Appalachian Children's Literature: Bibliographies

Classic Appalachian Picture Books

 

Ward, Lynd. The Biggest Bear. New York: Houghton-Mifflin Company, 1952. 0-395-14806-5; 0-395-15024-8 (paper).

Johnny Orchard was embarrassed that his was the only family in the valley without a bear hide nailed to the barn.  Johnny decided that he would he would do something about this, and set out into the woods in search of a bear to kill. The bear that Johnny found was a small cub that ate the brown sugar cubes from his pocket. Johnny took the cub home, and learned some hard lessons about life and responsibility as a result.

 

Caudill, Rebecca. A Pocketful of Cricket. Illustrated by Evaline Ness. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1964. 0-8050-7524-0 (2004 reissue).

Jay is a six year old boy who finds security and comfort in the hills and hollows of home.  Everywhere he looks, he sees something interesting in nature. One day in August, just a few days before he begins school, Jay finds a cricket and takes it home to be his pet. Mother warns him that he cannot take Cricket to school because Cricket will disturb the class.  Still, Jay just cannot get on the big school bus without him. Mother is right; cricket cannot be quiet in school.  This Newbery Honor Book from over forty years ago has stood the test of time. Readers today can still identify with Jay's feelings about his very first day of school and about the chirping cricket in his pocket.

 

Turkle, Brinton. Deep in the Forest.  New York: Puffin Books, 1976.  0-14-054745-2.

A tale told in pictures, this wordless book puts a new spin on an old favorite – the story of Goldilocks and the three bears.

 

Still, James. Jack and the Wonder Beans. Illustrated by Margot Tomes. Lexington, Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky, 1977. 0-8131-1735-6 (1995 reissue).

This is the way it happened in Kentucky, when Jack climbed up the beanstalk.   In this telling, Jack is a Kentucky boy from Wolfpen Creek.  This version is told in Appalachian dialect and incorporates many Appalachian folkways. Jack, called a tadwacker by the giant, climbs the beanstalk and takes the giant's gold.  He isn't satisfied with one bag so he risks the giant’s wrath by climbing the beanstalk again and taking his banty hen.

 

Rylant, Cynthia. When I Was Young in the Mountains. Illustrated by Diane Goode. New York: E. P. Dutton, 1982. 0-525-44198-0.

This is the first person account of life in the mountains in an earlier, simpler time. Grandfather mined coal, grandmother cooked on an iron stove, and the highlight of the week was church on Sunday.  There was never any worry about what lay beyond the mountains. What was there was always enough.

 

Rylant, Cynthia. The Relatives Came. Illustrated by Stephen Gammel.  Scarsdale, New York: Bradbury Press, 1985. 0-02-777220-9.

The relatives came from Virginia in a station wagon and stayed for weeks. There was lots of hugging and eating, working and playing together.  All of it was fun, and when the relatives went home, all were looking forward to the time that they could be together again.

 

Lyon, George Ella.  A Regular Rolling Noah.  Illustrated by Stephen Gammel. New York: Bradbury Press, 1986.  0-02-761330-5.

Lyon tells the story of the trip her grandfather made. As a boy, he was hired by the Creech family who were moving to Canada to ride the train with their stock. This was a big adventure for a boy who had never been away from the hills he called home.

 

Hendershot, Judith. In Coal Country. Illustrated by Thomas B. Allen. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1987. 0-394-88190-7; 0-394-98190-1 (Library Binding).

This is the story of life in a coal camp as told through the eyes of a young girl. Though set in Ohio, the story describes coal camp life as it was found throughout Appalachia.

 

Johnston, Tony. Yonder. Illustrated by Lloyd Bloom. New York: Scholastic, Inc., 1988.   0-590-42887-X (paper).

The farmer comes home with his bride and they plant a tree. The family grows and changes with the seasons, but the love of family and the sustenance of nature remain constant throughout the generations.

