In a People House

In a People House by Theo LeSieg
Illustrated by Roy McKie
Random House, 1972

Even in this remarkably simplistic book, Dr. Seuss uses rhyme and rhythm to capture the attention of his young readers as mouse gives bird a tour of the "people house."

"These are doughnuts. Here's a door. Come along, I'll show you more...."

One of my favorites is a page with baked beans, bureau drawers and books, and mini me crossed OUT the word bureau and wrote "dresser" because I was apparently concerned someone might not understand that word since it wasn't the one --I-- used in describing that bit of furniture. I love my young editorial marks in books, they really crack me up!

R is for Remarkably Cute.

Richard Scarry's Chipmunk's ABC by Roberta Miller
Illustrated by Richard Scarry, Western Publishing Company, 1963

I love Lowly Worm and the rest of the Richard Scarry gang, but I think my heart will never be the same after looking through these darling pictures. His work is softer and more tender in this ABC book from 1963. I love the head bandage, the picture of cheese on the wall, the way the mouse's records are strewn about, and how his pal chipmunk is saying hello from the window, because "Mouse has Mumps!"


My cover is the white one, and the woodsy one seems to be an earlier copyright. I just couldn't scan all the pictures in, but I ADORE the one with Froggie playing the oboe and Donkey drinking from an orange up. Something about these animals in bibbed overalls, in life jackets on the lake, carrying tea kettles and getting phone calls just makes my heart pang.



Here is a comparison between the pages of a 1963 and a 1991 version of Richard Scarry's The Best Word Book Ever. Very interesting stuff. Scarry wrote and/or illustrated over 300 books.

A Picnic Hurrah!

A Picnic Hurrah! by Franz Brandenberg
Illustrated by Aliki, Random House, 1978

This book probably counts as a beginning reader but it's not labeled as such and for me, it was just a great story. Writing letters was a very big thing for me when I was a kid and so I'm sure the idea of sending out invitations and watching the mail for responses was something that resonated. I also love the imaginative way that Elizabeth and Edward handle their picnic plans that were spoiled by the rain. Their father suggests an indoor picnic, and I can only imagine mini me loved the idea of doing things differently, an INDOOR picnic? How absurd! They don't let it stop their fun and they find ways to still do all the things they wanted to do outside.



Here's a sweet Harper Collins link to How a Book is Made featuring Aliki.

Aliki, or Aliki Brandenberg, was born 1929, in Wildwood Crest, NJ; Education: Graduated from Philadelphia Museum School of Art (now Philadelphia College of Art), 1951. Hobbies and other interests: Macrame, weaving, music, baking, traveling, reading, gardening, theater, films, museums. Muralist and commercial artist in Philadelphia, PA, and New York, NY, 1951-56, and in Zurich, Switzerland, 1957-60; commercial artist, writer, and illustrator of children's books in New York, NY, 1960-77, and London, England, 1977—. Has also taught art and ceramics. She was also married to the author of this book! Hurrah!

Choose Your Own Adventure

Deadwood City by Edward Packard

Illustrated by Paul Granger
Bantam Books, 1978

You are the star of the story! Choose from 37 possible endings! I do find it somewhat annoying to read a book in "second person" or whatever this point of view is actually called. I do like that the main character shown in the pictures is a cowgirl, a gun-toting girl.

Edward Packard, practicing lawyer and the author of this book, conceived of the idea for the Choose Your Own Adventure series in the course of telling bedtime stories to his children. This title is just one I picked up at a thrift store, but I remember reading these as a kid. I scanned the list of titles for a familiar one but nothing is triggering a memory. Here are a few of the wonderful adventures YOU could go on:

The Cave of Time
Journey Under the Sea
By Balloon to the Sahara
The Third Planet for Altair
The Mystery of Chimney Rock
The Lost Jewels of Naboo

Hippity Hoppity!

Man, I love that outfit. I totally remember it too. Apparently I had a strong connection to my clothes even then. I sort of wish my mom had done something different with my hair. It looks like me and my bro have the same 'do. Nice.

I may be wrong, but I think this is 1979.

A Knight Like No Other

Hilary Knight, Random House, 1978, w/new illustrations in 2001

Hilary Knight's fantastic style fits right in with the magic and wonder of the Cinderella tale. His cinder-sitting girl seems even more lovely and delicate and pure than the famous Disney face we've all grown to love. Knight, famous for his work on the Eloise books with Kay Thompson, has illustrated fifty books for children. The message from Hilary Knight recognizes his mother as the inspiration for the styling of this famous story. I love love love it, so thank you Katharine Sturges Knight for your fine inspiration. A few favorite elements: The woodsy font on the title page, the chubby freckly prince who seems so happy, the mousey little blue fairy godmother who truly does seem like a tiny sprite of a fairy, and the recipe for her party garb:

""Now, Cinderella," ordered the fairy, "fetch me the following":
Guinea-fowl feathers and bottles of blue,
Mothwings and cobwebs sprinkled with dew!
I'll mix them with berries and sassafras,
And dress you in gossamer with slippers of glass!"

