11.7.11

Little Fur Family


There was a little fur family
warm as toast
smaller than most
in little fur coats
and they lived in a warm
wooden tree.
(from Little Fur Family
by Margaret Wise Brown)

Most mornings when we get up, my husband greets us with a cheerful, "Good morning my Little Fur Family!" and at night we tuck into bed with a jolly, "Good night my Little Fur Family!"  Mr. Bloom is, of course, referencing the book Little Fur Family by Margaret Wise Brown.

I am fond of the ever popular Good Night Moon...

And I adore the story of The Runaway Bunny ("If you go flying on a flying trapeze," said his mother, "I will be a tightrope walker, and I will walk across the air to you..."  So beautiful!)

 Each line of Big Red Barn is poetic and delightful in every way...

But Little Fur Family is a favorite in our house. I'm not sure what it is about it that makes us love it so. This peculiar little book follows the fur child on his day of adventure in "the wild wood."  The story ends with this funny lullaby:

Sleep, sleep our little fur child,
Out of the windiness,
Out of the wild.
sleep warm in your fur
All night long,
In your little fur family.
This is a song.

 Do you have a favorite book by Margaret Wise Brown? (Or any favorite board-book, for that matter...)

9 comments:

  1. my kids loved Little Fur Family when they were young. we would read it over and over again at bedtime. we also loved So Many Bunnies by Rick Walton and Hush Little Baby by Sylvia Long. This was our very favorite!!!! I even turned it into a song and would sing the words to the kids when they were tired or cranky. I also have to recommend The Animal Family by Randall Jarell and Maurice Sendak. Just a wonderful story!!
    have a great week
    lisa

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  2. i do not know the little fur family but we have the rest of those above. i LOVE runaway bunny!! one of my faves. i love reading it to my sweet children.

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  3. Oh my! Little Fur Family is a huge favorite...as is just about anything by Ms. Brown. I have visions of framing the color pictures from the Runaway Bunny and decorating my child's room with them one day...as a subtle reminder ;-). I think my son's favorite is The Big Red Barn. May be my DH's fave, too.

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  4. Goodnight Moon is Roo's favourite (she's 2yo) and I have to read it at least four times a day! The initial copy got so very battered after the loving she gives it, that we bought her a new copy for her second birthday. :)

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  5. You know that now I will have to go book shopping again! We have been reading Goodnight Moon for about 10 years, I am sure I knew it off by heart after the first week and I do love the wee mouse. But I think possibly my favourite board book is Ten little fingers and ten little toes by Mem Fox... "and the next baby born was truly divine. a sweet little child who was mine, all mine..." Oh it bring tears to my eyes and joy to my heart every time I read those words. For years I waited and midwifed; watched mothers love their babies and my heart ached. Then she came and my midwifery friends sent me a copy of ten little fingers and ten little toes and I read it out loud to my week old baby and I cried and cried. Ann now, I am crying again.

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  6. We love The Little Fur Family in our home! Whenever my children sneeze, I quote, "'Bless you, my little fur child, every time you sneeze,' said his grandpa...." I end up reciting most of the story after that, and have done this since my children were wee babies. Goodnight Moon is lovely, and my two year old loves to find the mouse in each picture. It's a subtle story. Thanks for sharing good books!

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  7. thank you all for your dear comments (makes me smile when I open my email and there are notes from you...)

    xo
    MB

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  8. we FINALLY read Runaway Bunny & I couldn't believe how much I loved it! & goodnight moon is an old favorite. We'll have to check out Little Fur Family and the others...

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  9. i had completely forgotten that is was from a story book; my mother used to sing that lullaby when my sister and i were 3. I'm 25, and still think of the song when i snuggle into bed, with my fiancé.

    i hope the lullaby sticks with your kids just as long.
    ...only, I can't remember the notes to the opening line. :c

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