Elmer Hader Libri

More than 170 painstakingly restored color and pen-and-ink illustrations accompany unforgettable game songs, tales of boys and girls, and lullabies, including "Hickory, Dickory, Dock," "Hey, Diddle, Diddle," and dozens more.

This compilation of Caldecott winners unites three wonderful children's picture books, written and illustrated by a gifted husband-and-wife duo. The stories combine imaginative color drawings with enchanting storytelling, and all three focus on wildlife ecology, depicting memorable scenes from the natural world. The Big Snow takes place when the geese are headed south and the forest creatures put on their winter coats. When a blanket of snow covers the hills and valleys, the birds, squirrels, mice, and other animals gratefully gather the seeds, nuts, and other foods that the little old man and woman spread for them. Cock-a-Doodle-Doo traces a little chick's journey from a duck farm to the big red barn, where the rooster's cry draws him across the wide meadow and its many dangers, from crows and raccoons to a marauding fox. The Mighty Hunter is actually Little Brave Heart, who's reluctant to go to school ― until he encounters a prairie dog, wildcat, buffalo, and other animals that change his mind about the value of reading and writing.

The woodland animals were all getting ready for the winter. Geese flew south, rabbits and deer grew thick warm coats, and the raccoons and chipmunks lay down for a long winter nap. Come Christmastime, the wise owls were the first to see the rainbow around the moon. It was a sure sign that the big snow was on its way.