Vintage Parade! (Picture Book Roundup #9)

It’s been months since my last picture book roundup, and I miss doing it, even though it takes a bit longer to put one together. I love picture books and have a growing collection of them, because buying them doesn’t make me feel guilty about adding to my TBR (hehehe!)

So far I’ve done eight picture book roundups this year (here they are if you want to check them out:  one, two, three, four, five, six, seven and a special on The Three Little Pigs), and I’m aiming for at least ten for this year, so here’s another one.

Today’s roundup covers some vintage picture books I’ve acquired lately: An ABC of Children’s Names by Doris and Mary Ewen (facsimile of the Oxford edition); The Real Mother Goose (75th Anniversary Edition); Sam, Bangs, and Moonshine by Evaline Ness; Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag; and Curious George by H.A. Rey (books #145-149 for 2009).

I chanced upon An ABC of Children’s Names when I was rooting around in a Book Sale (where else) bargain bin and got it for P30 (around US$0.50). The ribbon tie was frayed, but it was pretty much in good condition, and I’m a sucker for vintage children’s books so I instantly fell in love with this one.

I couldn’t find information about the book, but I did find out more about alphabet books in this online children’s encyclopedia. Apparently, ABC books (also known as abécédaire, abceebooks, absey-books, abeces) date back to the 16th century and were first used for catechism.

By the nineteenth century, printing technology made possible complex pictures and color printing in text for children. The purpose of alphabet books changed from using familiar images and verses as mnemonic aids to using the alphabet as a framework to introduce new subjects, including farm animals, exotic animals, birds, children’s names, the bible, and virtues, vocations, common objects, railways, the seaside, patriotic symbols, and the world’s nations. Patriotism was a popular subject in America at the end of the Civil War (Union ABC, 1864) and in England at the end of the Crimean War (Alphabet of Peace, 1856). Edmund Evans, a London publisher, was especially concerned with improving the quality of children’s picture books, and published the works of such authors as Walter Crane, Kate Greenaway, and Ralph Caldecott. Nineteenth-century children’s magazines serialized alphabets, publishing a few images each month. Although the subjects were extremely varied in the nineteenth century, the formats chosen were relatively simple–generally a single word or rhyming verse accompanying an image for each letter.

I love this book’s accordion-style pages, folding out from A all the way down to Z.  As described in the passage above, each letter of the alphabet is illustrated and assigned to either a girl or a boy’s name, and features a quaint rhyme.

Here are some more photos:

Next is The Real Mother Goose. I have the 1991 hardercover edition (85th printing) of the 1916 print by Checkerboard Press, and I got it for P25 at a bargain bookstore. I think at some point Scholastic bought the rights to this book as later editions carry their imprint.

The book is a collection of Mother Goose rhymes featuring beautiful illustrations by Blanche Fisher Wright. I thought I knew a lot of Mother Goose rhymes from my childhood, but this collection has over a hundred rhymes in it, and a lot of them I’d never heard of before.

Authorship of Mother Goose rhymes remains debatable, but Mother Goose is also a character in one of her own rhymes:

Old Mother Goose,

When she wanted to wander,

Would ride through the air

On a very fine gander.

Jack’s mother came in,

And caught the goose soon,

And mounting its back,

Flew up to the moon

A couple more photos:

The third book is one of my personal favorites, Sam, Bangs, and Moonshine, written and illustrated by Evaline Ness. I first read this story back when I was in second grade — it was the story at the end of our English workbook.

I’d been looking for this book for ages, only to find it on BookMooch, thanks to the Hartland Public Library in Maine.

Winner of the 1967 Caldecott, the story is about Sam, a fisherman’s daughter who likes making up stories “moonshine” and talking to her cat Bangs. One day, Sam’s moonshine puts her friend  Thomas in danger, and Sam realizes that she has to draw the line between truth and moonshine.

It’s a monochromatic book in black, gray and ochre, with a lot of overlapping textures in ink and watercolor washes, possibly applied using sponges and textured fabrics, judging by their effect on the paper. The somber quality captures the harbor setting perfectly, but still has that whimsical touch of moonshine.

The next book in the roundup is Millions of Cats written and illustrated by Wanda Gag (a book that my Flipper friend Gege would probably not touch with a ten-foot pole), the oldest American picture book  still in print today and the winner of the 1929 Newbery Honor. I think it would have easily won a Caldecott too, except that the Caldecott wasn’t established yet at the time.

It’s a funny story about an old man looking for a perfect cat for him and his wife, because they were getting lonely. So the man sets off to find a cat, and when he comes to a hill covered with cats, he had trouble choosing just one cat and finds himself followed home by “hundreds and thousands and millions and billions and trillions” of cats!

The illustrations are pen and ink, and are absolutely charming, and the way the text flows around the pictures is ingenious! It’s one of the best picture books I’ve ever encountered, and I got it for P10 at the National Book Store bargain bin!

Finally, the last book in the roundup is Curious George written and illustrated by H.A. Rey (bought for P35 at Book Sale). Thanks to the cartoons, Curious George is a famous character, but some people probably don’t know that he started out as a book character in the series that started in 1941. The series refers to him as a monkey, when he is probably more like a chimpanzee (no tail!).

The first book in the series tells us how George came to be with the man with the big yellow hat (presumably an explorer?) and how he adjusts to life in the city. Reading the book, it’s easy to see why George has become an iconic character — he just can’t help being so curious! He inadvertently gets into a lot of trouble, but that winsome grin and cheery disposition makes him so lovable.

I remember how the writers of FRIENDS (my all time favorite show) loved Curious George:

Rachel: Marcel, stop it! Marcel! Bad monkey!
Ross: What?
Rachel: Let’s just say my Curious George doll is no longer curious.

and in another episode:

Joey: Uh, am I curious? I mean, I’m as curious as… as… George!
Rachel: Who?
Joey: Curious George, you know, the monkey and the guy with the yellow hat.

I like the original Curious George. I have a Curious George Treasury that’s based on H.A. Rey’s work containing new stories from just the past decade or so, but it looks like a watered down version and is not as charming as the original technicolor Curious George.

Vintage rocks! I like all sorts of picture books, whether new or old, but the vintage ones really have that  magical charm that makes readers of all generations love them.

On that note, that’s ends today’s picture book roundup (finally, after three hours of putting it together!). Will have another roundup posted in a few weeks or so.

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My copies: An ABC of Children’s Names by Doris and Mary Ewen (facsimile of the Oxford edition), hardcover concertina book; The Real Mother Goose (75th Anniversary Edition), hardcover; Sam, Bangs, and Moonshine by Evaline Ness, hardcover with dust jacket; Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag, paperback; and Curious George , hardcover.

My ratings: An ABC of Children’s Names 4/5 stars; The Real Mother Goose 4/5 stars; Sam, Bangs, and Moonshine 5/5 stars; Millions of Cats 5/5 stars; and Curious George 4/5 stars.