Modern Monday-- The Seven Silly Eaters

Seven Silly Eaters by Mary Ann Hoberman
Illustrated by Marla Frazee
Voyager Books-Harcourt, 1997

Each of Mr. and Mrs. Peters SEVEN children is fixated on one particular food in this charming story told in rhyme, written by Mary Ann Hoberman, our current children's poet laureate! I love the way it unfolds and how the busy kid-filled illustrations hold details about their lives: Mom plays cello, they live in a home on lake, mom looks sporty, love dad's beard. Frazee does a great job capturing the spirit of the story in her illustrations -- someone is always reading, the laundry is always in progress, their are cats and dogs all over, chaos abounds but in a good and loving, happy sort of way.

Now time went by as time will do;
And as it passed, the children grew.
The problem was that as they grew,
Their appetites kept growing, too!
But not their choice of what to eat:
Each child continued to repeat
They wanted what they'd had before--
The trouble was
they wanted more!

Finally both mom AND the house are a wreck and the children decide to surprise HER for a change on her birthday by making all their favorite foods. A great for picky eaters and parents alike!

Illustrated Classics Edition

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
adapted by Mitsu Yamamoto, Illustrations by Pablo Marcos Studio
Moby Books - I. Walman & Son, Inc, 1979

The back of the book reads:
"After fourteen years in a dungeon, Edmond Dantes escapes by taking a dead man's place. Because Dantes is starting life over as a penniless sailor, his pursuit of vengeance will only be poosible if a huge treasure, revealed to him by a babbling, dying prisonmate, actually exists on the Island of Monte Cristo. Follow Edmond Dantes as he discovers the long-lost treasure and becomes wealthy, powerful and hard-hearted Count of Monte Cristo, whose one aim in life is revenge on the three men responsible for his imprisonment."

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain
Adapted by Lucia Monfried, cover illustration by Al Leiner
Moby Books- I. Waldman & Son, 1977

This is the book I remember owning. I was never a fan of these books simply because they weren't the "originals." I considered them inferior because they were adapted or edited or abridged books. I also had a copy of The Wizard of Oz among other books and was always fascinated by the bits and pieces of the novel version that were so far away from the film version. Yet, to this day I've not read any of the Frank L. Baum versions though I've always meant to. They look so intriguing, book after fantastical book, all lined up on the shelves at the library or the bookstore.

The back of this book reads:
"Knocked on the head in the nineteeth century, Hank Morgan wakes to find himself in King Arthur's England! The Connecticut Yankee uses all his scientific knowledge to become the King's chief minister, outwits the master magician, Merlin, and finally wins the kingdogm. But can he ever get back to Connecticut? Or is it all a dream?"

I enjoy time travel books and films (reminds me a wee bit of Kate and Leopold) and this makes me think of the recent essay I heard Chuck Klosterman read at the UND Writers Conference. What fun!

This book doesn't mention an illustrator but all three books have the same cover designer -- Al Leiner.


The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
Adapted by Mitsu Yamamoto, Illustrated by Brendan Lynch
Moby Books - Waldman Publishing Group, 1983


The back of the book reads:
"Henry Jekyll, though a respected medical doctor, is shunned by his friends and associates because of his incredible belief that man is not truly one person, but two! Determined to prove his belief and to separate one man into two personalities and two bodies, Jekyll concocts a drug and tests it on himself. After that his life changes, bringing him into contact with the evil Mr. Hyde. Everyone but Jekyll despises the slimy Hyde as soon as he shows his repulsive self, but the doctor befriends him and even makes him his heir. What is the mysterious hold that the murderous Hyde has over Dr. Jekyll? Can it be broken--or will Jekyll become Hyde's next victim?

Is it just me or do the backs of these books tell a teensy bit too much? I really am a purist when it comes to not having TOO much knowledge going in to a book. I prefer the blank slate or the barest bit of an idea of the plot. Oh well. I guess many people know the basic premise of each of these stories. Though a "young reader" about to read one of these books for the first time may not. Of course, they may be pared down so much that one needs this extra bit of info. Who knows? At any rate, it was fun to revisit these blasts from the past. Here's a listing of some of the other titles in the series.

Bambi Grows Up

Walt Disney Productions, Random House, 1979

This book takes us from newborn fawn to young stag in the life of Bambi, the young prince. We meet his best pal, Thumper and we encounter a skunk called Flower. His mother explains how to behave when hunters are near and tells him about his father. We also meet Faline, his love interest and watch as Bambi challenges Ronno, a strange deer, for Faline. He's all grown up and his father "The Great Prince of the Forest" is proud.

In a small way this is a precurser to The Lion King without all the Hamlet. I adore the artwork in this book. I realize it's just "Disney," but that doesn't change the appeal for me... Nearly every picture is one I'd like to frame.