 

Lyon, George Ella. Come A Tide. Illustrated by Stephen Gammell. New York: Orchard Books, 1990. 0-531-05854-9; 0-531-08454-X (library binding).

Grandma was worried. There had been too much snow and too much spring rain. Floods are a fact of life in the hills of Kentucky. This is one little girl’s lighthearted telling of an otherwise scary event. Flood waters wash through a community and leave a muddy aftermath.  She learns that with lots of shoveling and fortitude, the family can reclaim their life once again.

 

Lyon, George Ella.  Cecil’s Story.  Illustrated by Peter Catalanotto. New York: Orchard Books, 1991.  0-531-05912-X; 0-531-08512-0 (library binding). 

If your Papa was a soldier and went away to fight in the Civil War, there would be a lot to worry about. He might not come home again, or he might get hurt and Mama would have to go to him. Life would be different after Papa goes to war, no matter what happens.

 

Paul, Ann Whitford. Eight Hands Round. Illustrated by Jeanette Winter. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1991. 0-06-024689-8; 0-06-024704-5 (library binding).

This nonfiction book tells the stories behind traditional patchwork quilts.  Every quilt pattern has its own name, and for every name there is a story. Each pattern is shown with an enlargement for detail and an illustration of the story that relates to the symbolism within the pattern. The story of each quilt is set in the historical frame of reference for the time when it was created. Knowing the stories adds another dimension to the appreciation of traditional needlework.

 

Mills, Lauren A. The Rag Coat. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1991.  0-316-57407-4.

Minna’s papa wanted her to go to school, but he died in the summer before he had a chance to get her a coat. There wasn’t money to buy one, so the women of the community sewed one for her out of patchwork. Minna helped select the squares that were made out of left over pieces from rags. She loved her coat of many colors.  Minna remembered the lessons her papa taught her, so when the children at school made fun of her coat she was able to make them understand why it was so special.

 

Houston, Gloria. My Great Aunt Arizona. Illustrated by Susan Condie Lamb. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1992. 0-060-22606-4; 0-06-443374-9 (paperback); 0-06-022607-2 (library binding).

Arizona was born and reared in the hills but loved to dream about faraway places. When she finished her education at the one room school, she rode a mule across the mountains and was able to continue her education there. Arizona became a teacher and returned home to share her love of learning and her dreams of the world with generations of mountain children.

 

Johnson, Paul Brett. The Cow Who Wouldn’t Come Down. New York: Orchard Books, 1993. 0-531-05481-0; 0-531-08631-30(library binding). 

Gertrude, the cow had her owner, Miss Rosemary in a tizzy when she took off flying through the air and wouldn’t come down. Where there’s a will there’s a way, and with the help of Matilda, Miss Rosemary was finally able to coax Gertrude to come down.

 

Compton, Joanne Ward. Ashpet. Illustrated by Kenn Compton. New York: Holiday House, 1994. 0-8234-1106-0.

When Cinderella lived in the mountains she was called Ashpet. She was a servant, hired out to the Widow Hooper and her two daughters.  Her heart's desire was to attend the big church supper. She got her chance when she accidentally let the fire go out and had to borrow some from old Granny. Ashpet kindly brushed old Granny's hair, and magical things happened. Now it was possible for her to attend the church supper where she caught the eye of the doctor's son.

 

Lyon, George Ella. Mama is a Miner.  Illustrated by Peter Catalanotto. New York:  Orchard Books, 1994. 0-531-06853-6; 0-531-08703-4 (library binding).

Working in the company store wouldn’t pay the bills, so Mama went to work as a miner. While her daughter is in school, Mama is working underground. Mama plays a game with herself to make the time pass. In the morning she is working her way to lunch time, in the afternoon she working her way home to dinner and her family.

 

Bates, Artie Ann. Ragsale. Illustrated by Jeff Chapman-Crane. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1995. 0-395-70030-2.

