The Little House

The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton is a very touching story about the life of a little house. The house is built by a farmer way out in the country. The house is beautiful and happy, and the farmer and his family are pleased with it. They promise that they will never sell the house for any amount of money. The house enjoys the changing seasons, and the years go by and the house begins to wonder what the city lights are and how it would be to live underneath them. Then changes begin to happen in the house's quiet little country. There is a road built and the lights of the city begin to get closer and closer to the house, until one day the house finds itself in the middle of the city. Buildings are built up around the house, and it cannot see the stars, or the changing seasons. The house becomes obsolete and no one takes care of the house for many years. The house becomes very sad and run down. One day the grand daughter of the man who built the house walks by it in the busy city, and recognizes the house. She has the house moved back out into the country and restores the house. The house is happy, and never again wonders about city life. The house is content to live in the country.


A library could incorporate The Little House into their programming with a program about the joys of farming or country life. I think this would be a good opportunity to have a guest speaker involved in the program. The library could find someone who is either a farmer, or a historian that works with old farm equipment. Things that could be discussed are what is grown on a farm, farm animals, how the seasons effect farming, and canning.  


PROFESSIONAL REVIEW FROM BOOKLIST


“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.”


Burton, V. L. (1942). The Little House; . Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co..