Author Fiesta

Life in Minature

This morning my 10 yr old came into the living room where I was typing. She wrapped herself tight in her green fluffy blanket, frantic morning hairdo peeking out of its folds. As she sat down at my feet she asked: "Mommy, did you ever look inside a dollhouse and wish you could shrink down and go inside of it?"

"Oh, honey, yes. Lots of times."

"Me too." Great big yawn patted back to sleep by a blanketed hand. "I would just love to live inside mine."

I know of no other believer, supporter, and patron of dollhouses than Tasha Tudor herself. There is even a book on Tasha Tudor's Dollhouse: A Life in Minature

To take a virtual tour of a replica of Tasha Tudor's dollhouse (which was originally just a collection of shelves in Tasha's real-life house) go to:

Lisa & the Tasha Tudor Dollhouse

Tasha Tudor Videos

These two video documentaries are a peek into the life and lifestyle of Tasha Tudor:

Take Peace - A Corgi Cottage Christmas with Tasha Tudor

Take Joy - The Magical World of Tasha Tudor

If you can't get access to the videos, you can catch a short glimpse in this video clip from Take Joy.

The Works of Tasha Tudor

Tasha's first story, Pumpkin Moonshine, was published in 1938. Subsequently she illustrated nearly one hundred books, the most recent was The Corgiville Christmas, in 2003.  She received many awards and honors, including  Caldecott Honors for Mother Goose and 1 is One and the Regina Medal in 1971 for her contribution to enriching children's literature.

Here is a bibliography of books written and illustrated by Tasha Tudor during her life. It doesn't include any after 1997. You will need to add The Corgiville Christmas.

As with previous authors you can start here with the Author Research Sheet:  Author Research Sheet  You can find out much about Tasha's life from this article: Lives That Changed Lives: Tasha Tudor.

Tasha's Schooling

Homeschooled? before homeschooling was cool?

"Though she is widely read and well educated, Tasha’s schooling was not of the usual sort. She didn’t begin school until she was seven years old and never finished past the eighth grade. Her early education was spent at a school taught by a man she called Uncle Henry. School was only from 9 until noon and the rest of her time was free. But as she grew older, she was sent to a nearby boarding school and given a more formal education. Tasha didn’t do well with formal schooling, and hated every minute of it. She was thankful that she only had to endure a few years until she was through with academics."

"While her children were young, her family learned to entertain themselves by reading aloud for hours from classical literature, going on long walks along the countryside, and developing various hobbies. Being homeschooled, they developed a wide range of skills which included carpentry, writing, sewing, and cooking. From an early age, they learned to help Tasha in running the household, which relieved some of the stress of living without modern conveniences. Her children also added to the family income by constructing marionettes, writing scripts, building scenery, and performing marionette shows with the help of their mother."

From Seeds of Knowledge

Remembering Tasha

Time Magazine article---June 2008

Lives that Changed Lives

Tasha Tudor: A Tribute by Gracious Hospitality

Farewell, Tasha Tudor by The Christmas Corgi blog (click this blog to see the Corgi puppies that Tasha Tudor so loved and painted in her many books)

Tasha Tudor at All Sorts

A Magical Afternoon with Tasha at One Book Two Book

A Simple, Yet Extraordinary Life Remembered by Vintage Style

Touring Tasha Tudor's Gardens in Real Life by Cathy Santarsiero

Farwell to Tasha Tudor by Blueberry Cottage

Farewell, Dear Tasha by Turkey Feathers

Stay tuned! We have some exciting plans to share with you this month!

And the author is...

The featured author for the August 2008 Author Fiesta study is:

Tasha Tudor

Congratualtions to Louise for guessing correctly. So many wonderful authors have been guessed. Eventually we'll get around to all of them, I hope. When considering an author for this month it really made sense to highlight the talents and life of Tasha Tudor.  Her death earlier this summer was a sad loss to the literary community and all those whose lives she has touched through her beautiful work and her lifestyle. So in tribute to her in this month of her birth, we celebrate her legacy in a bittersweet way.  We are so glad you are going to join us on this fiesta journey.

Visit the Tasha Tudor and Family website for a peek at the life and art we'll explore this month.