1.10.2010

vintage books: eloise wilkin

Eloise Wilkin is my favorite children's book illustrator. Yesterday I found We Like Kindergarten in a local thrift store and bought it for 49 cents. In my humble opinion, it's one of the sweetest picture books ever written.

I wanted to be in Miss Hall's Kindergarten class. Who wouldn't want to spend morning after morning in a cheerful classroom singing, feeding turtles, painting, playing the triangle and napping on a colorful mat?

My favorite picture in this story--I remember wanting a blue sailor dress like Karen's

Other favorites by Ms. Wilkin...

Baby Dear
We Help Mommy
We Help Daddy
Where Did the Baby Go?
Baby's Birthday

and I would like to find a copy of The Twins. I didn't know this title existed, and I would love to read it to my own twin daughters!

*EDIT*

A friend of mine sent me this Etsy link and, I'm happy to say, the book is on its way!!!

14 comments:

Diane said...

She's a wonderful illustrator! We read "Prayers For Children" to my daughter all the time. I'll have to check out some of the other titles on your list. Great find at the Thrift!

Simple Home said...

What beautiful images. I love vintage books, especially vintage children's books. I have twin boys too.
Blessings,
Marcia

Bevy @ Treasured Up and Pondered said...

I love her illustrations too. You can never have enough of her books around. One of my recent favorites found - don't remember if it was a thrift store find or if one of the grandma's found it for us - but it's "The Boy with a Drum"- which has obvious colored pencil drawings, in it.

It's funny when my daughter Aubrey was just little (couple of months old) - she had the "same features" as some of the children illustrated in Eloise's books, especially the little boy in this particluar book. Caleb would often say it was his sister. I always thought it so sweet.

Judy Dudich said...

THIS IS OUR FAVORITE TOO! And years ago....the author CAME to our little town (which was Harpers Ferry WV )library and SIGNED our copy!!!!!!!!!!

Christian said...

Did you look it up on Amazon.com? It is only $99, you should buy two at that price! I will keep my eyes peeled at the thrift store for you!

Jenny said...

Yes, Christian, I did see that. :)

Judy Dudich said...

Hi again Jenny!
Just sharing an AWARD with you on my blog:
http://benmakesten.blogspot.com/2010/01/honored-second-post-today.html
ENJOY!

java girl said...

We have this book :O) It was my brothers and somehow my little three year old and I have hidden it deep in our stacks of books, secretly not wishing to return it to my mom! One of my little girls favorites is Little Mommy. It is about a very busy little mommy playing house and having tea parties all day long!!

Dianna said...

Oh, I love Eloise Wilkin! I haven't seen this one. I just want to walk into her world and live there.

Christian - Modobject@Home said...

Hooray, The Twins is on its way! I love Eloise Wilkin, too. A few weeks before Christmas I scored a small stash of them at the thrift store for 25 cents each. I had such a hard time deciding which ones to keep for my own children and which ones to give to my nephews... I wanted to keep them all!

Katie Barker said...

Oh - Baby Dear was definitely one of my favorite books as a child. I still love looking through the illustrations.

Anonymous said...

Well Jenny, I don't know you, but I came across your blog as a result of doing a Google search for "We Like Kindergarten". It was my all time favorite book when I was litte (I'm 46 now!). She is my favorite children's illustrator as well. I also find it interesting that both you and I are teachers and the book is about school. I wouldn't be surprised if my love of teaching was not somehow partially inspired by this book. Blessings!

Anonymous said...

I am " Carol" of this book! My class and I modeled for this book while I was a KIndergatener in the Primary School in Canandaigua NY.
I am now 53 years old and my daughter is currently a Kindergarten teacher there!

Jenny said...

Carol...I don' know if you'll get this, but thank you so much for commenting! Canandaigua is less than an hour from where my husband's family has a cabin on Keuka Lake. I love that your daughter is teaching Kindergarten at this same school.

Jenny