Customer Reviews

The Little Red Schoolhouse (Dover Books on Americana)

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This book is presented as "A sketchbook of early american education" Which it is. The Sketches are great. You can tell the author really enjoyed traveling to all the different school houses and drawing each of them. The reverent way in which he describes them and the period is almost like hearing a ghost story or listening to one of Grandpa's old tales. If you like old buildings, especially schoolhouses, you will enjoy this book.

As someone who has purchased and enjoyed several other books by this author/artist, I was dismayed to find that I had, in old school vernacular, been "sold a bill o' goods". To categorize this pamphlet as a book is to do the consumer an injustice. I would suggest that this thin lament, albeit containing some interesting information, be considered a teaser, and one clouded with too much editorial comment, at that. I fear the author was a bit depressed when he put this tadbit of information together. I can't believe there wasn't much more information available - other sources to tap, and a brighter spin to be put on things, as well. Such a short epistle should have run as an op-ed piece in a social history journal, and not have been presented as a book.