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The Peppernuts
The Peppernut family moves into a house in beautiful Paradise Valley and makes it their own; when their stay there is threatened, they rally.
62 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1958
6 people want to read
About the author
Maud Petersham
182 books3 followersMaud Fuller was the daughter of a Baptist minister, She grew up with three sisters in a parsonage. The family moved to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to Newburg, New York, and finally to Scranton, Pennsylvania. As a child, she loved picture books and to draw. After graduating from Vassar College she studied at the New York School Of Fine And Applied Art. Her first job was in the art department at the International Art Service, an advertising firm, where she met her husband, Miska Petersham.
The Petershams began illustrating books together, at first only for other authors. In 1929 they wrote and illustrated their first book, Miki, about their son. In 1946, the couple received the Caldecott Medal for The Rooster Crows, a book of American songs, rhymes, and games in the tradition of Mother Goose. Often they traveled to foreign lands such as Holland, Greece, Germany, and Palestine to do research for their books. They had a close working relationship with their juvenile editor and were allowed to plan their own books entirely from making the dummy to choosing the format, layout, colors, and type. Their routine consisted of Maud writing the stories and doing the roughs; then Miska would finish, doing the color separations on acetate and all the tedious hand work.
The Petershams wrote and illustrated 60 books for children and illustrated 100 by other authors. When Miska died in 1960, Maud sold the Woodstock, New York, house in which they had lived and worked for forty years and moved to a smaller home in Woodstock. In addition to the 1946 Caldecott Medal for The Rooster Crows, the Petershams also received the 1942 Caldecott Honour Award in 1942 for "An American ABC".
The Petershams began illustrating books together, at first only for other authors. In 1929 they wrote and illustrated their first book, Miki, about their son. In 1946, the couple received the Caldecott Medal for The Rooster Crows, a book of American songs, rhymes, and games in the tradition of Mother Goose. Often they traveled to foreign lands such as Holland, Greece, Germany, and Palestine to do research for their books. They had a close working relationship with their juvenile editor and were allowed to plan their own books entirely from making the dummy to choosing the format, layout, colors, and type. Their routine consisted of Maud writing the stories and doing the roughs; then Miska would finish, doing the color separations on acetate and all the tedious hand work.
The Petershams wrote and illustrated 60 books for children and illustrated 100 by other authors. When Miska died in 1960, Maud sold the Woodstock, New York, house in which they had lived and worked for forty years and moved to a smaller home in Woodstock. In addition to the 1946 Caldecott Medal for The Rooster Crows, the Petershams also received the 1942 Caldecott Honour Award in 1942 for "An American ABC".
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 23, 2017
I grew up with this book, and own a copy from 1958. It's a charming story of a little family moving to an enchanted wood, where the children meet all kinds of creatures and have the time of their lives exploring. The story serves as a reminder to appreciate simple pleasures.
April 19, 2025
I found it at an antique store and thought it was neat looking so I bought it read it. It was very cute. It is 67 years old.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews