Episode 215 - A Forgotten Storyteller: Ellen Robena Field Smalley

We begin 2025 with the Ordinary Extraordinary, but nearly unknown story of Ellen Robena Field, a talented writer and educator whose contributions to children's literature have mostly been overlooked. Born in 1869 in Bangor, Maine, Ellen's writing talent emerged during her own school years. In 1894, she founded 'The West Side Kindergarten' and published her beloved book, 'Buttercup Gold and Other Stories'. Her gentle moral tales resonated with children and parents alike. Despite her literary gifts, Ellen's passing in 1957 made no mention of them or the impact they had on so many children. Jennie and Dianne end the episode with the reading of her story, ‘The Little New Year’, reminding us all that the best way to begin and continue the year is with love and kindness.