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Virginia Lee Burton was one
of the most significant and groundbreaking children’s book author/illustrators
of the 20th Century.
Her classic books have never been out of print and are currently
embraced by a fourth generation of early readers. This is an extraordinary
achievement in the world of children’s picture books. The importance of early
reading experiences to a child’s development is profound and Burton’s
contribution to a child’s love of reading and ongoing literacy is significant.
Burton was at the forefront
of the developing American Picture Book. Her dynamic illustrations, use of
color, space, typeface and design were a dramatic departure from the European
picture books that were prevalent in the United States in the early 20th
Century. Similarly, her themes of overcoming obstacles, meeting challenges,
environmental awareness and adapting to change while honoring the past are
evergreen and have a particularly American energy and spirit.
Virginia Lee Burton’s books
continue to set a standard for excellence in children’s picture books. Teachers
and librarians still use her books to introduce the joy of reading and to teach
history, language skills, problem solving and to promote awareness about the
need for dedicated stewardship of the environment. Parents and children alike
delight in her stories and memorable illustrations.
Virginia Lee Burton wrote and
illustrated seven books:
Choo, Choo, 1937. Dedicated to her eldest son, Aris.
The story of a beautiful
little locomotive all black and shiny. She pulls trains from the city to the
country, and back again, in a very proper and dutiful and wholly humdrum
manner. At least she does till one
surprising day when she suddenly says to herself: ‘I am tired of pulling all
those heavy coaches. I could go much
faster and easier by myself; then all the people would stop, and look at me,
just me, and they would say: “What a fast little engine! What a beautiful little engine! Just watch her go by herself!” ‘
So Choo Choo does go by herself, and the story of how she runs away and
of her exciting adventures makes one of the most captivating books
imaginable.
Remarks
by Houghton Mifflin & Company, publisher.
Mike Mulligan and His
Steam Shovel, 1939. Dedicated to her
younger son, Mike.
Mike Mulligan and His Steam
Shovel has the kind of freshness and
utter originality that has been making the over-the-counter sales on juveniles
all through the last decade, from ‘Millions of Cats’ to ‘Ferdinand.’ It is the
story of a faithful Irish steam-shovel artist and his steam shovel—the
beguiling Mary Anne—that he would not desert even though competition from gas
and Diesel-motored shovels was ruining him. The solution of Mike’s problem is
classic in its simplicity. Under pressure to show Mary Anne at her best, Mike
digs the foundation of the town hall of Popperville, and in his haste forgets
to leave a way out. This suggests to the ingenious townspeople that Mary Anne
could easily be remodeled as a furnace and Mike, her master, retained to keep
her heart and boiler warm.
Remarks
by Houghton Mifflin & Company, publisher.
Calico the Wonder Horse or
The Saga of Stewy Slinker, 1941.
This title was revised in 1951 to Calico
the Wonder Horse or the Saga of Stewy Stinker, which is the original title Burton gave to the
book. However, at the time it was
thought that “Stinker” was an inappropriate word for a children’s book.
Changing times and opinions allowed the title to be revised in 1950 to read
“Stinker.” The creative impulse to
write “Calico” came from Burton’s desire to create for her sons - and other
children their age - an alternative to the comic books that were prevalent at
the time.
The Little House, 1942. Dedicated to “Dorgie,” the name that Aris and Mike gave to their father,
George Demetrios—renowned sculptor and art teacher, and husband of Viriginia Lee Burton.
Winner of the Caldecott Medal
(1943) and in print for more than 60 years, The Little House is an enchanting classic of American children’s
literature.
“This engaging picture book
cleverly presents a wealth of information—the changing seasons in the country,
the advancement in architecture and transportation, growth in population, and
the accelerating tempo of city life.”—Booklist
“In The Little House Virginia Lee Burton, with lively imagination and
genuine power, has made an original and charming picture book…There is
something fortifying for [children] in the lasting qualities of The Little
House and the steady round of the
turning year.” —New York Times Book Review
“The story of a little house
that wins its way into the very center of our heart.”—Horn Book
“Her stories may be simple and
straight-forward, but her books have heroes and heroines children can
understand and enjoy, ingenious and satisfactory endings, and lively
illustrations. The books survive because they exhibit so effectively the
elements most basic to children’s literature.”—Lee Kingman, Virginia Lee
Burton’s editor, in Children’s Books and Their Creators
Remarks
by Houghton Mifflin & Company, publisher.
