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Thornton W. Burgess
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Old Mother West Wind Hardcover – January 1, 1990

by Thornton W. Burgess (Author), Michael Hague (Illustrator)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 489 ratings
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Perfect for gift-giving--a classic illustrated by Michael Hague, in a beautifully redesigned edition.

Thornton W. Burgess said that imagination was "the birthright of every child." His Old Mother West Wind stories, first published in 1910, have worked their magic on generations of children.
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  1. Reading age
    4 - 8 years
  2. Print length
    96 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    Preschool - 3
  5. Dimensions
    8.4 x 0.58 x 10.34 inches
  6. Publisher
    Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
  7. Publication date
    January 1, 1990
  8. ISBN-10
    0805072381
  9. ISBN-13
    978-0805072389
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Aylesworth’s buoyant, rhythmic verse provides inspiration for a wondrous evolution of Gammell’s style.... Sheer delight for eyes, ears, and funny-bones."
--Kirkus Reviews, pointer

About the Author

Michael Hague has illustrated some of the best-loved works of children's literature, including The Velveteen Rabbit, The Wizard of Oz, and The Teddy Bears' Picnic.

About his work, Michael Hague says, "I have always wanted to be a book illustrator. Books are what got me interested in the field in the first place. I try to infuse my illustrations with the same spirit that the author of the story produced in my imagination. I strive to create something from an empty canvas that becomes a whole 'other world' that people can visit for a while and totally believe in."

Mr. Hague lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with his wife Kathleen.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); First Edition (January 1, 1990)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 96 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0805072381
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0805072389
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 4 - 8 years
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ Preschool - 3
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.2 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.4 x 0.58 x 10.34 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 489 ratings

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Thornton W. Burgess

Thornton W. Burgess

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
489 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Victoria
5.0 out of 5 stars Three generations and these stories still resonate.
Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2022
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I first became acquainted with Old Mother West Wind in the 50s when my parents read to me from the same volumes my grandparents read to my father. When our daughter was born I read them to her. Those tomes have served three generations and are looking a bit well-read. So, I am purchssing new copies on Kindle to keep these delightful stories with their subtle lessons of behavior and consequences close at hand for whenever they might be needed to delight, entertain and maybe do a little teaching at the same time.
2 people found this helpful
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Greg J. Lovern
5.0 out of 5 stars Nice edition ("Centennial Anniversary Edition" published by Dover)
Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2016
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(This review is for the "Centennial Anniversary Edition" published by Dover)

This is probably the most nicely printed edition of Thornton W. Burgess' work currently in print.

Yes, all the original illustrations in the Little, Brown first editions of 1910 and 1911 are there, and they are full-size. They are not shiny like the originals, which were printed on art paper and tipped in (individually glued to the bound text pages). These are printed right on the text stock. it's pretty good text stock but does not compare to the art paper of a century ago. Also, since the reverse sides are printed with text, you cannot avoid seeing shadows of the text when viewing the illustrations. Get the originals if you can, but otherwise this is a nice substitute.

This was Burgess' very first published book, and it is not his best work. The animal behavior described is often not as naturalistic as in his later books. These stories were originally written to be read to the author's 4yo son, and they appeal mainly to very young children. For older kids, a much better introduction to Burgess is "Tommy and the Wishing Stone".

Two quibbles with the book's introduction:

First, the introduction mentions Burgess' "as-yet-uncounted magazine short stories".

That is not exactly true. Michael W. Dowhan wrote a meticulously thorough annotated bibliography of them in his "Thornton W. Burgess, Harrison Cady: A Book, Magazine, and Newspaper Bibliography" of 1990. He doesn't give a count except to say that there are nearly 900, but counting them right in the book would be short work.

Second, introduction says "Dover Publications is helping to make more and more Burgess books available to the public very year. All are carefully reproduced from the original first editions."

It isn't true that all of Dover's Burgess books are reproduced from the original first editions. Only a few have the illustrations from the first editions. Several have the illustrations from the 1940s & 1950s Grosset & Dunlap editions. Most have bad copies of one or the other set of illustrations by hack artists; those copies have none of the charm of the originals.
34 people found this helpful
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James Robert Webb
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent collection for young readers or to read to your children...
Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2012
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My daughter checked out one of these books from the library. We loved it so much that we found this special edition on Amazon that contains two collections of stories.

The style is allegorical, nature based parables with the some of the same familiar characters in each story. Do yourself and read a preview on Kindle or online--you'll quickly see if you like the style. It reminds me of the stories my grandparents would tell me and it definitely has a Southern flair, being genteel without condescension or bigotry you might find in other period pieces.