Weeny Witch by Ida DeLage

Weeny Witch by Ida DeLage Illustrations by Kelly Oechsli
Xerox Education Publications, 1968

I simply adored this book as a child. I think the pictures have a lot to do with it, but the story is pretty wonderful too. It's about the witches plot to keep the night dark by capturing the night fairies who light the sky with their wands. Their plan is to gather spider's webs and capture the fairies by dawn. The main character is a tiny misfit witch who can't seem to do anything "right"... she's late for the witches meeting, she's afraid of spiders, she likes the night bright with stars. Instead of searching for webs for the net, she plays zooming around with her broom until a great horned owl decides to make her his meal and she and her broomstick are knocked from the sky. Unable to fly with a broken broomstick, Weeny set off on foot toward the Witches Hollow.

This turn of events works in the favor of both Weeny and the night fairies whom she rescues by sweeping away the sticky silken net holding them captive. They take her with them when they fly to freedom to protect her from the witches' rage, but there is a surprise in store for Weeny.

Play it Again, Charlie Brown.

Charles Schulz, World Publishing Company, 1971

Dear sweet serious Schroeder. I love his dedication to the craft of composing. I love his devotion to Beethoven. And Lucy, forever fighting a losing battle for his affection. She's willing to try anything...

"Beethoven now comes in spray cans."

I'm not even sure what that means! In this story she volunteers Schroeder to do a concert for the PTA at the suggestion of Peppermint Patty. After he agrees and actually thanks Lucy, she finds out that it's meant to be a rock concert and Beethoven will not be welcome there. He refuses to play with a "combo" and feels it would be selling out.

When Lucy fails to produce an act for the PTA performance she is apologetic to Peppermint Patty and suddenly has an idea...

"PTA programs also come in spray cans."

Seriously. What the heck? This must be some bit of 1970s Peanuts humor I am just not getting.

In ND, the Weather is Important.

Harry Devlin, Parents Magazine Press, 1975

Harry Devlin of the Cranberry Port books writes a book about weather. This is a timely tale considering today is a snow day and the flood waters are rising. Devlin's tales focus on thunder and lightning, but I am guessing there are tales for these other phenomena too.

An excerpt from Devlin's foreword:

"A wild crashing thunderstorm is awesome to us all. But to a child the explosive fury of lightning, followed by thunder's sonorous booms can be a terrifying experience.

By the time we reach adulthood, most of us vaguely understand the causes of electrical storms. We have respect for, but little fear of, the phenomena.

Whether thunder and lightning will frighten or delight a child, however, depends on how that child relates imaginatively to storms. And this, no doubt, explains the folklore collected in this book..."

He goes on to explain how the the 15 tales in the book were collected largely through personal encounters with people from many cultures and bits of those cultures were reflected in the tales. Devlin marvels over how often people from different cultures, separated by many miles often told very similar stories.

The book identifies the cultures and includes a Devlin illustration for each of the 15 tales. The first illustration I included was from the Mayan tale called "The Giant Who Smoked Cigars" which identified lightning as the sparks that flew as one of the gods striking a great piece of flint to light his cigar and the loud noise it made was the first thunder and I suppose the black clouds would be the cigar smoke. Some of the other cultures represented include German, Polish, Nigerian, Peruvian, Irish, Czech and more.

When I was young I believed thunder was "God rearranging the furniture in heaven" which more or less matches the tale from Trinidad below. (click on each image to read the text or see a bigger pic)






I happen to love Norse myth so I included this story here too.

Ode to Spring.

Pussy Willow by Margaret Wise Brown
Leonard Weisegard, illustrator, Western Publishing, 1951

Mud puddles, chirping birds, the crocus, buds on trees, and the pussy willow are all happy signs of spring. Oh, and the opening of Dairy Queen. :) I decided to post on this Little Golden Book in celebration of spring's arrival, though it seems to be in fits and starts.

Weisgard's illustrations in this book stand out to me in part because of the page layouts. I find it intriguing how the entire page is an illustration and then the text is written on solid colored squares that almost look like they were pasted on by some amateur scrapbooker. Yet, I like it. This little kitty seems too sweet for words, not like those mind-reading-spooky-little-buggers.

Modern Monday--The Library by Sarah Stewart

The Library by Sarah Stewart
David Small, illustrator, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1995

In my quest to reign in my own overindulgence in books, I was reminded of this gem of a book by Sarah Stewart.

The Library is written in rhyming verse telling the story of Elizabeth Brown from infancy to old age. She is never without a book. In one illustration, we can see other young people hand in hand outside the window and we see Elizabeth's feet propped on the sill as she reclines in the chair wrapped up in a good book.

The problem, however, is clear. Her books are taking over and so her solution is to donate her house and her books to the city to be used as a library and she moves in with a friend. I'm not quite at that stage yet!

David Small's watercolor and ink illustrations offer touches of humor throughout the book. Note the sweet image of baby Elizabeth falling to Earth.