Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Walt Disney Productions, 1973

While this book club edition of Snow White is meant to be the official Disney character rendering I feel the images to be close but not quite. I actually really LOVE the way they look in this version. The opening illustration is depicted above but the other half of the scene is missing (sorry). I like the muted colors and dreamy quality present in the scenery. The evil queen is deliciously evil looking and the expressions on Snow White's face in the various pictures is probably my favorite part. For example, I love the look on her face as she and the little animals are busy doing the dishes.

We all know this version of the story and it took years before I discovered that in other versions Snow was visited multiple times by the Queen who offered her a corset and a poisoned comb as well. You think you'd learn by the third visit... Oh well.

One aspect of this Wonderful World of Disney series I love is the end pages. I should scan them every time I blog about one of these books, because they all make me so happy. This book features each of the seven dwarfs with their names beside them.

Prayers for Children

Eloise Wilkin, illustrator, Western Publishing, 1952

This Little Golden Book was never that exciting of a book for us as kids because it was a collection of prayers rather than a story, but the artwork always drew me in. It reminds me of one of my favorites which I am determined to recover that focused on the seasons.

The doxology was something that we sang every week at church after the offering plate was collected and brought forward and I learned the Lord's Prayer with "temptations" rather than "debtors" though at the Presbyterian church they said debtors... my mom was determined to teach us the "right" way as she learned it in her Lutheran church.

I love that this book includes a prayer from Coleridge.

My version of the bedtime prayer ended with "If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take." Pretty morbid stuff now that I think about it.

An Early Teaching Experience

Bill and the Fish by Dorothy Z. Seymour
Tony Tallarico, illustrator,Wonder Books, 1965

The cover of the book proclaims it has a 26 word vocabulary and let me tell you it does and it's not "gripping" stuff. Why I like this book is because on the pages one can see where I wrote phonetically how to say the various words in an effort to show my brother how to read. I was probably learning phonics in school and my brother was probably 3 or 4 and expressing an interest.

There is something so sweet and simple about seeing the word "said" sounded out phonetically as "sed." as if the "e" meant more to Jason than the "ai" would have. The book has scribbles everywhere and the story is only so-so, but the memory is alive and special to me, so this book remains a treasure.

The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde

The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde

Lisbeth Zwserger, illustrator Scholastic Inc, 1991

When I was a wee one in kindergarten class I remember our "nap time" ritual which involved fetching our rugs from the hooks where they hung in the entry way outside the classroom. Then we'd each find a place around the classroom and after the lights were dimmed we'd settle down for a little nap. I have no idea how long this lasted. 15 minutes? 30? Did anyone actually sleep? Or was this just a time for a "rest." I do remember that sometimes we were awakened by Mrs. James's white fluffly tickle feather. She'd move around the room and touch each student with the special feather and that was when you knew it was time to get up. During our rest times we sometimes listened to stories on tape or record, I guess. The one that I remember best was the story of The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde.

For many years I didn't know the name of the story, nor had I ever seen a copy of the book. At some point I discovered many of these tales by Wilde -- The Happy Prince, The Star Child, The Selfish Giant among others. Essentially these are fairy tales but more modern than some of their counterparts. I simply loved this story about a selfish giant who comes to see the error of his ways. I remember the idea of winter never leaving because of his selfishness. What I don't recall was the Christ child at the end of the story and I wonder if maybe our little record left that sad bit out.

Lisbeth Zwerger is an award-winning,l Viennese illustrator whose work is perfectly suited to the fairy tale. She has a sort of wispy, demure, soft colored look about her watercolor images. I have many books illustrated by her.

Modern Monday -- Re-Zoom.

Istvan Banyai, Viking, 1995

Re-Zoom, a wordless picture book featuring artwork by the author/illustrator Istvan Banyai, is profound in the way it plays with perception and expectation. It opens with an extreme close-up of this image, then on page two we can see it's a rendering of an archer with an arrow ready to fly.

Page three reveals this image is not on some ancient cave wall, but on the wrist watch of a boy, though it takes two more pages before we know that for sure. The story is a series of images that zoom in and zoom out revealing you don't always know "where" you are with each image. What might seem like a house on a lake, will soon reveal it's a design on a lady's fan and so on. This book is a sequel to Zoom, which is also delicious and fun in the same way (Click here for a sample of images from that book). I just happen to prefer Re-Zoom. Istvan Banyai is a Hungarian born illustrator, designer, artist, and children's book author. His latest book is one called The Other Side (I think this also qualifies as a "Monday Must Have" for me.

When You Wish Upon a Star...

Find the Constellations by H. A. Rey
Houghton Mifflin Company, 1954
updated by Chris Dolan in 1977

Rey's book on the night sky is not only charming, but informative. Though in places it seems rather technical Rey's friendly drawings (like the one above) make the text approachable. This is an excellent resource for young and old who crave an understanding of the stars and constellations. In the intro, Rey explains that his book will show readers how to recognize the stars and constellations that one can see year round in the middle and northern United States (about lat. 40 degrees). Because, of course, the night sky looks rather different if you are in Perth, Australia.

