“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” Romans 15:4
Lois Lenski has long been in my life. As a child, my mom read me her picture books about a family called “the Small family.” She had some books about trains and farms and all done in bright colors and vibrant pictures for little minds.
Moving ahead to when I was about Melanie’s age, my mom introduced me to her regional books. Here I learned by a very pleasant reading style about how people lived around our beautiful nation.
Presently, Melanie and I have been reading the book Strawberry Girl and we are enjoying it. Why?
It takes place in Florida.
Birdie and her family move from up in northern Florida to a more southern town and here she meets new friends. They are suspicious of her at first because they think she is from the north but soon they are getting along. They have many adventures together which brings me to the part Mellie likes.
It has snakes in it.
Melanie is a girl (not like her mother) who loves snakes. She talks about them often and has a dream to travel to Minnesota someday to a place called Snake Discovery. This is like a zoo for reptiles. Doesn’t that sound amazing! Her mother is yet to be convinced. In this book, there is a boy who captures a snake and of course has some fun with it by scaring the girls. Mellie assures me she would not be scared.
It has drama.
I think it is good for kids to see things in every day life like a farm animal escaping and destroying plants. A family is distress because this is their livelihood. A boy bullying a child but then asking for forgiveness in his own way. Families coming together after hardship to rebuild and help one another. Conflict is good for a child to see with resolution even better. Things aren’t always resolved how a person may want it but we can remind our child that God is still in control.
It has sweet illustrations.
This book and all of hers are distinct for her illustrations and I love how she depicts life in America.
Lois Lenski was an author that was prolific in her writing. She had striking illustrations and won awards for her books. Exposing children to her regional series in particular means they will learn how life was in our country before today. I am looking forward to reading the next one of hers with Melanie.
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Jeremiah 29:11