![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Books from Childhood
Illustrated by Randolph Caldecott
Originally uploaded by netmouse.
These were two books illustrated by Ralph Caldecott that I had as a child.
To quote from a book review,
The Caldecott Medal, established in 1937 by the American Library Association, is awarded each year to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children. While many people are familiar with this prestigious award, relatively few are acquainted with the English illustrator after whom it was named. Randolph Caldecott was one of the most popular book illustrators of the late nineteenth century. His picture books were issued two at a time every Christmas, from 1878 until his death in 1886. He chose the subjects on his own, drawing from a mix of age-old nursery rhymes, pieces by eighteenth-century writers, and nonsense he made up himself.
Once I was older, I progressed to paperbacks with few or no illustrations. Here are some favorites that I just brought home from my mom's:
The Secret of the Seven Crows, by Wylly Folk St. John
The Light Princess, by George MacDonald, with pictures by Maurice Sendak
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, by Barbara Robinson
Bunnicula, by Deborah and James Howe
Danny, The Champion of the World, by Roald Dahl
No Coins, Please, by Gordon Korman
The Wednesday Witch, by Ruth Chew
The Rescuers, by Margery Sharp, illustrated by Garth Williams
The Girl with the Silver Eyes, by Willo Davis Roberts
What were your favorite books back when you were still reading books that came with some interior illustrations?
no subject
Tove Jansson did the most wonderful illustrations for her stories! I have many images in my head from Momminland Midwinter (http://www.amazon.com/Moominland-Midwinter-Moomintrolls-Tove-Jansson/dp/0374453039/ref=pd_sim_b_2_img/105-1458417-9614065?ie=UTF8&qid=1186051314&sr=8-1). Thank you so much for reminding me what they were called!
When I was young I had not yet picked up the habit of reading everything by an author I liked (unless I got the book at the library in the first place, then I'd read everything the library had). I've never read Charlie And The Great Glass Elevator. Was it good?
(I also see that Ruth Chew wrote a lot of other books in the fantasy genre and would like to check them out.)
no subject
And your post actually served as a memory jog for me as well - it was while composing my response above that I went and looked up the Madeline L'Engle books, as I was having the same brain cramp. All I could remember was that one of the characters was named Charles Wallace, they did something called "kything" and he ended up reliving the life of someone named Madoc. Fortunately, that was enough for Google to give me the author and titles. I may have to pop over to the used bookstore near me on the weekend and see if they have copies. They have a rather large SF/fantasy section, so it's a distinct possibility that I will find them there - it's about half the second floor. (The other half seems to be comics, vinyl records and VHS tapes. :) )
As for Charlie And The Great Glass Elevator, it was a disappointment when compared to Charlie And The Chocolate Factory... but that was a hard act to follow. I do remember a memorable section with some very strange alien creatures chasing them around a hotel, but that's about all I can remember of the book.