Tasha Tudor, Former Homeschool Mom

A 92-year-old former homeschool mom passed away last week.

You may have heard of her. Tasha Tudor was an award-winning illustrator of books who was known for her love of the past. For most of her lifetime, she lived as though it were the 1830s instead of the 20th and 21st centuries, shunning modern inventions for a lifestyle very similar to that of the Amish.

Long before it was fashionable, Tasha Tudor homeschooled her four children. She often sketched them as they played and used the illustrations in her work. One of her sons would eventually build her a house, by hand.

I have a lovely book of hers called Take Joy! The Tasha Tudor Christmas Book that is just wonderful. It’s full of Christmas stories, poems, music and recipes, but what makes it so special are the illustrations. They make the book so warm and homey.

Tasha Tudor’s lifestyle did not go unnoticed by members of the homeschooling community, some of whom admire and emulate a similar lifestyle of simplicity and the shunning of modern culture. A while back, Practical Homeschooling Magazine published an article about Tasha Tudor, written by a homeschool mom who once worked with her on a book.

You would probably recognize Tasha Tudor’s work in certain editions of old books that your children might have, including The Secret Garden (HarperClassics) and A Little Princess. You can learn more about her work at the site run by her family, Tasha Tudor and Family.