Jessann is looking forward to the day that her family will attend the ragsale at the local high school. During the nineteen fifties in Appalachia, ragsale was the name for its modern equivalent, the tagsale. Jessann and her cousin Billie Joe have lots of fun watching people and looking for treasures among the items for sale. Jessann cannot wait to get home and see what Mother has for her in her bundle of purchases.

 

Lambert, Paulette Livers. Evening An Appalachian Lullaby. Boulder, Colorado: Roberts Rinehart Publishers, 1995.

1-57098-012-8.

A father and his two young sons welcome night as it comes to the farm. All young critters prepare for sleep to the words of this traditional mountain lullaby.

 

Shelby, Anne. Homeplace. Illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin. New York: Orchard Books, 1995. 0-531-06882-X; 0-531-08732-8 (library binding).

A modern day grandmother tells her granddaughter the story of her house and their family. The story began in 1810 with the man who built the house.  Since then, six generations of babies have been nurtured in the house and rooted in the land that surrounds it.

 

Gibbons, Faye. Mountain Wedding. Illustrated by Ted Rand. Honesdale, Pennsylvania:  Boyds Mill Press, 1996. 1-59078-324-7 (first Boyds Mill press paperback edition, 2005).

Mrs. Searcy and Mr. Long decide to get married. The seven Long children and five Searcy children are in total agreement that the marriage is not a good idea. When a runaway horse takes off with a wagon holding the belongings of both groups, they quickly become a family as they work together to catch the horse and set things right.

 

 

Recent Appalachian Picture Books

(published 1998 – to present)

 

Hall, Francie. Appalachian ABCs.  Illustrated by Kent Oehm. Johnson City, Tennessee: Overmountain Press, 1998. 1-57072-087-8.

A is for Appalachian Trail and azalea. Each letter of the alphabet is beautifully illustrated with a native plant and an artifact or facet of mountain life.

 

Still, James. Appalachian Mother Goose. Illustrated by Paul Brett Johnson. Lexington, Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky, 1998.  8-8131-2092-6.

Children everywhere know and love Mother Goose. However, it takes an Appalachian Mother Goose with her regional language and dialect to delight children from the mountains.

 

Johnson, Paul Brett. Old Dry Frye. New York: Scholastic, 1999. 0-439-16392-7.

Appalachia is known for its tales, in some parts called Grandfather Tales, in other parts called Jack Tales. The story of Old Dry Frye, a preacherman who loved fried chicken is based on a Grandfather Tale. Old Dry Fry smelled the fried chicken from a farmhouse up on Troublesome, so he stopped to have a bite. He choked on a chicken bone and died, but that was not the end of Old Dry Fry.

 

Gray, Libba Moore. When Uncle Took the Fiddle. Illustrated by Lloyd Bloom. New York: Orchard Books, 1999. 0-531-30137-0 (trade); 0-531-33137-7 (library binding).

Everyone was tired at the end of the day. Then uncle took his fiddle down and began to play. Then their tiredness starts to go away, as one by one members of the family take their instruments or begin to pat their feet. The sounds of the music float down the hollow and neighbors arrive to join in. Soon, a full-fledged party is underway.

 

May, Kathy L. Molasses Man. Illustrated by Felicia Marshall. New York: Holiday House, 2000. 0-8234-1438-8.

When the sugarcane is ripe, it is time to make molasses. A young boy describes the process of chopping and grinding the cane, and boiling the juice down into smooth, thick molasses. Grandpa has an engine that drives the juicer, but he remembers how it was done in olden days when mule power was used to grind the cane.

 

Pack, Linda Hager.  A is for Appalachia The Alphabet Book of Appalachian Heritage. Illustrated by Pat Banks. Prospect, Kentucky: Harmony House Publishers, 2002.  1-56469-086-5.

Appalachian heritage is described through the alphabet. Water color illustrations along with stories and explanatory notes provide a look at the rich culture and heritage of the mountains.

 

Wells, Rosemary and Wells, Tom. The House in the Mail. Illustrated by Dan Andreasen.

