Fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder and Little House on the Prairie

Hello all,

I hope life is treating you well. I wanted to share this with you since Laura Ingalls Wilder's books are such an influential part of children's literature. I spoke with Dean Butler last night. Dean played Almanzo Wilder on the classic TV show Little House on the Prairie from 1979 - 1983. Dean has stayed very committed to his Little House roots and provided much of the bonus content for the DVD boxed sets from Seasons 6 through 9 and the three movies that aired after the series ended.

Dean's latest project is the release of a documentary titled Almanzo Wilder: Life before Laura. This DVD that will be sold exclusively through the Wilder Homestead in Malone, NY covers the life of a young Almanzo before he met and married Laura Ingalls. Dean visited the Wilder Homestead several times with his crew to shoot scenes depicting Almanzo's early life and this DVD promises to be a great collector's item. Laura Ingalls Wilder biographer William Anderson also contributed to this documentary and some of Garth Williams's illustrations from Farmer Boy have been animated to provide a real look into Almanzo's childhood. Dean spoke highly of the talented actors who portrayed Almanzo and his family in the reenactments for this documentary and original music was composed that perfectly matches the time that Almanzo spent growing up on his father's farm.

Stay tuned to my blog Laura's Little Houses to read my interview with Dean and to learn more about Laura Ingalls Wilder, her books and the shows inspired by them.

All my best,

Cheryl