhelmed by all the choices in the small general store, and amazingly gratified by being given a small candy heart. That's really foreign to most children's experiences these days.

The illustrations are gorgeous, very colorful and vibrant, with lots of detail. One minor complaint is that Laura and Mary are depicted as having hair cut to just barely brushing their shoulders. Their hair would have been longer as it was uncut. Then later when their hair was curled, it still just brushed their shoulders. As tightly curled as it was, it would have been up to their ears if it had really been shoulder-length as originally depicted! Still, this is minor.

I would recommend this book for children in the 3-to-8-year-old range, as a read-aloud for younger children and for children reading on a 3rd to 4th grade level to read by themselves. My daughters, ages 7, 5, and 3 1/2, all enjoy this series of books. They give a wonderful look into life on the frontier in the 1800s, and are a good introduction to the Little House world. I would highly recommend this book, as well as others in the series.

This is a fabulous example of the simple life of times past. What joy was found in just being together as a family with the added fun of "going to town".

I just love this series of First Little House books. My own two girl have delighted in them and a fequently give them to 3-6 year olds as birthday or Christmas gifts.
The stories are classic Little House and the illustrations just beautiful!