 |
| By Frances Trego Montgomery - 1903 |
I'm not sure when it started, or why, but I'm obsessed with vintage children's books. You might say, "Duh! You write stories for kids!" Well, I was bitten by the bug for these books long before I began to write my own children's books.
The book pictured above, is one in a series of books about a mischievous and short-tempered goat, named Billy Whiskers. It's on record that as a child, JFK couldn't get enough of these books. The prolific author, Ms. Montgomery, was an extraordinary lady who died on a cruise liner while on an around-the-world tour. She had planned to write a book about her travels, but died quite unexpectedly.
As with most vintage children's books, it is the colorful and captivating illustrations that catches the collector's eye right away; Billy Whiskers Kids is no different. I was delighted to have received it for Christmas!
Last month I also received this trio of tiny books, for my birthday, from my dear daughter-in-law, Jessica. (Does she know me, or what?)
From left to right: The Happy Prince, by Oscar Wilde; Fifty Best Poems of England; and The Gold Bug, by Edgar Allan Poe
While only The Happy Prince is what you'd call a children's book, it is the unique size of each leather-bound book (2" X 3"), published in the 1920's, that makes the set so special.
One past time that I thoroughly enjoy is wandering through vintage bookstores seeking for yet another treasure to add to my collection. This past month, I was truly blessed with the above books.
The reason I felt led to blog about this subject is due to the fact that I find perusing through these vintage books inspirational, as well as informative. As authors, it is imperative that we educate ourselves to the history of children's books. While some of the subjects featured in decades past may seem surprising, they actually reflect the norms of society at the time. It behooves us, to be relevant - to reflect the state of our world.When you learn how the subjects featured in books for kids has evolved over the last century, you quickly realize that the positive changes the Kidlit industry is currently going through also reflect the changes our world is going through.
I ask myself frequently, "Am I relevant as a writer?" The truth is, I know I can do better. How about you? Are you relevant in your writing?
Then there are those classic books that stand the test of time:
Heidi is the first novel I ever read - it holds a special place in my heart!
