The Little House Guidebook

by William Anderson, Leslie A. Kelly (Photographer)

In her classic books, Laura Ingalls Wilder lovingly described the many little houses she and her family lived in as they traveled across the American frontier. Today, these houses have been preserved as sites and museums that thousands of fans visit every year. The Little House Guidebook contains detailed information on these sites, as well as guidance on where to eat and stay, and other places to explore in the surrounding areas. Special features included colored tabs on each chapter for easy reference, a room-by-room tour of Laura's Rocky Ridge Farmhouse, and a walking tour and street map of De Smet, Laura's little town on the prairie, as well as guidance on how to get to the sites, where to eat and stay, and other places to explore in the surrounding areas.

Lavishly illustrated throughout with beautiful full-color photographs of Laura's houses and memorabilia, and gently colorized versions of Garth Williams' original art from the Little House books, this guidebook is the perfect companion for anyone who wants to visit Laura's little houses or just read about them.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, History, Childrens, Biography, Reference

96 pages, Paperback

First published May 31, 1996

About the author

William Anderson is an American author, historian and lecturer. He is a specialist in the subject of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her times.

His interest in American frontier began after reading Little House on the Prairie. He is a director of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home and Museum in Mansfield, Missouri, and he lives and works as a teacher in Michigan.

Librarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Chantal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is more a travelbook then a picture book. For the first one it is perfect, but not what I was looking for. The book was also older and so I don't know if the information is still correct. However, it had information I didn't know about the life of Laura which is not in the TV series or other books.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of course I rated it 5 stars, I love all things Little House. This great contribution to the oeuvre by the Little House expert, William Anderson, is a literal guidebook to the key home sites of the Ingalls & Wilder families over their lifetimes. From Pepin, Wisconsin, to Rocky Ridge Farm in Missouri, and all the places in between, Anderson gives us directions to where we can find each site, a description of what is on the site, other important and relevant places of interest in each area, and addresses and contact information of where to stay and eat. The all-in-one guide to the perfect Little House road trip. Sure it was published several years ago so expect some changes regarding available hotels and restaurants. Regardless, it's a great starting point. It's full of beautiful pictures, and references to Laura Ingalls' stories.

[Cindy Dyson Eitelman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three stars is a little harsh for a travel guide that I've read through twice already and keep handy by my table in case I need to plan my trip tomorrow.

Sorry! It has lots of stuff to do and see, good pictures, directions to get everywhere and even some restaurant tips. I won't know how good those directions and tips are until I go, but I'll definitely give them a shot.

My only criticism is that the book could have been twice as long, with more museums and exhibits that maybe weren't Little House centric but still told the stories of the times. But then--if it had them--other people would have complained that he got off topic.

I'll switch back to four stars.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

One book I’ve poured over through the years is the Little House Guide Book by William Anderson. I’ve got a signed copy from the author from Little House Days at Heritage Hill in Green Bay. The book details all of the Wilder sites around the country with pictures, how to get there, what is good to see, and other area attractions. I especially liked this book as you knew what to expect at the sites. It was a great reference for our trip to Pepin and Walnut Grove.

This review was originally published in my blog post about our journey at: http://lauragerold.blogspot.com/2016/...

[Elizabeth Meadows · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very comprehensive guide to all of the Little House home sites. It's very easy to read and understand. The photography is outstanding! I actually have the 1996 edition which I'm sure is outdated, but I'm happy to see that there have been two updated editions since this one was published. The author even goes so far as to inform the reader of other things to do in the area of each home site and also gives information about the places to eat and stay nearby.

[Lauri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anything about Laura Ingalls Wilder by William Anderson is a must read. I saw a review that said more information about things non-Laura would be appreciated. These are very small towns where they haven't disappeared because of their connection to Laura. There's not much else there. Also this book is helpful because the options are limited.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book I read a while ago. Definitely a book I go back to often and reference when I am planning a trip near one of the Little House sites, as I make sure I have time in the trip to visit the sites or want to relive memories of a visit.

[Jodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am seriously thinking about taking my geekdom to an all new level and going to tour the Laura Ingalls Wilder homesites. I just find it fascinating and really want to take a road trip. This was a great and informative guidebook.

[Joelle Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really fun! Makes me want to do a roadtrip. I only gave it four stars because some of it will (or has already) go out of date pretty quickly. But the parts about the sites and where to visit, combined with the websites make it worth checking out!

