A is for Annabelle ~ Tasha Tudor

When I was a little girl, a dear aunt gave me the book A is for Annabelle by Tasha Tudor. This aunt was a school librarian who saw to it that the children in the family knew about and read the best and the award-winning books. She contributed to my love for books and also influenced my choice of career.

A is for Annabelle is, obviously, an alphabet book; but I was captivated by the rhymes in the text and the illustrations. Annabelle's wardrobe and many accessories fascinated me because they were from a bygone era and seemed so intricate and detailed. The book became a favorite and I can quote parts of the text to this day. I literally read it to pieces.

This book was the first of a personal collection of books written or illustrated by Tasha Tudor that is still growing on my bookshelves. Her themes often reflect a time when life was much less complicated and her illustrations have given fresh interpretation to favorite stories.

My work in the staff library of a children's medical facility lends added significance to this selection.

Photo by: Dwight Bennett, Ned Davis & Martine Horrell
HSC Libraries