Rey uses the term "picture book in the sky" to describe how the constellations form images that readers will soon recognize. He begins with the Big Dipper and then shows how that constellation is part of The Great Bear. These are only two of the many constellations Rey identifies--more than 15 in the book. Early on in the book he shows how some stars are brighter than others and his maps depict that. He also teaches about the planets and other scientific concepts like light years.
Included are several panels of the night sky first with stars in their positions for that time of year and then a second image with the constellations mapped out for easy reference. He provides viewing charts and a handy list of tips for star-gazing outdoors. My edition of the book has an updated planet finder showing locations through 2006, though I suspect as long as this is in print there may be a more current chart.

The book is interactive providing opportunities to quiz oneself on the constellation identification. Rey also includes the mythological stories of some of the constellations which I believe really helps me connect the image in the sky to something I can remember. One example is The Andromeda Story; another is the Orion story.

As for me, I'll always remember Cassiopeia because of a John Cusack film -- Serendipity. In the film, Cusack points out to Kate Beckinsale that the freckles on her arm match the famous constellation and he describes it for her.

One, Ah, Ah... One Blog Post...

The Sesame Street 1,2,3 Storybook
written by Emily Perl Kingsley, Jeffrey Moss,
Norman Stiles, and Daniel Wilcox
pictures by Joseph Mathieu, Kelly Oechsli,
Mel Crawford, and Bob Taylor
Random House, Children's Television Workshop, 1973

I love the look of fear in that poor octopus's face. I suppose I might be a bit leery if an overeager vampire was heading my way, counting my arms and laughing, ah, ah, ahhhhh.

This particular Sesame Street book features some of the characters who aren't always center stage in these collections: Sherlock Hemlock, Snuffle-upagus, and Sam the robot. Of course many of our favorites show up too: Grover, Bert and Ernie, Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch. And there's no way we could have a book about numbers without the Count. Unthinkable!

Many of the illustrations in the book are in panels and use thought bubbles, but there is some variety in style from story to story. Several of the tales are parodies of other stories or fairy tales:"Goldie-Snuffle and the Seven Bears," "The Story of the Nine Dragons." Others just have fun with allusions: Sherlock Hemlock in "The Mysterious Stranger" and "King Hungry the Eighth."

The Shy Stegosaurus of Cricket Creek

by Evelyn Sibley Lampman, illustrated by Hubert Buel
Scholastic Book Services, 1955

It's been awhile since I read this one, but I remember it from my elementary school library. Maybe this explains why the stegosaurus has always been my favorite dinosaur.

from Amazon:

Suppose you were hunting around in the desert for a fossil and instead you found a real (and very large) dinosaur, genus Stegosaurus. Joan and Joey Brown did! Only nobody would believe they had found one, which was just as well because George (as they called him) was very shy.

He was a loyal friend, though, and he did his best to help the twins with their schemes to make money to finance their mother's dry little ranch on Cricket Creek. George ate sagebrush, looked for fossils, and fought an airplane (which he thought was a Pteranodon) with faithful enthusiasm, but his nut-sized brain often made him more hindrance than help. Especially when he went after the bank robber!

Mrs. Lampman has told her hilarious story so convincingly that you'll be looking for dinosaurs around every mesa. And who knows? Maybe you'll find one!

Mmmm... Jam.

John Vernon Lord, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1972

This book will forever remind me of Dr. Turner's office. He was our local dentist. I remember sitting in the waiting room for checkups and reading this book. When the town of Itching Down becomes infested with wasps Mayor Muddlenut calls a town meeting to brainstorm a way to deal with this intolerable nuisance.

Then Bap the Baker leaped to his feet
and cried, "What do wasps like best to eat?
Strawberry Jam! Now wait a minute!
If we made a giant sandwich we could trap them in it!"

The entire story is written in rhyming couplets which add to the spirit of this playful tale. The illustrations have that late 60s, early 70s style I love so well. Freaky food stories always make good children's books. This one reminds me a little of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett

Liza Lou and the Yeller Belly Swamp

Mercer Mayer, Random House, 1976

This story seems like it's one part Epossumondas, one part Little Red Riding Hood, and one part Paper Bag Princess. Mama is always sending Liza Lou on errands like Epossumondas, but Liza is better at getting the job done. Like Little Red, Liza must face adversaries on her errand. And like the Paper Bag Princess, Liza Lou is whip smart and knows how to handle herself in a tight spot.

Liza Lou is sent on several errands by her mother who always urges her not to dilly-dally passing through the Yeller Belly Swamp and Liza Lou does just as she's told but she runs into trouble just the same. First she encounters a swamp haunt who is said to snatch away children. Next it was a nearly blind old witch who mistake a bundle of laundry for a baby and boils it up. Then she runs into the old Gobbledygook who lives under the bridge. Finally she meets an old swamp devil. In each situation, Liza Lou uses her wits and cleverness to trick the nasty creature and it often works to her advantage in the end. After all, that laundry got all boiled up nice and clean for her!

Do They Dare?

