Helen Sewell

Helen Moore Sewell, the original illustrator of the "Little House" books, was born in 1896 at Mare Island Navy Yard, California. Her family moved to Guam shortly afterward, where Helen grew up.

Sewell wrote and illustrated a timeless picture book of farm animals for children entitled Blue Barns. In addition to illustrating the Wilder books, some of which were co-illustrated by Mildred Boyle, Sewell illustrated books by Elizabeth Coatsworth, Eleanor Farjeon, Frances Clarke Sayers, and many others.

The Sewell-illustrated editions of the "Little House" books went out of print in 1953, when Harper & Brothers (now HarperCollins Publishers) released the uniform edition of the books illustrated by Garth Williams.

Helen Sewell died in 1957 at the age of 61.