Nature Notes and Eloise Wilkin...

 The "chicks" got out of the coop for the first time this week.
Remember, we have all white pearl leghorn girls this year?
All except one Black Cochin...

I think the Black Chochin may be a rooster.
He's got feathery legs so we call him/her Little Britches.

 It's a great, big world out there!

 Both girl cats had babies at the barn.  As you can see, one set of 5 is a couple weeks old, and the new set of five kittens was just born a couple days ago.  The cats are co-mothering.   I separated the bigs from the littles one night and the moms put them back together.  I hope the big kittens don't get all the milk. 

Have you ever read Eloise Wilkin's books?
They are the sweetest little stories with the dearest illustrations of children and families and nature.  I have my own small collection, and I love to give these books to my grandkids and as baby gifts.    I don't have any of Wilkin's kitten books, but I do have Baby Listens with this picture of a kitten.

 

 As I was mowing and trimming the yard, I spied this Cecropia moth in the grass.

This is the time of year when we see them.

 Look at the fat, red & white, striped body!  The grands call them candy cane moths.

Eloise Wilkin, my favorite children's author/illustrator, captured the Cecropia moth beautifully in her book,  Wonders of Nature. 

I've been watching a robin family who nested in my backyard tree and now the babies are out of the nest.  This little fella was in my garden, sitting still as could be.  I've seen several of them about the yard with their parents who are still feeding them.  Whenever I see a baby robin, I think of these two pictures that Eloise created.  The first illustration for Wonders of Nature and the second for  

My Little Golden Book About God.

Do you have a favorite children's author or illustrator who depicts children in nature? 

Do tell!