Short & Sweet: My Four Favorite Books from Childhood

Summary

The author reminisces about their childhood favorites, a collection of illustrated books centered around nature, including "The Brambly Hedge" series, "The Flower Fairies" series, "Animalia," and "The Copycats" series, which have left a lasting impact on them.

Abstract

The author reflects on their childhood, recalling the hours spent in nature and how it influenced their reading preferences. They share their top four favorite books, all rich in illustrations and themes of the natural world. "The Brambly Hedge" series by Jill Barklem is remembered for its detailed depictions of mouse families living in harmony with nature and its role in teaching the author to read. "The Flower Fairies" series by Cecily Mary Barker is praised for its poetic introduction to botany and the imaginative play it inspired. Graeme Base's "Animalia" is described as an interactive alphabet book with intricate illustrations that encourage exploration. Lastly, Nicola Bayley's "The Copycats" series is noted for its adventurous tales of felines dreaming of life as other animals. The author emphasizes the enduring charm of these books, which continue to inspire curiosity and a sense of wonder about the world.

Opinions

The author has a fondness for books that blend the natural world with imaginative storytelling.
"The Brambly Hedge" series holds sentimental value as it was used by the author's sister to teach them how to read.
"The Flower Fairies" books are cherished for their ability to combine poetry, botany, and fantasy, making them a unique educational tool.
"Animalia" is celebrated for its interactive nature, challenging readers to find hidden objects within its detailed pages.
The author expresses a personal connection to "Elephant Cat" from "The Copycats" series, which fueled their curiosity about different parts of the world.
There is a sense of nostalgia and appreciation

Short & Sweet: My Four Favorite Books from Childhood

The thing I remember most about childhood is the trees. I spent hours among the branches of a weeping willow, displayed my rock collection in the shade of white pines, and periodically ventured across the field and into the Big Woods with a sibling or a cousin. I wasn’t much of a reader. Sometimes I fibbed about doing the reading homework for school (thanks, SparkNotes). The corporeal world was full of such wonder and magic, and I could run through it. Unsurprisingly, most of the books that I did read as a kid centered around nature. Memory has tangled my sense of these stories together with the scents and sights of the living world, so that the curve of a petal or the swish of a squirrel’s tail still conjures them for me. Consequently, it is easy to recall my four favorite books from childhood.

1. The Brambly Hedge series, written and illustrated by Jill Barklem

Brambly Hedge is home to a handful of lovable mouse families, including Lord and Lady Woodmouse and their daughter Primrose, as well as Mr. and Mrs. Toadflax and their children Wilfred, Teasel, Clover and Catkin. The beautiful illustrations are rich with imaginative detail — intricate homes, shops, and mills carved into the trunks of trees and shown in cross-section like abundant dollhouses, overflowing with small treasures. Each story features seasonal nature themes, delicious miniature foods, and gentle fun in a bucolic landscape.

My older sister used Brambly Hedge to teach me how to read, so these books hold a special place for me. I have shared them with my son and I recommend them to any young person (or grown up) who loves small worlds and wild blackberries.

2. The Flower Fairies series, written and illustrated by Cecily Mary Barker

Similar to Brambly Hedge, there is a Flower Fairies book for each season. A Flower Fairy Alphabet was my favorite, although I think this one may be out of print today. The Flower Fairies introduced me to poetry, and I still know the Willow Fairy poem by heart:

By the peaceful stream or the shady pool I dip my leaves in the water cool. Over the water I lean all day, Where the sticklebacks and minnows play. I dance, I dance, when the breezes blow, And dip my toes in the stream below.

My sister and I pretended we were fairies — I was Willow or Iris, she was Poppy or Mallow — and we thought about all the little pieces of nature that we might use for cups or hats or roofs. Our mother taught us to build fairy houses from bark and moss. We were even fortunate enough to attend an entire Fairy House Festival. The Flower Fairies books are an enchanting, rhythmic, whimsical blend of fact and fantasy that teach botany while also encouraging readers to imagine the unknowable.

3. Animalia, written and illustrated by Graeme Base

Animalia is an alphabet book for ingenious kids. It is Jumanji meets Where’s Waldo, with gorgeous full color illustrations. Each teeming page hides a little boy in a striped shirt among dozens, perhaps hundreds of assorted animals and oddities that all begin with the same letter. The opening rhyme captures its essence well:

Within the pages of this book You may discover, if you look Beyond the spell of written words A hidden land of beasts and birds.

For many things are ‘of a kind’, And those with keenest eyes will fin A thousand things, or maybe more — It’s up to you to keep the score…

I borrowed this book from the library so many times that I eventually picked up a copy, which now belongs to my son. Explore Animalia again and again — you will always find something new.

4. The Copycats series, written and illustrated by Nicola Bayley

Elephant Cat, a small book with a colorful cover and bright blue binding, was always waiting for me on the shelf straight back from the library door, behind Mrs. Phelps’ desk. There was also Parrot Cat, Spider Cat, Crab Cat, and Polar Bear Cat, but Elephant Cat was my favorite. Each uniquely adventurous feline dreams of being somebody else, and readers journey along with them through riveting fantasies about life as a different animal, with different traits, in a different part of the world. If I ever make my way to India, it will be thanks to the beautifully illustrated curiosity of Elephant Cat. Sadly, I do not currently own any of the Copycats books, so I should probably wrap up this list and hop onto Thriftbooks right away.

Whether because of the illustrations, earnestness, creativity, or joyful sense of adventure, children’s books will always be my favorites. These four examples brilliantly reflect and reimagine the world beyond their pages. Read them and you will go on wondering what little lives are hiding in your garden, how many words you can think of that start with the letter G, and what on earth your cat is thinking about.

photo by author