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful book! Wonderful information, beautiful artwork, and fabulous photography. My only wish is that it would be updated so that the information is more accurate- some of the businesses mentioned have closed, and prices and hours have altered over the years as well.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must have if you want to go searching for the "Little Houses"

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a helpful travel guide to all the Little House sites, giving history, biographical snippets, as well as places to see and stay and eat along the way.

[Jenny Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is worth buying.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have long been a lover of any Little House related and regularly buy whatever I can get my hands on. This is the perfect addition to my collection and is ideal for those of us who plan on visiting the historical sites linked to where Laura and the Ingalls/Wilder families used to stay, or for those of us who think well maybe someday, or who don't have the time/money to spare traipsing around.

It's a lovely glossy book, full with colour photos of the sites, right from the Little House in the Big Woods (a reconstruction), to places where Almanzo and Rose used to stay. It does go into a lot of detail, about what has been reproduced, and what still exists from the Ingalls/Wilders time and what museums/memorials you can visit. It also lists how to get to these places (very useful if you're planning on taking a car around them all), where to stay and where to eat. I did mostly skim these latter parts, since I have no plans to visit any time soon, but these will be useful for those who are.

There are also some mentions/photos of where the family/familiar names from the books are buried, and the memorials, which appeals to the taphophile in me. All the photos are really good quality as well, which is a bonus and it is lovely for a flick through or to sit and read in a sitting. It will not take long either, as it is just under 100 pages long. It has also been written by William Anderson, who has had quite a hand in writing some biographies etc of Laura Ingalls Wilder, so you know that it has been well researched.

Definitely one to grab and add to your collection for all the Little House fans, whether you plan on visiting or just want to "visit" from the comfort of your home.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished a road trip hitting 7 of the 8 Laura Ingalls Wilder sites in the last week, and this book was super helpful. The author included enough details so that I didn't miss anything at the sites. Some of the reviews mentioned that some of the information (like hotels and restaurants) is outdated, but that's what the internet is for. :) It was really nice having the information all in one spot, and because of those sites are remote, the directions were also super important. There will have to be an updated edition at some point: Mansfield added a new museum/gift shop at a new site just down the road in 2016 and Independence is planning an expansion in the next couple of years.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely little book to plan a trip to Little House, and Ingalls-Wilder Family historic sites. It does have numerous photos of the historic, travel sites. I believe this is the latest edition, from 2007---so as others have said the info may be a bit out of date from 13 years ago.

[Tina Forry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been a fan of the Little House books since first grade. I grew up with the TV series as well. I enjoyed this book. Great photography. Very comprehensive. Hopefully one day I can take it along as I visit the actual sites.

[Cindy Norris · Rating 4 out of 5]

CLN

[Cheri Yecke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bill Anderson is the commnensurate story teller. His depth of knowledge regarding everything about Laura Ingalls Wilder shines through this book. Highly recommend.

[Traci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Far better than Little House Country, this has updated photos that actually make all of the places look like something you'd want to go see! My disappointment comes from the very stilted cleaned-up version of history that's presented when it comes to the Little House on the Prairie site, though, where it's explained that Pa didn't know that he was settling on Indian Territory (highly unlikely) and that eventually all of the unrest was settled when the Indians were given a "fair price" for the government for the land. (Yep--he actually uses the phrase "fair price.") It would have been nice to see a lot more balance in that little blurb.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fun reading this book after I visited most of the sites this summer. My only complaint is that, even though this is an updated version of the book published in the 1990s, it is woefully out of date (the problem with guidebooks). The prices are higher than the book lists and the tours weren't quite the same. What I think should be added to the book in the next update is how to get to the beach in Pepin to pick up pebbles. I'd love to know, too, if there is an idea at which point the Ingalls crossed the river.

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am wanting to do a road trip of most of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Homesites and this is definitely the resource you need to do that. It gives information on the homesites, which is great but it also gives information on how to get there, where to stay and where to eat. Some of these little towns don't have hotels and restaurants to the book tells you where the nearest places are as well. The pictures in the book are phenomenal as well.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It would be fun to follow the trail detailed is this little guide from homestead site to homestead site, maybe sit on the banks of Plum Creek. The facts - both historical and contemporary -- are out of date and somewhat backward in tone but the journey is nicely photgraphed.

[Hilary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, helpful information. Hopefully, we can plan a road trip in the near future to visit all the famous Laura Ingalls sites

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the best guidebooks for a little house trek

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I thought would be uninteresting has totally renewed my wish to some day make a trip to see all of the places Laura Ingalls Wilder lived. Loved it!