My First Root Children

Quick Look

Sympathetically abridged adaptation of the classic Story of the Root Children filled with beautiful art nouveau illustrations and seasonal details.

Description

All through winter the root children sleep underground. When spring comes Mother Nature wakes them up, and they get ready to go outside into the sunshine with the beetles, bees and ladybirds. They play in the forest with the butterflies. In summer they dance in the meadow and by the stream. When autumn comes and the cold wind starts to blow, Mother Earth calls them back underground to go to sleep for the winter.

The classic, seasonal Story of the Root Children is presented for the first time as a boardbook for very young children. While the overall story remains the same, the language has been simplified. All of the beautiful original illustrations are included, with some sympathetically adapted to fit the new format.

Reviews

'a beautifully imagination inspiring way to introduce the seasons and teach children all about the changes in weather, nature and colour as they learn about spring, summer, autumn and winter … Children will be able to memorise and read this simple text independently very quickly and talk about the pictures. They will also be inspired to draw and imagine their own thinking about seasonal transitions and nature.'
-- Early Years Educator, March 2012

'The illustrations are striking for their detail of leaves, flowers and insects, in attractive muted colours.'
-- Juno Magazine, Spring 2012

Author

Sibylle von Olfers is a Floris Books featured author. Read all about this author's life and work on our dedicated author page.

Sibylle von Olfers (1881–1916) was a German children's author and illustrator. Well-known for her blend of natural observation and simple design in the art nouveau style, her work has been likened to Kate Greenaway and Elsa Beskow. Encouraged by her aunt, writer and painter Marie von Olfers, Sibylle studied at art college in Berlin. At aged 25 she took the name Sister Maria Aloysia and published her first picture book, The Story of the Root Children. She created six more picture books in the following decade before her untimely death. Her legacy is a collection of beloved children’s books including The Story of the Snow Children and The Story of the Wind Children.