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    Meet Virginia Lee Burton, A Favorite Children’s Books Author

    1.6KViews Modified: Nov 27, 2022 · Published: Nov 18, 2018
    By Jacqueline 13 Comments

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    Virginia Lee Burton, Fabulous Children's Books Author. Virginia Lee Burton and her book Mike Mulligan and His Steam Engine

    Dear Mama, if it is difficult for you to find wholesome, engaging books for young boys, look no further. Virginia Lee Burton to the rescue!

    Virginia Lee Burton’s children’s books are just the thing to acquaint boys and girls (but especially boys) with the wonderful world of books.

    And her books seem to not have an set age range…even older boys and every adult I know who has read one becomes engrossed in the pathos of the story and detailed illustrations!

    Treasured Old Books
    Print this booklist before going to the library!

     

    Virginia Lee Burton, Fabulous Children's Books Author. personification of a country cottage, urbanization

    “I am a part of everything that I have read.” ~Theodore Roosevelt

    Virginia Lee Burton

    Virginia Lee Burton is best remembered as a Caldecott award-winning author and illustrator of children’s books. Her memorable characters, still ‘alive’ in our grown children’s imaginations, make her one of our very favorite children’s book authors.

    Virginia was born in 1909. She won the prestigious Caldecott Medal for The Little House in 1943, and her illustrations for Song of Robin Hood (1948) found a spot on the Caldecott Honor list.

    Virginia Lee Burton, Fabulous Children's Books Author. Caldecott Medal-winning author

    Burton’s themes take us back to a simpler life. She pays tribute to heroes who persevere through difficulties with goodness and strength of character.

    Burton specializes in bringing the inanimate to life with her vibrant and detailed drawings and stories of courage and vulnerability. The beauty of the her stories is that they are simple, yet deep and complicated at the same time.

    Virginia Lee Burton, Fabulous Children's Books Author. Song of Robin Hood

    One biographer wrote, “Virginia Lee Burton believed in trying to give children what they like and want. The popular children’s book author always wrote and illustrated her books in collaboration with her two sons and their friends; if something didn’t appeal to them it would be changed. In this way her books were created and became classics of children’s literature.”

    It is true that her books captivate boys. Trains! Trucks! Tractors! Cable cars and Steam Shovels and Diesel Engines and Bulldozers! Every young boy’s dream. But in truth, everyone (girls included) from toddlers to grandparents are drawn into the oftentimes heart-tugging predicaments the subjects find themselves in.

    Personification

    Her use of personification, a highlight of her stories, makes for rich conversation with children. Her winsome animated machines can lead to great fun as we think about machines and why we sometimes compare them to humans (or animals) when we talk about them. Can you tell we like her works?

    In all, she wrote and illustrated 7 children’s books:

    Virginia Lee Burton, Fabulous Children's Books Author. The Little House

    The Little House

    Virginia Lee Burton, Fabulous Children's Books Author. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Engine

    Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel

     Katie and the Big Snow

    Katy and the Big Snow

    Maybelle and the Cable Car

    Maybelle the Cable Car

     Choo Choo

    Choo Choo 

    Calico the Wonder Horse

    Calico the Wonder Horse

    Now there is a 4-book collection that commemorates Virginia Lee Burton’s most popular classic stories, each featured complete and unabridged. They have been entertaining children, parents, and grandparents for more than sixty years, and I think they will entertain you, too!

    Mike Mulligan and More

    Mike Mulligan and More: Four Classic Stories

    100 Wholehearted Books to Help Fight Back the Culture
    Print this booklist before going to the library!

    (FYI: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.)

    Meet Virginia Lee Burton, A Favorite Children's Books Author. Virginia Lee Burton and her book Mike Mulligan and His Steam Engine. Caldecott Medal-winning author,
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    Hi! I’m Jacqueline!

    Thanks for being part of this journey with me.
    Welcome to my own little place on the internet! Home is where I love to be. I feel there is no greater place to incubate souls. These days you’ll find me using my experiences here to write about herbal remedies and natural health research — a big passion of mine. But being a wife and mother is not easy. It is challenging and potentially lonely. I get that. I wanted to create a place to connect with and support other moms for creating a natural, healthy, and fulfilling home life.
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Laura S.

