Like I wrote in my post “September as Writing Inspiration”, September, in my neck of the woods, means the county fair, one of my favorite community events. And no book captures the spirit of the American county fair like Ted Lewin’s Fair!

With extraordinarily detailed water colors, Mr. Lewin depicts the life of a county fair from the arrival of the amusement rides to the moment they pull away to head to the next town. His descriptions of the sites, sounds, and tastes will be familiar to anyone who has attended a fair. I especially like that Mr. Lewin devotes so many pages to the 4-H kids and their animals since I now have experience with that competition through my kids.

Mr. Lewin has illustrated hundreds of books and written many himself. Some of my other favorites are Stable, which relates the story of a stable that still gives lessons and provides horses and ponies for weddings and street fairs in New York City. Another wonderful book is Gorilla Walk. Mr. Lewin tells of his adventures with his wife, fellow illustrator Betsy Lewin, when they visit Uganda to see gorillas in the wild.

And if you want a unique reading experience, try Mr. Lewin’s autobiography I Was a Teenage Professional Wrestler. I guarantee it is the only autobiography of a wrestler turned children’s illustrator.

By the way, I am always looking for good mysteries and would love to find one set at the county fair. Has anyone ever read one?