Annette Whipple’s “Companion” to the Laura Ingalls Wilder books offers a true side-by-side study of life in the Wisconsin woods, the Kansas prairie, the Minnesota creeks, and all the other settings of Wilder’s Little House stories. For example, in Chapter One of Little House in the Big Woods, Laura describes how Pa provides food for his family by hunting wild game and growing his own fruits and vegetables. In the Laura Ingalls Wilder Companion, Whipple compares the “Butchering Time” of the 1870’s to the modern methods of purchasing meat today. In addition, each chapter contains a “Live like Laura” section filled with recipes and crafts for children to make. A “House Talk” section also provides reflective questions relating to each of Wilder’s nine books. The Laura Ingalls Wilder Companion can be a perfect tool for supplemental study of the Little House books, and it can also serve as a resource for homeschooling parents to enjoy side by side with their little ones. Rich in resources and history, this book is a must-read for fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder.
