City by Ingela Arrhenius

This is an outrageously big book with limited words, but glorious pictures! 

Ingeela Arrhenius has previously created an Animals book that I loved. Both of these books I reviewed for my library. Of course, at 18 inches tall, neither of these books is actually suited to sending home with kids in their bookbags. But that is okay, because these books are totally worth owning just for look at books in the library. Oversized books, as well as tiny books, are always major draws. Just like tall, skinny books and short, fat books. Kids like funny shaped books. 

I am always slightly tempted to chop these books up and use them to decorate the library. Because how cool are these pictures? 

Ingela Arrhenius is Swedish, which makes her that much cooler. Because I have a love affair with Swedish anything. 

I also have a love affair with bookshops. And look! There is Ingela's other oversize book Animals in the window of the Bookstore!

Throughout the book, we see all the things people do all day in the city.

I want to be the flamingo in the fountain. 

Did you notice quite a few of the shop keepers are older? Is that a thing in Sweden? Only old people own stores? Except for the bookstore. Because everyone knows hip young people always own bookstores. 

The end. 

For some reason, students always like books that say "the end." It is so nice and tidy. 

Terrific endpapers! 

The Milkman by Carol Foskett Cordsen & illus by Douglas B. Jones

One day, while poking around a bookstore in Denver, CO I saw this book written by a local author. I fell in love with the faux vintage illustrations and the rhyming/choppy phrases, but since we were living in a rental condo in Steamboat and had no kids, I couldn't justify buying it. Several years later I saw it at our local library and remembered how much I liked it. 

And now I own a copy. Because I am like that. MUST OWN ALL GOOD BOOKS

Mr. Plimpton is out of bed and going through his morning routine.

Loud alarm clock. Snoring stops.

Mr. Plimpton our of bed

Cream in coffee. Egg on bread. 

Milkman jacket. Milkman hat.

Cranky pickup. Cranky cat. 

Driving in to work.

And then I got distracted by the brown eyed susans in the sunlight. I love brown eyed susans. 

The dairy where he picks up his truck.

And out he goes on his rounds.

Lost my dog 

Love, Caroline.

There is a dog to look for in all the pictures. Which adds another layer of charm to this book.

Do you see the dog?! Mr. Plimpton is just a nice guy. We like Mr. Plimpton.

I spy, with my little eye....

Next to lamppost, under sign. 

Lost dog home to Caroline.

I remember reading an article about the difference between 1950's neighborhood life and now. There was a stay at home mother in almost every house you walked past on the way to school in the 1950's. Which meant there were a lot of eyes watching you as you went about your life. So things were safer for kids out without their parents back then. And I think people like the milkman, (who soon went out of fashion) were part of that world and that net of safety. They saw things everyday and noticed when things were different.  

Not that I want to go back to the 1950's, thankyouverymuch. Just an interesting thing to ponder. 

Mr. Plimpton brings his milk truck back to the dairy.

...and heads home.  

Last stop, best stop. Cat jumps out. 

"Daddy's home!" comes happy shout.

Excitement at Daddy coming home never goes out of fashion.

Happy Family-ness.

Sun up red!

And just one more brown eyed susan picture!

The Little Farm by Lois Lenski

This book is so adorably precious! Have you seen any of the Mr. Small books? There is a policeman small, a cowboy small, and a Papa Small. I particularly like this one. It is a simple, happy look at a little farm. How could I help loving it? This is a favorite with Gilbert, too. It gives him great delight if I call Farmer Small, Farmer Gilbert. Because Gilbert is going to be a farmer when he grows up.

Good to know.

Farmer Small's Farm as seen by the eye of a bird

This book follows Farmer Small through his day, with a few seasonal things thrown in. 

Feeding the animals. 

Milking the cows.

Happy sigh.

Putting the cows out to pasture.

(It is one of those books where they use one color every other page. I keep meaning to look that up and see if it was a cost saving measure or if it was just the style of the day. 

Dropping his milk cans off.

Look how perfectly delighted the pigs are by their slops!

Very skinny tractor.

Harrowing.

That might be a sickle bar mower. 

Elsie is always worried about the falling apples. 

Firewood! One of my favorite pictures. 

I love this picture too.

Collecting eggs at the end of the day.

Heading in.

Lenski ends each of her Mr. Small books this way. 

I like continuity!