His charming art caused Laura to remark that she and her family “live again in these illustrations.” Garth Williams illustrated classic children’s books including Charlotte’s Web, Stuart Little, and almost one hundred other books. Garth Williams began his work on the pictures for the Little House books by meeting Laura Ingalls Wilder at her home in Missouri, after which he traveled to the sites of all the little houses. She died on February 24, 1957, in New York City. She was a runner-up for the 1955 Caldecott Medal as illustrator of The Thanksgiving Story by Alice Dalgliesh. Sewell was the first illustrator of the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder (1932 to 1943), replaced by Garth Williams in 1953 and subsequent editions. She continued to illustrate throughout her life, including works for adults as well as children.

Helen Sewell’s first illustrations were published in 1923 in The Cruise of the Little Dipper and Other Fairy Tales by Susanne Langer. For millions of readers Laura lives on forever as the little pioneer girl in the beloved Little House books.Ībout the Illustrators: Helen Sewell and Garth Williams There, believing in the importance of knowing where you began in order to appreciate how far you’ve come, Laura wrote about her childhood growing up on the American frontier. Later, Laura and her husband, Almanzo Wilder, made their own covered-wagon trip with their daughter, Rose, to Mansfield, Missouri. She and her family traveled by covered wagon across the Midwest. Laura Ingalls Wilder was born in 1867 in the log cabin described in Little House in the Big Woods. Friendship soon turns to love for Laura and Almanzo in the romantic conclusion of this Little House book.

During school vacations Laura has fun with her singing lessons, going on sleigh rides, and best of all, helping Almanzo Wilder drive his new buggy. She is very homesick, but keeps at it so that she can help pay for her sister Mary’s tuition at the college for the blind. Illustrators: Helen Sewell and Garth Williamsįifteen-year-old Laura lives apart from her family for the first time, teaching school in a claim shanty twelve miles from home. Here is a brief overview of These Happy Golden Years. Our Recommended Reading for Children & Young Adults and Recommended Reading for Adults articles have been popular resources for readers interested in Laura Ingalls Wilder and Little House on the Prairie.

Happy golden year