Thursday, October 18, 2007

Historical Documents - My Childhood Fairy Tale Book

I've meant to haul this book out and photograph it for quite some time, but I had to actually do some climbing to get to it. I couldn't possibly count the number of times I read the stories in this book. Look at that staggeringly beautiful cover! You can imagine how easily such a gorgeous book could turn a little girl into an avid booklover:


Here's a closeup of that cover illustration:


Inside the book:


Not all of the illustrations are full-color, but the artwork is all amazing. I don't have a ruler handy, but I'd say the dimensions are about 12" x 10". The book is quite heavily taped because it was so loved that I quite nearly read it to pieces.

29 comments:

  1. Oh, we had that one! I have no idea where it is and have not thought about it in such a long time, but yes, the illustrations are wonderful. Must look for it!

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  2. The stories are great, too. Some of them have stuck in my mind in spite of not having looked at the book for probably 15 or 20 years. I've kept it, but I wouldn't let the boys touch it when they were young. Kiddo is sitting behind me, reading it, as I type. He made a beeline when he saw the cover. I love having bibliophiles for kids! :)

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  3. That is a lovely illustration on the inside. I love the detail on the spider and the girl's necklace. I can see why you've kept that around for so long.

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  4. That is SO COOL! And you know how much I love fairy tales. I definitely would've coveted that book (still do, actually). Thanks for sharing!

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  5. Kookie,

    I hadn't even noticed the spider. The detail is amazing, isn't it? I got a great laugh out of the way William immediately flopped onto the futon and started reading it. That's my boy!

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  6. Andi,

    Yep, I knew you'd like it. :) I think it's a book worth coveting, but I should say such things because that sounds icky. LOL

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  7. That's an incredible book :) I miss my childhood fairy tale book. I lost mine in a flood in 1995, but I've seen many people with it...it was popular. I'd like to get another copy. They still make it...it's "The Real Mother Goose" with the Black and White checker pattern on the side...but it's not my old copy :( I'll still get another eventually though, maybe for my kids.

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  8. Chris,

    I think I might actually have a copy of that book; if it's the one I'm thinking of, I bought it for my eldest when he was quite young. The timing is about right, isn't it? I've packed away most of the kids' books, so I have no idea where it is.

    I feel for you. We've been flooded in this house, several times, and it's painful. Nothing survives sitting in water and losing books is heartbreaking.

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  9. It reminds me a little of those flower people ...

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  10. Janet,

    I think it was published in a very flowery decade. ;)

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  11. Beautiful illustrations. I don't recall having a fairy tale book, but my grandpa bought a big, beautifully illustrated bible that I used to look at by the hour when I was little. When he died, my grandma gave me the bible and told me grandpa wanted me to have it. Very special.

    My mom and dad gave my children A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson that I adored.

    You brought forth some beautiful nostalgic memories. Thanks, Nancy.

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  12. Booklogged,

    That's a lovely memory. I'm sure you cherish your grandpa's Bible.

    I posted photos of my old copy of A Child's Garden of Verses, one time. It belonged to my father and it's a little pale-green book with 1920's or 30's-era illustrations. I just love that book. I wonder if we have the same version?

    You're welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed your trip down memory lane! :)

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  13. Gorgeous illustrations!!!! It reminds me of the "My Book House" series I bought last year. Very art nouveau...

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  14. Ex Libris,

    I would love to see your books!! "Art Nouveau" illustrations are always fun to look at.

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  15. Ohhh, Nancy, this looks like such a lovely book! I'm so glad you still have it. I used to keep many of the illustrated books I received as a child but because we went through a spell of international postings, lugging the books with me everywhere I went got tiresome, so one day I gave all my lovely books away *sob*

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  16. Hi Lotus!

    That must have been heartbreaking, having to part with your books. I have a friend who moved to the U.S. with a mere two suitcases of possessions. He really mourned those books he had to leave behind (although I think his family eventually sent some of them over the pond), so I can imagine it must have been even more difficult to give them up, forever!

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  17. What a beautiful book! There don't seem to be many of these types of gems around these days.

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  18. I think my cousins had that book, or one very much like it.

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  19. Nyssaneala,

    There are some beautiful books available for children (the Caldecott medalists tend to be really great) but I think you're right - that's not the kind of book that can be found, anymore. It's the kind of book you can just sink into, both the stories and the illustrations.

    Dewey,

    Lucky cousins, eh? Speaking of which, I need to find my copy of "The Night Before Christmas", which was a Christmas gift from some cousins (and their parents). It's another oversized book with knock-out illustrations. Wonder what I did with that . . . hmm.

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  20. I'm jealous, this book cover is beautiful :)

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  21. Naida,

    It is rather breathtaking isn't it? :)

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  22. That is a beautiful book! :) I love my fairy tale books that I have collected. Though my favorites are the two big collections of beatrix potter books that came out in 1983 I believe. They were books my parents got for me when I was a baby.

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  23. What a beautiful book, at what a beautiful price! (Did I not see a $3.00something tag in the corner?) I remember reading Grimm's fairy tales and just shivering with excitement. However, the pictures of yours are much more lovely than the ones in mine! I'm sad, sometimes, that knowledge of fairy tales is sorely vanishing from our children today. I think I need to make a sincere effort to read them aloud more often!

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  24. Krista,

    I don't know if we have any great Beatrix Potter books, although Peter Rabbit was a childhood favorite of mine. I've got another fairy tale book, around here, somewhere, but it is literally in pieces. We really read our fairy tale books to death!

    Bellezza,

    Yes, you saw a sticker that says $3.99! Hard to believe such a gorgeous book was so inexpensive, isn't it? Of course, we're talking the value of a dollar in the 1960s.

    I think fairy tales and Mother Goose rhymes are both disappearing from our culture - although, I can't say whether such things are regional or all over the U.S. I only know I used to be able to say my last name and add, "as in Little Jack Horner," and people would nod and spell the name correctly. Not so, since we moved here. Now, I just spell my name out (everyone wants to change our name to Warner, no matter how loudly we breathe out the "H").

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  25. Wow - I love seeing these old books from childhood. I found my well-thumbed and read copy of Stevenson's Child's Garden of Verses when I was moving out west. It was passed on to another child who I thought would enjoy it.

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  26. Beautiful pictures! Aren't books like this treasures?

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  27. D.,

    That's so sweet of you. I don't think I could ever part with my Child's Garden of Verses, although I have a feeling one of my children will end up with it, some day.

    Trish,

    They are, indeed. My 15-year-old actually read it from cover to cover, the night after I photographed the book. He was supposed to be doing homework, but I can see how irresistible it was. :)

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  28. This is gorgeous! I love these sorts of illustrations. Also, I enjoyed the peek at your new photography book - it's wonderful and must have been great fun to organize.

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  29. Tara,

    It's a beauty, isn't it? I'm lucky to have grown up with such a tempting book of fairy tales.

    And, thank you. Yes, we had loads of fun organizing that photo book!

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