It's no secret that I have a love for all things Scandinavian. Total Scandifile here, and no apologies are going to be made for that. Love me some Scandinavian stuff be it IKEA candle holders or sleekly designed chairs or the Scandinavian knack for enjoying family and simple pleasures.
So, naturally, when I discovered author Elsa Beskow by chance a few months ago, my Scandifile radar started pinging. A children's book author who is Swedish and writes about adorable woodland creatures with an art deco illustration style? How on earth have I not known about you until now, Ms. Beskow?!
Elsa Beskow was and is a beloved Swedish author/illustrator who wrote over 40 books including the above, Children of the Forest, Peter in Blueberry Land, and more titles that I plan to acquire for my home library very soon. Her writing style focuses on paring the real world of kids with a fantasy world of magical forests and nature.
She was born in Sweden and lived in Stockholm from 1875 to 1953 raising six kids and creating many children's books and illustrations. An award for the top Swedish kid's author is given away every year in her honor.