Leonard Weisgard «The secret river»

«Secret river» с иллюстрациями великого Леонарда Вейсгарда впервые была опубликована в 1955 году, уже после смерти писательницы Марджори Киннан Ролингс. Это история девочки Кэлпурнии из бедной семьи. Во время Великой депрессии в ее деревне все голодают, отец не может поймать ни одной рыбы, чтобы прокормить семью. И Кэлпурния вместе со своим щенком отправляется на поиски таинственной реки, про которую ей рассказывала соседка. Река помогает девочке с уловом, но на обратном пути ей приходится отдать часть рыбы сове, медведю и пантере. Но когда она благополучно возвращается домой, еды все равно хватает на всех: и на семью Кэлпурнии, и на других жителей деревни.

Nonny Hogrogian «The fearsome inn»

Two witches, who practice their evil trade on lost travellers, are banished through the wisdom of a student of the holy cabala, and the power of his magic chalk.
Impacted writing and resplendent illustration at the service of an authentically harrowing, distinctively satisfying story: it starts with Satan and ends with heavenly light, and you believe it. For many years Doboshova, the witch, and Lapitut, her half-devil husband, have preyed upon the travelers who come to their inn; as servants, they hold captive three girls, Reitze, Leitze and Neitze. On a stormy day, three young men arrive, and one among them, Leibel, a student of the cabala, has a magic gift, a piece of chalk that will imprison anyone in the circle he draws. While the three are washing before dinner, each has a nightmare; before they can take a bite of the food that will deprive them of all will, Leibel recognizes Doboshova and Lapitut as the witch and monster in his dream. By a ruse, he locks them in a circle of chalk, and the threats and ruses of all the evil spirits of the forest are of no avail: Leibel will not free them until they agree in blood to go away forever. This done, the six sort themselves out and marry quite satisfactorily (though all three girls wanted Leibel to start with). Leibel and Neitze remain at the inn, running it as a hostel, and in time it becomes known, through his studies, as the greatest academy of the cabala. The synopsis is and is not the story: always there is ancient magic pitted against ancient mischief, and an occasional turn of the screw. The drawings have to be seen, as does the book, impeccably produced down to paper and type; the story must be read, by adults as well as children, but best together.

Leo Politi «Song of the swallows»

«Song of the Swallows» is a book by Leo Politi. Published by Scribner, it was the recipient of the Caldecott Medal for illustration in 1950. The book tells the story of two children who live in an old mission in San Juan Capistrano in California. One of the children tells the other the amazing journey the swallows make all the way from South America to spend the summer in California.

Katherine Milhous «The egg tree»

«The Egg Tree» is a 1950 book by Katherine Milhous that won the 1951 Caldecott Medal, based on the author’s family tradition. It tells the classic tale of a Pennsylvania Dutch Easter, with its main characters being Katy and Carl. One day, near Easter, they look for Easter eggs and found eggs that their grandmother had painted on a tree. They were interested, so they ask their grandmother about the eggs. They eventually create one, and it becomes a big success the next Easter. The book «The egg tree» is an illustrated book, with the image of a rooster blowing a horn standing on an decorated Easter egg on the cover of the book. Bright colors yellow in contrast with green. The illustration goes on through the pages with a Pennsylvania Dutch traditions of art that can be considered eye pleasing and easy to read.