County Fair (My First Little House)

County Fair (My First Little House)

County Fair (My First Little House)
This is a children's picture book adapted from Laura Ingalls Wilder's Farmer Boy, a story of her husband Almanzo's childhood years. In this book, his family is going to the county fair. We see Almanzo feeling "big" talking about the horses with his father like a grown man would. We identify with Almanzo's shock when confronted with a braying mule, which was a unique sight to him. And, we identify with his pride over his prize-winning pumpkin. All of these things are emotions and situations that children can understand even if the particulars are somewhat different from their everyday life.

The illustrations are gorgeous, very colorful and vibrant. This book provides a nice visual peek into the time period as a wide range of people are depicted in the crowds. The illustrations have an idyllic, homey feel to them.

My one disappointment is that the story of Almanzo's prize-winning pumpkin could have been made better by including the full story. Just a few lines saying something like, "Then Almanzo remembered he had cut slits in the vine and fed his pumpkin milk to help it grow bigger. He wondered if the judges would think that was unfair and not give him the prize. But, he timidly asked, 'Is it okay that my pumpkin was milk-fed?' The judge answered, "'Certainly, my son, and it's a fine pumpkin!'" That was such a wonderful lesson in honesty even when afraid on the consequences. It wouldn't have been hard to share, and it would have been beneficial. But, if I hadn't read Farmer Boy, I wouldn't have had any complaints about the book.

I would recommend this book for children in the 3-to-8-year-old range, as a read-aloud for younger children and for children reading on a 3rd to 4th grade level to read by themselves. My daughters, ages 7, 5, and 3 1/2, all enjoy this series of books. This title may be more enjoyed by boys than others in the series, most of which focus on Laura and Mary.
County Fair (My First Little House)