Margaret Bloy Graham RIP

"Children’s book illustrator Margaret Bloy Graham, widely known for her depictions of Harry the Dirty Dog in a series of books by her former husband Harry Zion, died January 22 in Cambridge, Mass. She was 94." More at Publisher's Weekly. 

Also by: 

Be Nice To Spiders

Harry and the Lady Next Door

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Father Fox's Pennyrhymes

Father Fox's Pennyrhymes
Clyde Watson ~ Wendy Watson ~ Scholastic, 1971

The beloved nursery rhyme classic written and illustrated by two sisters from Vermont about the stories a father fox tells his brood of 15 kits. We've always loved this book in our house because of how each rhyme is accompanied by an illustration that fully and precisely tells the tale, often starring one or many of the fox children. A small and busy feast for the eyes.

Mister Lister sassed his sister
Married his wife 'cause he couldn't resist her,
Three plus four times two he kissed her:
How many times is that, dear sister.

Belly & Tubs went out in a boat,

Tubs wore knickers & Belly a coat,

They got in a quarrel & started to shout

And the boat tipped over & they tumbled out.

Ride your red horse down Vinegar Lane,
Gallop, oh Gallop, oh gallop again!
Thistles & foxholes & fences beware:
I've seventeen children and none can I spare.



Thomas Thomas Tinkertoes
Upside down & away he goes!
He's off to call upon the Queen
In blue & crimson velveteen.

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Winners of the Great Holiday Give

Finally.... the winners are here, picked at random!

Gus was a Friendly Ghost goes out to Liana.
Arial will be receiving The Berenstain Bears' Big Book of Science and Nature.
Loretta Mason Potts now belongs to Danzel.
Kira wins The Beast of Monsieur Racine.

And because I never did post a final day and this whole thing has kinda been half baked! I am picking a special winner of a mystery grab bag of vintage books. And it's you, cruelshoes1.... Winners can send me their mailing info to webe(at)soon(dot)com.

Anyway, thanks for playing gang!

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Great (Post) Holiday Give Day 4 - Gus Was a Friendly Ghost

Yes! Day four of the Great (Post) Holiday Give is a new reprint from Purple House Press of the classic Gus Was a Friendly Ghost.

There was once a friendly ghost, by the name of Gus, who lived in an old house in the country. Mr. and Mrs. Scott and their twins, Susie and Sammy, lived there too during the summer. Then autumn came and the Scott family left. Which meant Gus had nothing to do but sit around.

One day, during a walk, he met Mouse, who was cold and hungry. "Come spend the winter at my house!" cried Gus.

Thus begins an unlikely but heartwarming friendship. First published in 1962, children have delighted in this story and other Gus the Ghost books for over fifty years. Seymour Fleishman's sweet, nostalgic illustrations bring Gus, the Scotts and Mouse to life.

So without further blah blah, I will be giving away one copy of this sweet, spooky book. To be entered to win a copy, simply comment on this post by 11:59 PM CT Wednesday, January 7. The winner will be announced the next day!!!! 

The Great Holiday Give will run through Wednesday so be sure and check back each day to find out about a new vintage reprint and enter to win a different book. Good luck!

Great Holiday Give Day One: The Beast of Monsieur Racine by Tomi Ungerer
Great Holiday Give Day Two: Loretta Mason Potts by Mary Chase
Great Holiday Give Day Three: The Berenstain Bears' Big Book of Science and Nature

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Great (Post) Holiday Give Day 3 - Berenstain Bears

Hey all. Welcome to day three of the Great (Post) Holiday Give! The give today is The Berenstain Bears' Big Book of Science and Nature. Dover has reprinted my three favorite Berenstain books into one giant volume: The Berenstain Bears' Almanac, The Berenstain Bears' Science Fair, and The Berenstain Bears' Nature Guide. Nothing like the thin, morality paperbacks that make up the bulk of the Berenstain backlist, these books from the 1970s were massive tomes filled with busy illustrations, chock full of all sorts of useful nature and science information. 

NOT TO BE MISSED!

Sooooo without further yadda yadda yadda, I will be giving away one copy of this fat book of awesome. To be entered to win a copy, simply comment on this post by 11:59 PM CT Wednesday, January 7. The winner will be announced the next day!!!! 

The Great Holiday Give will run through Wednesday so be sure and check back each day to find out about a new vintage reprint and enter to win a different book. Good luck!

Great Holiday Give Day One: The Beast of Monsieur Racine by Tomi Ungerer
Great Holiday Give Day Two: Loretta Mason Potts by Mary Chase

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Brian Wildsmith's Twelve Days of Christmas

Brian Wildsmith's Twelve Days of Christmas
Brian Wildsmith ~ Oxford University Press, 1972

And for slagging off the last few weeks... a little post-Christmas treat.

This, plus Father Christmas Goes on Holiday.

Cheers and Happy New Year!

Also by:
A Child's Garden of Verses
Professor Noah's Spaceship
Maurice Maeterlinck's Blue Bird
Brian Wildsmith's Birds
The Hare and the Tortoise
Squirrels
Fishes
Brian Wildsmith's Wild Animals

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Great Holiday Give... to be continued

Unlike what some unsuspecting well wishers thought, I did not pass away over the holidays! Just merely got jammed up in the last minute minutia of it all. That said, the great holiday give will finish up anew next week, with three more gives on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

In the mean time, you can still throw your hat in the ring for the two gives that have already been posted.

Day one, The Beast on Monsieur Racine, here.

Day two, Loretta Mason Potts, here.

Winners will be announced on Thursday, January 8.

Happy New Year!!!

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