New York: Viking, 2002. 0-670-0545-9. 

This is the story of a family who purchased, built and lived in a kit house, a prefabricated home sold through mail order catalogs which were popular in the early to mid – 1900s.

 

Swain, Gwenyth. I Wonder As I Wander. Illustrated by Ronald Himler. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Erdman Books for Young Readers, 2003. 0-8028-5214-9.

John Jacob Niles collected and transcribed folksongs of the Appalachians. Although he learned this song from a little girl in North Carolina, it is well known in Kentucky.  Niles learned the song from Annie Morgan and never knew its real origin, but in this work of fiction she wrote the song.  Annie is the daughter of an itinerant preacher who took to the road after the death of his wife. In this story, the song expresses Annie’s uncertainties about the things that she has seen in her life.

 

Millen, C. M. Blue Bowl Down An Appalachian Rhyme. Illustrated by Holly Meade. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2004. 0-7636-1817-9.

The toddler takes the blue bowl down from the bench for his mother as they prepare to make bread. There are many preparations that must be made. Water must be drawn from the well and the lamp must be lit. While the dough is rising, the baby prepares for bed. The bread bakes while baby sleeps and is ready for the baby to eat during the new day.

 

Crum, Shutta. My Mountain Song. Illustrated by Ted Rand. New York: Clarion Books, 2004. 0-618-15970-3.

Brenda Gail loves everything about the country except her pesky cousin Melvin. Brenda Gail hears music in the sounds of the morning, and Grand Pap tells her that every person has their own song. She throws rocks at Melvin as a result of his taunting. The rocks miss Melvin but hit Morning Glory, Big Ma's favorite hen. Melvin's behavior as a result of the rock throwing incident is unexpected, and Brenda Gail decides that maybe he can be in her song after all.

 

Henson, Heather. Angel Coming. Illustrated by Susan Gaber. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2005. 0-689-855331-1.

Mama says an angel will be coming up the creek on horseback and will be bringing the family a tiny baby in her saddlebag.  Many years ago when children in parts of Eastern Kentucky asked where babies came from, this is the answer they were given. Nurses from the Frontier Nursing Service brought medical care to remote areas of Appalachia which had no access to doctors or hospitals. This is a fictional account of one such family who is expecting a baby that will be delivered by one of these nurses.

 

Ransom, Candice F. Tractor Day. Illustrated by Laura J. Bryant. New York: Walker Publishing Company, 2007. 0-8027-8091-3; 0-8027-8091-1 (reinforced).

 It’s time to plow! Daughter observes life on the farm, safe in the arms of Daddy as the big red tractor chugs away.

 

Henson, Heather. That Book Woman. Illustrated by David Small. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2008. 1-4169-0812-9.

Living high up in the mountains, Cal is not a scholar. He would rather be outdoors, than try book learning. That woman keeps coming up the mountain, bringing books in her saddlebags for his sister. She keeps coming, in all kinds of weather, and Cal finds himself wondering what is in those books that makes her brave the elements to deliver them.

 

Pack, Linda Hager. Appalachian Toys and Games. Illustrated by Pat Banks. Lexington: The University Press of Kentucky, 2013. 978-8131-4104-6. 

This book celebrates a time when children did not have access to mass produced toys and electronics, when toys were handmade and homemade, and games did not come out of a box, but were the product of personal creativity.  

 

 

Selected Bibliography of Appalachian Christmas Picture Books  and Illustrated Books

Turner, Thomas Noel. Hillbilly Night Afore Christmas. Illustrated by James Rice. Gretna, Louisiana: Pelican Publishing Company, 1983.  0-88289-367-X.

Twas the night before Christmas up the holler, and Sainty was a comin. The youngins couldn’t wait. They knew that Sainty would come flying through the piney woods in a wagon pulled by eight bear cubs!

 

Rylant, Cynthia.  Children of Christmas Stories for the Season.  Illustrated by S. D. Schindler. New York: Orchard Books, 1987.  0-531-05706-2; 0-531-08306-3 Library Binding.

