Mary's Blog - The Emotive Power of Children's Books

The Emotive Power of Children's Books

posted by Barter Books @ 3:35pm, Sunday 21 December 2008.

Of all the illuminated glass cases which line our main hall (we started off with three; now we have forty; tomorrow, the moon), the most popular is, unsurprisingly, the cases having to do with local history - books about Northumberland, shipping on the Tyne, walking in the Cheviots, notable families, mines, sheep dogs, castles.

But the three cases with the most emotive power – and by far - are the Children’s Books.

In the three glass cases devoted to rare children’s books, we’ve had, at one time or another, most of the great ones, sometimes even first editions - Alice in Wonderland, Treasure Island, Peter Rabbit, Kim, The Wind in the Willows, Huckleberry Finn, Swallows and Amazons, Where the Wild Things Are – books we all know and feel very partisan about. (There are those who can’t abide Pooh but love Ratty and Badger and Toad and Mole. Those who can’t do Captain Hook but thrill to Long John Silver.)

And then there are some children’s books that simply don’t transcend nationalities. And how well I know. When we first opened, a small blonde moppet tugged at my sleeve, “Please”, she asked, “do you have any Enid Blyton?” To which I replied, “Who?”. I shall never forget the look she gave me. (Note to my fellow Yanks: Enid Blyton, as I have since found out, is merely one of the most famous children’s writers in all of Britain.)

Of course, the real trouble with children’s books from a bookseller’s viewpoint is that children won’t leave them alone. Which means that that Beatrix Potter 1^st edition which could have made our fortune won’t – half of page 7 is torn out, three illustrations have been artificially improved with glo-paint, and one of the edges, chewed off.

Of all the children’s books currently in our glass case, my two favourites, as it happens, are politically terribly incorrect. Or were. (Although I think times may be changing.. We may have grown out of the strict need to observe pc anymore in favour of the truth, I don’t know.)

Anyway, the first of my current two favourites was published in 1905, was illustrated by Cecil Aldin, and is called A Gay Dog. (C’mon, you have to laugh!) Here’s a photo:

The second one is part of what I think is one of the most charming series ever. It’s the Golliwog series written and illustrated by Florence K Upton around the turn of the last century. And before you start throwing large virtual tomatoes at me for even typing the word ‘golliwog’, try to hold off at least until you’ve read this bit about Upton taken from one of the best little ‘zines in Britain (take a look at their website), the Book Collectors’ Magazine:

“In the name of political correctness, Upton’s wonderful golliwog – heroic, gentle, gallant and resourceful – has been lumped together with stereotypes and condemned out of hand. In fact, when picture books were filled with images of white-skinned, golden-haired, blue-eyed children, Upton was the first to use an Afro-Caribbean character as the main protagonist.’ (Wikipedia adds that Upton financed an ambulance christened ‘Golliwog’, which went to France during WWI and served on the front.)

Here’s a photo of one of the series.

But the emotive power of children’s books goes a lot deeper than this, what’s pc and what isn’t. It seems to draw its power from wherever it is we all hide what we cherish most.

Oddly enough, the great favouite is rarely one of the major classics. It’s almost always a children’s book that, all right, had some particular merit, a lesser work by some favourite author or illustrator, for example, with at least a reasonable readership, enough to get it into the glass case. Worthy, I’m saying. “Casper, the Friendly Ghost”, comes to mind, or Little Lulu or Raggedy Ann and Andy, ever heard of them?

But whatever it is, so deep is the love of a favourite children’s book that I have seen grown men weep at the sight.

That old man down there, for example, burly, coming towards us, totally uninterested in children’s books (his wife does the grandchildren), he’s headed towards cricket or fishing or something. On his way he’ll pass by the children’s cases. Where he will suddenly catch sight of something out of the corner of his eye, stop, wheel around. Then look around, see if anyone is watching, go over to the case, press his nose against the glass, he can't believe it. There it lay buried for all those years, triggered as fast as Proust’s madeleine or Citizen Kane’s Rosebud..

Treasure Island, you’d suggest. Or maybe Kim.

Not at all. Here it is. Ant & Bee. The book that reduced a grown man to tears.

Do you believe this? This big burly man, Ant and Bee.

Still, it happened to me. And just as fast.

Walking past the glass case one day, I casually looked in. Then stopped short.

An old beloved friend.

I took it out carefully of the case (it was so fragile!), held it to me. Even though the author is famous (Frances Hodgson Burnett), you never ever see this book. Even bookdealers look blank when you mention the name. You see Little Lord Fauntleroy. Above all you see The Secret Garden. But Racketty-Packetty House? never. (Nevermind it charming illustrator, Harrison Cady, whatever happened to him?)

I opened the book.

In seconds I was transported back within my mother’s arms as she read me the story that she, herself, had loved as a child. The story of a once proud doll house fallen on hard times with its little wooden inhabitants, Meg and Peg and Kilmanskeg and Gustibus and Peter Piper and Ridiklis all ending up in rags – and worse. (Poor little Ridiklis; she had lost one of her legs to a puppy.) And then all of them were pushed up into the attic to be forgotten in favour of a grand new doll house and grand new dolls and always in eminent danger of being rediscovered and sent out to be burned up. (Don’t worry; it would all end happily, with a little princess discovering Racketty-Packetty House and falling in love with it and restoring it and its inhabitants to perfection, with Peter Piper actually marrying Lady Patsy and Ridiklis made into a beauty once again and all of them fitted out with new clothes and, oh, it was just all too wonderful!)

Here is the cover of that book.

And now I’ve got it back, don't think I'll ever let go of it again.

Comments

where is the pic of me and poppy you took at christmas. love mel

mel & poppy - 9:21pm, Friday 3 April 2009.

I LOVE Ant and Bee! This is a wonderful blog.

http://www.frombrain2bookshelf.blogspot.com

Rebecca Woodhead - 9:44am, Saturday 6 June 2009.

just read that back and feel the need to clarify as it reads as if I'm saying my blog is wonderful. YOUR blog is wonderful. :)

- 9:45am, Saturday 6 June 2009.

Have to read racketty-packetty house now, is 54 too old? Will save it for any future grandhildren...

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