This is the perfect book to sit in a rocking chair and read with your 4-7 year olds in your lap before bedtime.
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Sarah
5.0 out of 5 stars Timeless
Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2023
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Timeless stories with little morals sprinkled throughout. My 4 and 6 year old loved it.
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AT
4.0 out of 5 stars Mostly good
Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2022
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My 4 year old likes these stories but I find them a little repetitive and I agree with one of the other reviewers that I don't like how the farmer is portrayed. I think there is better children's literature out there.
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angeleenalee
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful stories with all rare insight
Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2016
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Thornton Burgess won our hearts with this book and we have since read many, many more Burgess books! These stories are a good bedtime length and seem like they would be loved by children 4 and up, as well as by adults. This book is also a wonderful gift for a child. Stories are timeless!
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect short stories
Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2016
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I'm so glad I found these adorable stories! My kids (and I) love them! They're the perfect length for when you only have time for one, but it still leaves your kids satisfied. The language is perfect, not dummed down (like some other kids' books), a little old fashioned (consider the time they were written), but still understandable. I got them on Kindle for free, which is an added bonus, and will be reading all his other stories when we're done with 'Old Mother West Wind.'
2 people found this helpful
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Greyhound Mama
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, fun animal stories to teach children right from wrong behavior.
Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2015
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My grandmother read these stories to all of her grandchildren, of which I was one. I read them to my children and grandchildren and my granddaughter is now reading them to her little ones. Each story uses animal characters to teach children good morals to live by in a fun and interesting way. These books were written when my grandmother was a child and there's a reason why they have been reprinted over all these years. I recommend them highly. Great gifts to parents of children old enough to understand each story.
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Top reviews from other countries

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derekr54
5.0 out of 5 stars Nice
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 18, 2013
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A lovely little book for kids,I read this myself as a child,nice to see you can still get this book
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Craig
4.0 out of 5 stars Good Book
Reviewed in Germany on February 26, 2013
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I must say that of the Thornton W. Burgess books I've read, this is the one I liked least. Still, I liked it a lot, but Reddy Fox etc. are just a little better, I think.
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2nimm
5.0 out of 5 stars livre pour enfants très intéressant mais mal illustré
Reviewed in France on August 26, 2012
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livre anglophone broché souple en papier recyclé format moyen réédition récente (1995) d'un classique de 1910 faisant partie d'une grande série d'histoires animalières pour enfants valorisant la protection de la faune nord-américaine; dans ce recueil qui est le premier ouvrage publié par l'auteur, on assiste au début des aventures des principaux personnages au sein de la communauté des animaux de la Forêt Verte et entre autres pourquoi Grand-father FROG n'a pas de queue et Jimmy SKUNK est rayé!; cette fable un peu moraliste mais tellement attendrissante ravira tous les enfants et même les plus grands à l'heure où les préoccupations de protection de la faune sont devenues plus partagées (l'auteur pourrait être considéré comme visionnaire pour l'époque!); les illustrations sont indigentes dans cette édition bon marché (quelques gravures n&b) mais ce petit livre est à acheter sans réserve pour lire ou faire lire à vos enfants ou petits-enfants soit en le traduisant soit directement en anglais dès qu'ils se seront familiarisés avec cette langue!
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Keithrec
5.0 out of 5 stars A Real Children's Classic
Reviewed in Canada on December 25, 2016
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"Old Mother West Wind came down from the Purple Hills in the golden light of the early morning. Over her shoulders was slung a bag, a great big bag and in the bag were all of Old Mother West Wind's children, the Merry Little Breezes."

My daughter is so in love with the the Merry Little Breezes and all the little forest folk Thorton Burgess has brought to life in this book, (and over 160 others!) first published over 100 years ago. His love of nature is apparent in all his writings, even the mischievous Reddy Fox has a lovable quality to him.

The language is simple considering the time it was writen but still very beautiful and full of old phrases and vocabulary to challenge your little one a bit. I am reading them aloud but hope she will revisit them in a few years when she is more confident in her reading. Mr. Burgess also has a knack for disguising observations, information or life lessons into each story.

I would most definitely recommend this book and any writen by Thorton Burgess.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Precious
Reviewed in Canada on June 9, 2018
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My grandfather read me these stories when I was young. I am now 75! I read them to my youngest grandchildren and we all enjoy them. They are timeless.
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