Once Upon a Child's Heart

I’m a sucker for quaint stories from around the turn of the 20th century, and Uncle Wiggily’s Adventures is one of my favorites. First published in 1912 and written by Howard R. Garis, these stories were originally meant to be small nightly read-alouds for young children. Garis introduces us to Uncle Wiggily, a gentle, well-mannered rabbit, and all of his little creature friends and relations. The stories are wholesome and cozy, with just enough adventure to keep young listeners wondering what will happen next. For the longest time, I assumed Garis was English—the stories feel so English in their tone and setting. But I recently learned he was actually American. I think it’s their whimsical, fairy-tale quality that led me to that assumption; they feel closely related to the work of Beatrix Potter. I’ve read that Garis wrote over 18,000 stories for children in his lifetime—an almost unbelievable number. He contributed to a newspaper six days a week for more than 36 years. In many ways,...

This one is for those of you who listen to Uncle Wiggily’s Adventures on The Story Garden with Mrs. Sandoz . I love giving my students and families of the podcast little challenges to try at home, and this one comes straight from the stories. The author of these quaint stories often mentions lemonade—it seems to be a favorite treat of his as well as the characters in the stories. It happens to be a favorite in my family, too. I have such sweet memories of making fresh-squeezed lemonade with my boys and then sitting outside in our forest or on our porch and drinking it. So, of course, we had to make some here as well. I’ve put together a simple recipe for you to print and use, along with a few gentle suggestions for parents on how to turn it into a writing activity with your littles.  Just click the image below do download a FREE pdf. Enjoy! Kristen

 After some gentle nudging from my students (and a little tug on my own heart), I’ve started something new— The Story Garden . This is a small podcast where my kindergartners—and any little listeners who would like to join us—can come and listen to stories. Some are old and well-loved, like Uncle Wiggily . Others are stories I’ve written over the years—first for my own boys, and now for the children I teach. My hope is simple. I want to give children a place to slow down, listen, and grow their imaginations. In a world full of fast-moving images, there is something quietly powerful about hearing a story and cultivating the pictures in your own mind.  Reading books aloud is a great way to germinate the love of reading in children. Like any good garden, this one will grow slowly—with care, intention, and a bit of wonder along the way. To learn more about the first story I am reading on the podcast click here.  If you’d like to listen, you can find The Story Garden ...