Stan and Jan Berenstain, Random House, 1978

I always loved the Berenstain Bears books and wished I had a hollowed out tree for a home. So, when they explore the spooky old tree in this book, it seemed like a wonderful adventure. It reminds me a bit of the bit of Pippi Longstocking in which she is holed up in a tree or now that I've seen the film, the way the kids explore the underground chambers and tunnels beneath Astoria. I love that sort of thing.

This is another one of those Beginner Books with easy to read print and language. I should have scanned the image of this, but I didn't think of it. I love how Stan and Jan depict "fear" in the bears with a sort of illustrated shiver. Good stuff.

Must-Have Monday --A Prayer for a Blueberry Girl

found on Neil Gaiman's journal

“Keep her from spindles and sleeps at sixteen,
let her stay waking and wise.”

Coming soon this picture book by Neil Gaiman who reads it here while we get to explore the art work of illustrator, Charles Vess.

After writing this for his friend who was expecting a baby she and her husband referred to as "blueberry," Gaiman found himself doling out copies of this lovely poem to many other mothers-to-be who could see the magic and kindness of it. Now it's a beautifully illustrated book that all can enjoy.

A further celebration of girls... of daughters.

Modern Monday -- Women's History Month Kicks Off!

Amelia and Eleanor Go For A Ride by Pam Munoz Ryan
Pictures by Brian Selznick, Scholastic Press, 1999

At a conference in 2001, I heard Ryan and Selznick discuss this book and talk about its conception and realization. In the book's "author's note," Ryan explains how both women have long been high on her personal heroes list and when she read an obscure reference to their night flight in 1933 she was determined to write a story about it.

It turns out that Eleanor Roosevelt loved flying and longed to get her private pilot's license but circumstances prevented it. Instead she celebrated her love of air travel by flying more passenger miles in the 20s and 30s than any other woman in the world.

This book is a fictionalized account of a true event. Not only did Ryan find associated press articles about the night that Amelia Earhart visited the White House, but Selznick found photographs and in the thank you note Earhart sent she acknowledged the crab chowder, which Ryan faithfully included in the story.


It was fantastic to hear Selznick describe the research he did to create his illustrations. He used original photos of Washington D.C. in 1933; even his china patterns and wallpaper in the backgrounds were authentic. The artwork was done with graphite pencil and colored pencil and in black and white with tints of purple the images have an old-timey feel. The illustrations are rich with detail and that adds so much to the story. Truly Selznick and Ryan are a superb collaborative team.

"Amelia and Eleanor were birds of a feather."

In 1933 Earhart was already a celebrated aviator. She and her husband were in town for a speech she was delivering. When Roosevelt heard, she invited them over for dinner. The first few pages show the two women getting ready, putting on their gloves for the event contemplating how the Amelia's gloves were not unlike the ones she wore flying... and how Eleanor's gloves were not unlike the ones she wore while driving. Both of those activities were considered bold and somewhat dangerous for women.


During dinner Amelia enchanted everyone with her descriptions of flying at night. "Everyone at the table leaned closer to hear. Very few people in the whole world had flown at night, and Amelia was one of them."

In no time at all, a spur of the moment night flight was planned and Amelia and Eleanor boarded the Curtis Condor twin-motor airplane with plans to fly to Baltimore and back. Reporters met them after landing and peppered them with questions and it was evident to all just how much the women had enjoyed their time.

When they returned to the White House, before going inside they slipped away in Eleanor's new car, so she could have a turn at the wheel touring Washington D.C. from the ground. Truly these women were "birds of a feather."



In the official story Amelia doesn't actually fly Eleanor.. they simply ride together in an Air Transport plane, though Amelia did take the controls for a time. The author felt in creating her fictionalized version that it would be more exciting to allow each woman to display her own brand of independent spirit and adventure.

Dandelion Doubles the Fun

Edited by Josette Frank Illustrated by Marjorie Torrey
Random House, 1955, 1957

I have a couple of these double books put out by Dandelion Library and I particularly love Torrey's illustrations for Alice in Wonderland and the story is a favorite. I love the original Lewis Carroll thick and delicious book filled with, well, wonder. I love the Disney cartoon and own several incarnations of that version. And I'd sort of forgotten about this version. I'm not a fan of "edited" books but I am a fan of Alice artwork so it was fun to page through this and soak in the details.

This book reminds me of a copy on my shelves that I've been itching to get my hands on, to find time to delve into, the sort of thing that snow days are made for. I have a copy of The Annotated Alice which is just oozing good stuff... notes, ideas, author insights--sort of a "pop-up video" of books.

The other side of the Josette Frank edited Alice is a version of Peter Pan. The illustrations are colorful and fun as well, but just not as dear to me as the Alice ones and so I indulged myself and showcased more of the Wonderland pics instead. Enjoy.

Snuffalupagus, is that you?

me in 1978

They say March comes in like a lion... well, it looks like my March is riding on in a possibly imaginary animal! I don't remember that freakish brown velour chair, but I do remember the red and blue "patchwork" flannel nightgown. Something about that cozy little number makes me happy. Clothing memories stick with me. I am guessing this pic was taken around Easter time because of the plastic egg in my hand.