Elsa Beskow was born February 11, 1874 in Maria Parish on the south side of Stockholm. Despite being accustomed to harsh winters, Elsa loved the summertime and primarily wrote about her favorite season in her books, saying, ”Why must there always be pictures of winter? It’s much more fun to see pictures of summer during the winter.”

Elsa’s own paradise was Skärfsta, a farm next to Lake Uttran in Sörmland where she spent her childhood summers with her parents, older brother and four younger sisters. Hailing from Norway with the family name of Maartman, her father Bernt was outgoing and full of good-natured pranks; he brought the laughter and fun to Elsa’s life, and she loved him dearly. When Elsa was 15, her father came down with pneumonia and died suddenly, leaving her mother alone with six children and no way to afford to care for them on her own. Elsa’s brother was sent to Eskilstuna to live with their uncle, and the five girls went with their mother to live with her three unmarried younger siblings who already lived collectively in Stockholm. Elsa grew up with her mother, two aunts and uncle, which is where the archetypes for Aunt Green, Aunt Brown, Aunt Lavender and Uncle Blue originated.

Elsa Beskow books published by Bonnier Carlsen:

The Tale of the Little, Little Old Woman (Sagan om den lilla lilla gumman) – 1897
Barnen på Solbacka – 1898
Peter in Blueberry Land (Puttes äventyr i blåbärsskogen) – 1901
Blommornas bok (text: Jeanna Oterdahl) – 1905
Gnällmåns – 1905
Ollie’s Ski Trip (Olles skidfärd) – 1907
Thumbelina, with text by H C Andersen (Tummelisa) – 1908
Children of the Forest (Tomtebobarnen) – 1910
Pelle’s New Suit (Pelles nya kläder) – 1912
The Flowers’ Festival (Blomsterfesten i täppan) – 1914
Sagobok – 1915
Görans bok – 1916
Aunt Green, Aunt Brown and Aunt Lavender (Tant Grön, Tant Brun och Tant Gredelin) – 1918
Muntergök, Sagobok – 1919
Christopher’s Harvest Time (Lasse-liten i trädgården) – 1920
Bubbelemuck och andra sagor, Sagobok – 1921
Lillebrors segelfärd – 1921
Borgmästar Munte – 1922
Sagan om den lilla hinden – 1924
Aunt Brown’s Birthday (Tant Bruns födelsedag) – 1925
Around the Year (Årets saga) – 1927
Peter and Lotta’s Adventure (Petters och Lotta på äventyr) – 1929
Hat-house (Hattstugan) – 1930
The Sun Egg (Solägget) – 1932
Landet Långthärifrån – 1932
Sagan om den nyfikna abborren – 1933
Sessalätts äventyr – 1934
Woody, Hazel and Little Pip (Ocke, Nutta och Pillerill) – 1939
Duktiga Annika – 1941
Uncle Blue’s New Boat (Farbror Blås nya båt) – 1942
ABC-resan – 1945
Peter and Lotta’s Christmas (Petters och Lottas jul) – 1947
Peter’s Old House (Herr Peter) – 1949
Röda bussen och gröna bilen – 1952