.: Two rooms covered floor to ceiling in vintage books. An antique doll house at its center provides a focal point for the children's section. It felt as if we had stepped into a scene from a movie...
We enjoyed a visit to an incredible vintage book barn this weekend. As you step inside the doors of this vast place you feel as if you have stepped onto a movie set.
The barn is so vast that the owner had to turn on lights to progressively illuminate each additional room as we entered it. The walls were literally held together with gorgeous old titles. I could feel the wisdom in this place surround me at every turn. I could not help but feel inspired. What incredible worlds books can take us to! We tell our children they can go anywhere they wish and experience great adventure through immersing themselves in a book. Its instant time travel!
The creaky wide plank floors are covered with stacks of books. Subject headings attach themselves to entire magical rooms and alcoves that hold knowledge wrapped in every binding. Many contain gorgeous art plates with colors to dazzle eyes and imaginations. We set out in search of the children's book room. I love adding to the small vintage children's book collection in our home--and this is the perfect place to do so. I appreciate the gentle language of these children's books. The intricate aesthetic beauty of the illustrations in these primers seems so removed from many books of today. I find a focus on home and family life, as well as appreciation of nature in many of the books we have found over the years and again on this day. 
After immersing ourselves in the children's book room, the nature room is our next destination. I discover local wild flower guides, foraging guides, Golden Guides, and antiquarian Audubon books with their gorgeous illustrations of mushrooms, berries, flowers and birds.
At home, I set out baskets of nature guides that my children enjoy looking through during quiet times of the day. They seem to learn so much in this way. By pouring page by page through beautiful pictures, they are often inspired to ask us questions that we can research together as a family.
I thought you may enjoy these sweet illustrations as much as I do! Here are a few from one of the children's books we brought home. Learning to read from this primer will certainly be enhanced by the beauty throughout its pages and the sweetness in its stories. "What have I for Baby dear?
What have I? Oh, see!
A cake, a cake,
A birthday cake,
With candles, one, two, three!"
"Mew, mew, mew!
I am a white kitten.
I run and jump.
I jump and run.
I run away.
Whose kitten am I?
Guess, guess!"
My Little Garden
I have a little garden,
And every sumer day
I dig it well,
I rake it well,
And pull the weeds away.