Rylant’s poignant stories of Christmas take place in a variety of settings.  However, one story about the Christmas train that runs through the mountains is reminiscent of the Santa train that still runs through Pike County, Kentucky and into Virginia and Tennessee.

 

Houston, Gloria.  The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree. Illustrated by Barbara Cooney. New York: Puffin Books, 1988. 0-14-0558777-2.

Ruthie’s family was to provide the community Christmas tree for Pine Grove. Ruthie would be the angel in the Christmas pageant.  She and her Papa had carefully chosen the tree in the spring. But Papa was called away to serve as a soldier in the Great War. The timber was not cut that year because Papa was gone. There was no money for the angel costume, or the doll Ruthie desperately wanted from Santa and Papa was not there to cut the Christmas tree.

 

Houston, Gloria. Littlejim’s gift. An Appalachian Christmas Story.  Illustrated by Thomas B. Allen. New York: Philomel Books, 1994.  0-399-22696-6.

Littlejim’s father says Christmas is just another day.  The country is at war with the Kaiser and times are hard.  He doesn’t see any point in attending to the community Christmas Tree celebration. Littlejim wants to see that Christmas tree, almost as much as he wants to show his Papa that he is a man.  There is a set of woodworking tools in the store window that are just his size. He is sure that he could prove himself to Papa if he owned those tools. He almost has enough money saved to buy them, but it is exactly enough to buy the doll that his sister wants so desperately.

 

Caudill, Rebecca.  A Certain Small Shepherd.  Illustrated by William Pene Du Bois.  New York:  Henry Holt and Company, 1965.  ISBN-13:  978-0-8050-5932-0; 0-8050-5392-1. (first paperback edition – 1997)

Jamie could not speak, but he could make words on paper. He was excited when his teacher announced that parts would be given out for the Christmas play. Jamie was put with the carol singers but he acted out. Then he was given the part of a shepherd.  When a storm blew in on Christmas Eve, the play was cancelled, but a real baby was born by the warm Church fire. Jamie took his role as a shepherd seriously, and when he saw the real baby he knew what he had to do. What followed was a true Christmas miracle

Rylant, Cynthia. Christmas in the Country. Illustrated by Diane Goode. New York: The Blue Sky Press, 2002. 0-439-07334-0.

This is the story of a little girl who lives in the country with her grandparents. Life is joyful and full of expectancy, but never more than at Christmas.  Grandfather always brings home a tree that is a little too bit big, but this is one of the traditions that make Christmas a time to anticipate, year after year.

 

Brown, Elizabeth Ferguson. Coal Country Christmas.  Illustrated by Harvey Stevenson.     Honesdale, Pennsylvania:  Boyds Mill Press, Inc., 2003.  1-59078-020-5.

A little girl and her mother travel to her grandmother’s house for Christmas. Grandmother lives in an Appalachian mining town. Coal camp life is hard, but traditions are nurtured. Family members cherish the time they have together and recall memories of loved ones who have passed on. Time seems to stop, and the harsh realities of life disappear. For this one day, the world is a safe and peaceful place.

         

 

The three authors of children’s books most readily identified with Appalachia are Gloria Houston, George Ella Lyon, and Cynthia Rylant. Each of these women published her first book during the Golden Age.  Lyon and Rylant both have more than one work featured in this bibliography. Each of the three has published other quality works, including but not necessarily limited to picture books, or topics specific to Appalachia.

According to Teaford (2005), the years from approximately 1980 through the mid 1990’s were the Golden Age of Appalachian picture books.  Herrin (1996), states that more than 130 Appalachian children’s books were published in the 1980’s, and nearly half of those were published between 1987 and 1989.  This is supported by the fact that 18 titles in this bibliography appear on the list of classics, published up to 1995. Only 12 titles appear on the list of more recent titles. It is interesting to note that 3 books were published in 1995 but the first title on the recent list was published in 1998.