It's Raining Said John Twaining

It's Raining Said John Twaining ~ N. M. Bodecker ~ Atheneum, 1973

Danish nursery rhymes translated and illustrated by the author of the forgotten favorite Miss Jaster's Garden. So happy I stumbled across his look in the library. I love the thin lines and intense colors, so elegant and specific.

"It's raining," said John Twaining. 
"Keep me dry!" said John Rye. 
"No I will not," said John Willmot. 
"You must go!" said John Slow. 
"Go where?" said John Square. 
"To Jack Crowning," said John Browning. 
"What for?" said John Sore. 
"Buy some coats!" said John Oats. 
"How many?" said John Penny. 
"Ten should do," said John Drew. 
"Want to bet?" said John Wett.

Guinea pigs and queens. Miss Price and her mice. Trout with applesauce. This book has it all.

On a green, green hill 
I saw two rabbits come. 
One he was a piper; 
the other played a drum, on a green, green hill in the morning.

Also by: 

Miss Jaster's Garden

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Dr. Seuss has a new book out ya'll!

In this week's edition of who talks faster than a librarian, here I am talking about the new Dr. Seuss, What Pet Should I Get?

The Meanest Squirrel I Ever Met

The Meanest Squirrel I Ever Met
Gene Zion ~ Margaret Bloy Graham ~ Charles Scribner's Sons, 1962

I keep coming back to Margaret Bloy Graham's death earlier this year. Seems every time I turn around I unearth another of her books that I never shared when I was keeping this blog up daily. This one might actually be one of my all time favorites. Of course, anytime there is an unsavory, mysterious character in a children's book, it usually tends to hit the reread pile around these parts. We're spooky like that. But fear not, for all it's shady-characterness, it still falls firmly in the rated G realm. Plus it has this sweet shot of Margaret and Gene in the back flap.

Nibble was a little squirrel who lived in the woods with his father and mother. On Thanksgiving morning, his mother brought a basket up from the storeroom. In the basket were pecan nuts, walnuts and hazelnuts. "Can I play with them?" Nibble asked his mother. "Well," she answered, "if you're careful, you may. But remember, these are not just ordinary acorns. This is our Thanksgiving Dinner." "I'll be careful," promised Nibble.

In what might be the ultimate "don't play with your food" morality tale, after a few rounds of "Nuts in Rows", "Nuts in Circles", and, the classic, "Nuts in Little Piles", Nibble looks up to see a stranger coming down the path. Ignoring the warning of "stranger danger" always seems to come up in forest stories such as this, so it should come as no surprise when said stranger swindles poor little Nibble out of his holiday dinner, pecans and all!



But it's when the squirrel family is forced to get their feast elsewhere that the true story moves into action. Recognize what's on the menu at The Squirrel Cafe?

Ethical questions and nightmares ensue, as the whole clan tries to figure the best way out of their nutty predicament. The theme at the end of the day is repenting for sins and what it means to have courage, two things we could all use more of even in the heat of July.

Another fabulous tale from the husband and wife team that brought us Harry the Dirty Dog and Be Nice to Spiders. May they rest in peace.

Also by: 

Be Nice To Spiders

Harry and the Lady Next Door

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It's Me, Hilary... TONIGHT!

It's Me, Hilary premieres on HBO tonight!

Tammy and Pepper

Tammy and Pepper
Kathryn Hitte ~ Mel Crawford ~ Golden Press, 1964

I don't know about you kids, but we are in full-on spring mode here, just minutes away from the Texas summer. I know lots of you are still suffering in the grips of mother winter, so here's a ray of sunshine to help light the darkness. Nothing can get you jazzed about the upcoming season than Tammy and her little sister Pepper's wild island adventures, Big Golden Book-style.



Tammy and her family went to an island to spend the summer. There were miles of warm, sandy beaches on the island. There were cool pine forests, and a pretty little old-fashioned town. There was lots to do--swimming, and tennis-playing, and bicycling, and sailing in the harbor. For rainy days, there was a cozy library and an interesting museum to visit. Tammy was delighted. A whole summer on this beautiful island! What fun it was going to be!



What fun, indeed! Sunken ships and light houses, cute boys and seashells, and a scary set of circumstances that gets redeemed through Morse Code. Complete with an International Morse Code key in the back. Imagine! Like Nancy Drew just with more beach and double the blond.

Love these Mel Crawford drawings...




Also by:

Story of Harmony Lane
I'm Mommy, I'm Daddy
The Chuckle Book
Sesame Street 1, 2, 3 Storybook
Tommy's Camping Adventure
Boy Was I Mad

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RIP Roy McKie

A few days ago I received a very thoughtful e-mail from Roy McKie's son about this father's passing. In 2011, I was lucky enough to interview Roy about his life and work.. 

As I said then about him and the interview... 

"I might not have gotten all the facts here perfectly, but I've tried to convey a short history of an artist I admire so that his legacy can live on a bit longer. However, what I will set in stone about the man is this. Life is short. It's a beautiful thing to have used this life to create something that will live on longer than you. Something that brings joy to other people. We all make mistakes. We all make choices that lead us in one direction or another. But if nothing else, know and remember that Roy McKie was, and is, a kind man. 

There is no way that someone could so beautifully visualize a world full of happy children and smiling dogs and be anything but."

RIP Roy.

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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