Since 1926, Pelican Publishing Company has been committed to publishing books of quality and permanence that enrich the lives of those who read them.
Iowa
This unforgettable collection of vintage postcards, engravings, and entertaining lore celebrate the many ways of commemorating the Christmas holiday. More than one hundred fifty colorful illustrations, dating from the Victorian age through the early twentieth century, portray Christmas traditions of years gone by. Nostalgic images of angels, happy children, and Santa Claus are only some of the treasures selected from the more than thirteen hundred items in the author’s personal collection of classic Christmas books and ephemera.
Built in 1877, Bob Artley’s family farm in Hampton, Iowa, was without indoor plumbing and was heated by a wood- and coal-burning stove. The prevailing atmosphere was love and security, especially during the holiday season. It created a magical childhood that Artley wishes every child could have had the opportunity to experience. This sharing of his memories is an endeavor to make that wish come true. Hardcover.
This unforgettable collection of nostalgic images and entertaining lore celebrates the many ways of commemorating the birth of the Christ child. More than two hundred colorful illustrations, dating from the Victorian age through the early-twentieth century, portray Christmas traditions of years gone by. Nostalgic images of angels, St. Lucia, Yule logs, and wassailing are only some of the treasures selected from the more than thirteen hundred items in the author’s own collection of vintage Christmas books and ephemera.
It’s Christmas Eve, and Cody’s family has all gathered for their traditional Christmas party—all except Grandpa, who is sitting quietly in his room, looking out his window at the cloudy sky. Grandpa tells Cody about his time in Vietnam and the Christmas Eve when a bright star appeared through the clouds, giving the soldiers hope.
Grady is a 1,200-pound Hereford cow that gets herself mysteriously stuck in a silo. No one can figure out how to free her until a heroic reporter from Denver solves the problem. Grady’s in the Silo is a charming story about patience and perseverance. Hardcover.
“How Iowa Cooks is a 266-page book full of the best of the heartland. . . . The breadbasket of America is amply represented in the more than 600 recipes, from all over the state.” Spiral.
Winston Churchill once said: “I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down. Pigs treat us as equals.” This may be one reason for many people’s fascination with pigs, but a more likely reason might be the long history of nearness to them. In America, less than a century ago, there were family farms where people raised, among other things, livestock for market and for the family’s consumption. Nearly all of these family farms raised a litter or two of pigs. When pigs live near, they are always in the imagination. Natural escape artists, smart and quick-witted, full of personality, pigs invite comparisons to humans. Hardcover.
In the farm home of America’s past, the hearth of the home—the kitchen—represented the warmth and well-being of the family that met daily to enjoy hearty, homemade food and converse with pleasure. Award-winning artist Bob Artley evokes this ideal in this beautiful homage to the traditional Midwestern farm kitchen. Filled with heirloom family recipes and cozy memories and accompanied by Artley’s signature pen-and-ink drawings and full-color illustrations, this memoir provides a nostalgic and affectionate look at rural life, family, and food from a simpler time.
The magic of Mother Goose comes to life in this collection of lore, illustrations, ads, and postcards from the late 1800s to the 1930s. Each chapter explores the history of Mother Goose from the first publications of her now-famous nursery rhymes to early postcards that became collectibles in the early 1900s.
Featured in the UMBA Holiday Catalog
From the butchering of the pigs in springtime to the plowing of the corn in the summer, Bob Artley describes the sometimes tedious, sometimes enjoyable, aspects of growing up on an American farm. Artley’s farm is neither ideal nor outmoded, but simply his world as it was in a particular time and place. Hardcover.
While Vern Berry was moving with her husband and family to Colorado in 1927, she thought of her ancestors on their pioneer journey from Kentucky to settle in the Heartland—Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa. The image of each woman doing her best to keep her family well fed and healthy in a pleasant home inspired her. Many years later, Vern, with the help of coauthor Connie Heckert, has compiled a wonderful collection of family recipes and history, the story of how those six generations lived and cooked in the Midwest. Hardcover.
Upon hearing the word “steamboat,” many people conjure up images of Mark Twain riding down the Mighty Mississippi dreaming up adventures for Tom, Huck, and Jim. Such adventures capture the imaginations of children everywhere. Steamboats on the River Coloring Book will appeal to this sense of adventure in children, while also appealing to their artistic side as a coloring book full of detailed illustrations.