In the 1930s, the parents of six-year-old Leila sent her from their home in California to live with relatives in New Mexico hoping the drier climate would restore her health. Reluctant to leave her family she soon realized she had embarked on a grand adventure. She spent the next three years living with her aunt Julie and her uncle whom she called "Granddaddy."
The rest of the world knew Granddaddy as Ernest Thompson Seton noted author artist environmentalist and co-founder of the Boy Scouts of America. Throughout the years Leila lived with him he taught her about the wildlife in the area took her on exciting trips and shared both his reverence for all living things and his profound respect for Native American cultures. Granddaddy was also a masterful storyteller and excerpts of his stories-which remain as fresh and enchanting as ever more than 100 years after their publication- are adroitly woven into the memoir. This chapter book will appeal to children and adults alike.
Leila Moss Knox spent three years of her early childhood living in Seton Village with her aunt and uncle Julia Moss Seton and Ernest Thompson Seton. She lived in the San Francisco Bay Area after leaving Santa Fe at the age of eight. Upon her retirement from Stanford University she moved to Carmel California. She has always had fond memories of the years she spent in New Mexico and has frequently visited Santa Fe. Leila long desired to write a children's book about the time she spent in New Mexico and hopes her memoir will inspire children everywhere to read Seton's timeless and engaging stories.
"The author has written a delightful children's book that gives us a look at Ernest Thompson Seton in a way no researcher could. It provides a whole new perspective on Seton and delivers a true sense of what this important figure was like in the 1930s. Brilliant and flawless!"- David L Witt Curator and director of the Seton Legacy Project and author of Ernest Thompson Seton: The Life and Legacy of an Artist and Conservationist
"When I started reading The Storyteller I couldn't put it down. The enchanting memories recorded in its pages held me spellbound. There have been several very good biographies of Seton but none have captured the unique character of the man any better. When you add the reminiscences of the sights and sounds of 1930s New Mexico the result is a fascinating story vivid and easy to read. I highly recommend this book to anyone-young or old-who is interested in experiencing a previously uncaptured side of Ernest Thompson Seton."- Ron Edmonds, The Ernest Thompson Seton Pages, Blue Sky
"A lively memoir of the three years the author spent in Santa Fe New Mexico living with her famous uncle the writer artist and co-founder of the Boy Scouts of America Ernest Thompson Seton. Beautifully written it portrays the special relationship that developed between the seventy-year-old Seton and the six-year-old child. A fascinating read for children and adults alike."- Robin Taylor Seton Museum Librarian, Philmont Scout Ranch
