I’ve raved for years about this cool illustration. Where is it from? Who drew it? I originally found it for sale on Etsy print but when I looked online there were similar illustrations from a long lost book. No one could tell me where or what. I asked European friends, Canadian friends, Google, Ai. I couldn’t find it. But I never forgot it.
Well now I know! The book is Woods Story from Elsa Ruth Nast from Fond du lac Wisconsin published in 1945. Her real name was Jane Werner Watson. and she became one of the best known authors behind The Little Golden Books series in the 50s. The pen name ElsaJane Nast was her mothers but she wrote a lot and used many pen names. She married the dean of Cal tech and settled in Santa Barbara.
Here is the book.
It was illustrated by an artist called “Masha” (Maria Simchow Stern) from Poland. Marie penned and illustrated the FIRST little golden book, The three little Kittens. She died in 1993 and a collection of her art and papers is at the University of Minnesota. I’m still looking up her obituary which was in the New York Times.
I ordered a copy of Wood Story just so I can see it in person. I love when mysterys get a good ending.
