The Golden Book of 365 Stories
Kathryn Jackson ~ pictures Richard Scarry ~ Golden Press, 1955
As I mentioned before, one Goodwill that was trashing books has forgotten about it two weeks later. Lucky for me because I scored this fat tome of loveliness along with a handful of other treasures. I was just thinking this morning about what I'm gonna do when my son starts to outgrow these stories and my book thrifting days are over. Oh, the horror! Now, I will admit a terrible parenting habit here. My son has always been small. He was only six pounds at birth, and I breastfed him until his was 21 months, but doctors were always stressing me out about his weight gain (even though he's almost always been in the 50th percentile).
Anyway, as soon as he started eating solid food, I began reading to him while he ate. And unfortunately... now, almost four years later, you have to read to him or he won't eat anything. Horrible habit, I know. His future wife is gonna have her hands full. At dinner, I expect to read at least five to ten books to get him through. And this can make for a very full dinner table space-wise. So, I was totally psyched to get this treasury as it is full of stories and poems for every day of the year. For a week plus, this is the only book I've kept at the dinner table, and it will be a while before we get through the whole thing. Now that my parenting skeleton has been trotted out of the closet, here's a choice bit.
To the Barber's ShopOnce a month
With a hop, hop, hop,
Off I go to the
Barber's shop.
Once a month
With a snip, snip, snip,
He cuts my hair
And home I skip.
It's true, there's a seasonally appropriate story for every day. Granted, some stories/rhymes are better than others, but for pulling together 365, Ms. Jackson did a fine job of keeping each fresh. And really, it's hard to find fault with Mr. Scarry. My copy is the 1982 edition, and I think there was a newer one from 1998 called Richard Scarry's A Story A Day. Another very talented blogger wrote a fitting and detailed ode to loving this book here. So fun to know it's been spreading joy for so many years.
Also by:The Around the Year Storybook
I Am a Bunny
Chipmunk's ABC
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Rabbit and His Friends
Great Big Air Book
The Bunny Book
what a great find!
ReplyDeleteI also dread when my children are too old for these sorts of books that you can find second hand.
Pinny
Oh well, mine's meal time addiction is on the computer, as you can make out from my blog :)) We have added to it books and puzzles and such board games from time to time, but no lasting solution yet... But don't worry, it will sort itself out. In a fashion: I still like to read when eating! Also, perhaps you could also add some of the online games which are really useful for practising mouse control etc. Check out our favourites from the labels!
ReplyDeleteHi, this is my first visit. I love the illustration of the animals reading in the barn - I hadn't seen alot of Richard Scarry's illustration prior to Busytown. I just wrote a post about one of my favorite vintage books. Feel free to pop over for a visit - http://mychickaboom.blogspot.com/2009/02/vintage-scholastic-books.html#comments
ReplyDeleteHi Leslie again, I'm fairly new to blogging. I hope it's in good form to paste my link into my comment given that it's on the same subject matter. I see it chopped off my link though. Sorry if that's not considered good form.
ReplyDeleteMy first day here - terrific blog.
ReplyDeleteThanks to you, I went to the Handmade Toy Alliance link and copied the letter. Then I sent it (with an important P.S.) to Cornyn, Hutchison, and Lamar Smith.
hello! was looking for images from ann & paul rand's book "sparkle and spin" today and found your blog, then spent a lot of time here. great collection.
ReplyDeleteI have this book, I used to read a story a day to the daycare kids at nap time. Have you seen Stories From Nature Thirty-one Animal Tales, a large size hardback from Golden Press by Jane Werner Watson, illustrated by Gerda Muller? All about animals, so your son would probably like it.
ReplyDeleteAwesome! I remember this book, I had it as a kid. Richard Scarry wrote/illustrated quite a few of my favorite books as a kid. Ed Emberly rounding out the list. I could never read a story a night. I finished the thing in about a week. I still collect kids books even though I don't have kids. One on the way though. He/she will have a library waiting.
ReplyDeletecongrats on the baby david... i wish i had started years ago!
ReplyDeleteI received this book in 1983 when I was a 6 year old girl. Now, 31 years later I still remember it and would love to find a copy of it as mine, along with some other toys, were given to orphanages and children's homes and I'm sure they enjoyed the stories as much as I did :o)
ReplyDelete