      November 19, 2014 at 4:12 am

      We love Virginia Lee Burton books too! I have managed to find used copies of “The Little House” and “Choo-Choo” for my kids’ library. We can get “Mike Mulligan” from the library. I will look for the other titles, too. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Jacqueline

        November 19, 2014 at 11:48 am

        Good to hear from you, Laura! I need to stop by for a LONG visit! I miss you…
        God bless your growing family 🙂

        Reply
    2. Dawnita

      November 19, 2014 at 3:24 pm

      It’s nice to know the story behind the woman who wrote some of our favorite books. Thanks!

      Reply
    3. Christy C

      November 19, 2014 at 10:39 pm

      I remember these books! My favorite had to be Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel!
      My little sister, now 46, received The Little House for a birthday! Thanks for sharing!

      Have a beautiful day and many blessings!

      Reply
    4. Hilary

      November 20, 2014 at 2:50 pm

      Thank you for this lovely insight into Virginia Burton’s life. I always like to read about the lives of the authors of some of our favorite books. I have added a link to this post on my site this week. Thanks for another wholesome reading recommendation. God bless you and yours this Thanksgiving season.
      Hilary

      Reply
    5. Kathryn Ross

      November 23, 2014 at 7:41 pm

      Hi Jacquline! Oh–I just love The Little House. I have a reprint edition of the original and when I read through it, the words and illustrations transport me to the elementary school library where I first read it as a child in the 1960’s. Comfort food to me. The storyline is also near and dear to my heart – seeing the loss of all things simple and clean and down to earth for the crass “big city” crowding. It is another His Story tale that is all too common in our small towns and American landscapes. I am glad of the happy ending to the story, though. I see so many beautiful “little houses” that once rang with laughter and family joys left to ruin or raised for shopping centers. Yes – I’m getting on a soapbox, so I’ll stop now.

      Anyway – thanks for posting this – and visiting me as I kick off my Thanksgiving tribute. Hope you drop back this week for the rest of the story. All five parts will be live by Thanksgiving day. May you and yours take great joy in your Thanksgiving table and time together.

      BTW – my All Things Bright & Beautiful monthly link-up is this week. Perhaps you could share a couple posts – http://www.thewritersreverie.com/2014/11/all-things-bright-beautiful-link-up-7.html

      Joy to you!
      Kathy

      Reply
      • Jacqueline

        November 23, 2014 at 10:55 pm

        Thank you, Kathryn! I didn’t even know you had a link-up! I have always missed it, I guess, but I will try and do it. Thank you, again, dearie 🙂

        Reply
    6. ~ linda

      December 09, 2014 at 8:22 pm

      What a fine collection with great detail about each book. Ms. Burton is a favorite of mine from the standpoint of a children’s librarian/teacher. I am going to have to find “Calico” as I had completely forgotten about that one. Thanks for a great job! ~ linda

      Reply
      • Jacqueline

        December 10, 2014 at 11:38 am

        Thanks, Linda! What fun you must have as a children’s teacher and librarian 🙂 I’m sure you are a wonderful blessing to the kids.

        Reply
    7. Tina at Mommynificent

      December 11, 2014 at 9:42 am

      I love all the books of Burton’s that I’ve read, but I hadn’t heard of some of these you’ve highlighted! I’ll be on the lookout for them for sure. I’m excited to share them with my little guy (soon to be guys!) Thanks for sharing this at Booknificent Thursday! Hope your Advent/countdown to Christmas is going well!
      Tina

      Reply
    8. Judy Goddard

      August 10, 2015 at 11:17 am

      I remember these books so well from when I was a child! I especially remember “The Lonely House”. Disney did an animated short of it.

      Thank you for bringing back good memories!

      Reply
    9. Heather Stover

      November 09, 2019 at 7:53 pm

      Mike Mulligan was one of my now 16 yr old sons favorite books when he was little! I enjoyed reading it to him as well!

      Reply
      • Jacqueline

        November 09, 2019 at 8:40 pm

        Heather, it our youngest son’s favorite, too! I think I read it to him 100 times! Ha

        Reply

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