Katy and the Big Snow, 1943.
Katy the red crawler tractor
could do a lot of tasks – in all types of weather. Things were a bit slow
one winter day in Geoppolis, when all of a sudden the “big snow” hits
town. Who will help all the people, businesses, and government agencies in
their distress? Katy, of course! Katy, a brave and untiring tractor,
who pushes a bulldozer in the summer and a snowplow in the winter, makes it
possible for the townspeople to do their jobs.
Remarks from www.kidseconbooks.com
Maybelle the Cable Car, 1952.
Maybelle was a cable
car
a San Francisco
cable car…
She rang her gong
and sang her song
from
early morn
till late at night…
Until the City Fathers said
the cable cars were old fashioned and must give way to big modern buses. “No,”
said the people of San Francisco. “The cable cars must not go.” They rose up in
defense of their beloved cable cars — the only ones left in the whole wide
world.
By recounting actual events
in San Francisco’s effort to keep the city’s cable cars running, this classic
story illustrates how the voice of the people can be heard in the true spirit
of democracy.
Virginia Lee Burton was
familiar with the rhythm of the cable cars from her days as a young art student
in San Francisco. Though Burton spent most of her life in New England where she
wrote and illustrated an enduring canon of children’s books, she never lost her
affinity for the city of San Francisco and its efforts to preserve and protect
its cable cars.
Remarks
by Houghton Mifflin & Company, publisher.
Life Story: The Story of
Life on Earth from Its Beginnings Up to Now, 1962.
In this brilliantly executed
book all the world is truly a stage and its history from the earliest
beginnings to yesterday morning unfolds as an enthralling drama that readers of
any age can pore over for hours…
Into this book have gone
eight years of scrupulous research and a lifetime of artistic skill. Virginis
Lee Burton’s unique ability to put meaning into the elusve passage of time will
give any reader a firmer grasp of the history of our planet and a better sense
of his own part in it. Here is a
book to grow up with and to treasure for always.
Remarks
by Houghton Mifflin & Company, publisher.
Virginia Lee Burton also
illustrated two other books:
Song of Robin Hood, 1947.
Selected and Edited by Anne Malcomson. Music arranged by Grace
Castagnetta.
Anne Malcomson, Grace Castagnetta,
and Caldecott medalist Virginia Lee Burton joined forces in 1947 to produce the
definitive edition of the Song of Robin Hood. Their triumphant achievement was
one of the most distinctive editions of the legend ever published, and it
received a Caldecot Honor Medal in 1948…
Virginia Lee Burton spent
three years creating drawings to accompany the songs, ultimately producing a
masterpiece filled with exquisite detail and worthy of comparison to the
greatest illuminated manuscripts of the medieval era…
Song of Robin Hood still stands as one of the truly stunning books of
its time.
Remarks
by Houghton Mifflin & Company, publisher.
The Emperor’s New Clothes, 1949. By Hans Christian Andersen. Retold and
illustrated by Virginia Lee Burton.
By the beloved creator of
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, The Little House, and Katy and the Big
Snow, here is a delightful version of the tale that boys and girls have loved
for centuries. The Emperor himself, his court, and his clothes—or his lack of
them—are as ridiculous as only the master storyteller Hans Christian Andersen
can make them.
…Virginia Lee Burton added to
this tale of fun her own irrepressible humor in pictures and design,…exhibiting
her lively conception of remarkable spirit and beauty.
Remarks
by Houghton Mifflin & Company, publisher.
Virginia Lee Burton’s books
are sold in twelve countries and printed in fourteen languages. They are
available in libraries and bookstores throughout the United States.
There is also a biography of
Virginia Lee Burton:
Virginia Lee Burton: A
Life In Art, by Barbara Elleman,
Houghton Mifflin, 2002.
Well-regarded
children’s literature expert Barbara Elleman introduces the exuberant life, art,
and books of Virginia Lee Burton, complemented by family photographs,
illustrations from her books, and other examples of her inspiring work.
Remarks
by Houghton Mifflin & Company, publisher.
For further information about
Virginia Lee Burton’s picture books, go to
www.houghtonmifflin.com
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