Quick Look
All through the winter the Root Children are asleep underground, but when spring comes Mother Nature wakes them up. Then the Root Children are busy cleaning and painting the beetles and bugs.
Description
"Under the ground, deep in the earth among the roots of the trees, the little root children were fast asleep all winter long. . ."
When spring comes, it's time for the root children -- snowdrop, forget-me-not, buttercup, daisy and poppy -- to wake up! There are new dresses to sew, and insects to be painted.
When summer comes, the root children are free to play in the beautiful fields, ponds and meadows. But when autumn comes and the cold wind starts to blow, it's time to go back to their cosy home below ground.
Sibylle von Olfers' classic story has been loved by generations of children. It's also available in a mini-format edition and a board book for very little hands.
Reviews
'A celebration of the wonders that spring and summer offer each year.'
-- New York Botanical Garden
'Nothing could date this stunningly illustrated century-old book telling the story of the seasons ... Children are enchanted by images like the root children painting a line of ladybirds with pots of red and black paint. Sibylle von Olfers' careful drawings depict Nature scenes halfway between imagination and reality.'
-- Juno Magazine, Top Ten Children's Books
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.
