Little Pear and the Rabbits

Little Pear and the Rabbits is the third in a series of stories about Little Pear, a mischievous little Chinese boy in old China in the early 1900s. The first in the series was Little Pear, followed by Little Pear and his Friends, this book, Little Pear and the Rabbits, and finally, More about Little Pear. Little Pear was immediately popular, and is often called a "modern children's classic." It is noted for its simple and direct writing style, and has been enjoyed by children in many countries. The author and illustrator Eleanor Frances Lattimore published 58 books altogether and was one of the 20th Century's leading writers of children's books. This book is longer than the first Little Pear and is written for a slightly older child. The author's style is simple and direct, much of the story consists of dialog, and the text is supported by almost 100 of the author's lovely illustrations.We hope you enjoy reading Little Pear and the Rabbits.

About the Author:

Eleanor Frances Lattimore was born in China where her father and mother had gone to teach English at a Chinese government university. The Lattimore family returned to the United States in 1920. Eleanor studied art in Oakland, California, for a year before joining her parents in Hanover, New Hampshire, where her father was teaching at Dartmouth College. Eleanor studied art in New York City and Boston and worked for several years in New York City as a freelance artist, designing greeting cards and Christmas cards and illustrating books for children. One day Eleanor went to see a children's book editor to see if she had any work for her to do. The editor, Elizabeth Bevier, especially liked Eleanor's drawings of little Chinese children. "It's too bad we don't have a book about a little Chinese child," said Miss Bevier, "because if we did I'd want you to make the illustrations for it." Eleanor took this as an invitation for her to write a book! So she went back to her apartment and wrote a book about a mischievous little Chinese boy named "Little Pear." Little Pear was published in 1931 and it is still in print, 84 years later. Eleanor published 57 books between 1931 and 1978. There were three more books about Little Pear: Little Pear and his Friends (1934), Little Pear and the Rabbits (1956) and More About Little Pear (1971). Most of Eleanor's books are written for children in second and third grade. They are written simply and directly and are about things that happen in everyday life: falling in the water, losing a key and getting it back, getting to know a cousin from another part of the country, and so on. Many of Eleanor's books, such as the stories about Little Pear, are set in China where she grew up. Eleanor Frances Lattimore married Robert Armstrong Andrews in 1934 and they had two sons, Peter (1936) and Michael (1938). Many of her books are loosely based on the adventures of her children and grandchildren. Others are set in places where she lived.