I reiterate something that I've been saying for the past couple of years. I love these 1000-page digests published by Archie Comics. Basically, the coI reiterate something that I've been saying for the past couple of years. I love these 1000-page digests published by Archie Comics. Basically, the company takes a catalogue of what amounts to 80 years of history, repackages, and reprints on high quality thicker, glossy stock paper some of its disparate stories to fill a massive trade paperback. Overall, the anthology is humorous with a very good mix of newer to older stories.
To give you an accurate idea of the creative talents which have collaborated with Archie over the many years, I offer a comprehensive, though not exhaustive list. Some of the writers and artists credited are Frank Doyle, Chic Stone, Harry Lucey, Alex Simmons, George Gladir, Stan Goldberg, Sam Schwartz, Dan Parent, Mike Esposito, Bill Yoshida, Jack Morelli, Rudy Lapick, Al Milgrom, Fernando Ruiz, Dan DeCarlo, Carlos Antunes, Kathleen Webb, and really way too many to mention. It is even more impressive that the characters all pretty much look exactly the same regardless of who pens them.
The reader is treated to the stories and silly pranks of the usual characters: Archie, Veronica, Betty, Jughead, Reggie, Sabrina, Moose, Josie and the rest of the gang, along with the adults, parents, and teachers that take part in the lives of these individuals. Some flow organically while others are part of on-going features such as Digest Fashions where readers are invited to send drawings of Betty and Veronica in original couture creations.
There are puzzles and mazes included as well as one-page, half-page quick jab jokes. The vault stories are actually stories from the 1940s, before Archie's inimitable look became iconic. Overall, this was a fun collection that was full of laughs and nostalgia. Well-worth the price of admission. It receives my highest recommendation....more
Tarzan and the Tarzan Twins is a two-novella anthology compilation of ERB stories that are listed as part of the Tarzan continuity but are not includeTarzan and the Tarzan Twins is a two-novella anthology compilation of ERB stories that are listed as part of the Tarzan continuity but are not included as part of the 24-book series, because the stories were specifically written as stories marketed for younger readers. The first novella, "The Tarzan Twins," fits right after Tarzan and the Ant Men, while the second novella titled, "Tarzan and the Tarzan Twins, with Jad-bal-ja, the Golden Lion," fits right after Tarzan and the Lost Empire. There is almost a ten-year gap between the Tarzan Twin novellas.
The first novella introduces the twins as actual cousins born to twin sisters. One of the sisters is the wife of a Greystoke relative to Tarzan. The boys are named Dick and Doc who met at a "bougie" private school for future British aristocrats. On their fourteenth summer vacation they get to spend time with their uncle Tarzan, but on the way their train is derailed, and they wander into the jungle, where they are pursued and captured by cannibals.
The second novella with the way-too-wordy title picks up with the cousins that look like twins spending some quality time with their uncle instructing them on jungle craft. Tarzan also introduces them to Jad-bal-ja, his pet lion. Somehow along the way, the Twins get separated from Tarzan, and they witness the mistreatment of a white girl by followers of the Flaming God who hail from Opar and are seeking a high place to continue their worship and make sacrifices. Doc and Dick decide that they cannot just continue on their way without getting involved.
Overall, there does not feel like a marked difference between these stories and those listed in the continuity, other than less description of the kills and fights, which still happen although they end quicker. The flowery language is limited with less opportunities to wax poetic. Lastly, I really believe that this is one of the few ERB works that I had never read. I, of course, loved it....more
Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy is the first novel of the Amanda Lester, Detective series which overtly tries to homage young detective stAmanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy is the first novel of the Amanda Lester, Detective series which overtly tries to homage young detective stories like the Nancy Drew series, the Hardy Boys, and mash them up with Harry Potter's Hogwarts. (Berinstein cites that J. K. Rowling is a favored author so is it a stretch to believe that the secret detective school in the United Kingdom might be connected by some common threads?) The entire enterprise amounts to a good, fun, intriguing read, but for me it ends there.
Amanda is a twelve-year-old who not only knows what she wants to be when she grows up, but she is taking strides toward making the dream a reality. She wants to be a filmmaker, and she along with her theatre group have already made a few movies, established industry contacts, and are tossing around ideas for a new film to be released at a film festival as an entry for an award when her parents put the kibosh on that. Amanda has been accepted at a secret boarding school in the United Kingdom for wannabe legacy detectives.
One minor problem falls on the idea that Amanda does not wish to become an actual detective despite being a descendant of Lestrade, the infamous detective from the Sherlock Holmes novels. Point of fact is that the Lestrade ancestry embarrasses her. Unfortunately, she is twelve and twelve-year-olds do not command their own destiny. So, she acquiesces to being shipped off and finds the school fascinating and her skills may actually amplify her abilities as a detective.
Amanda attends class, makes friends with other students from her house, is just about to learn about a class project when a dead body is found, an explosion occurs, and another dead body is found. The story makes sense, but a suspension of disbelief must happen along the line. I don't know. If I'm to be honest, Hogwarts seems more believable. I'm not sure that I would send my sons to this school. The characters at this school are twelve and there's a lot of death and horror. It was a sore spot.
Good story, but I'm concerned about the age appropriateness of the subject matter. Hence that's why I'm calling it right down the middle with three stars. That's not bad, but I guess I'm a little old-fashioned with the content....more
Published in 1976, not quite fifty years ago, this quick-paced, kidnapped kids, mystery, thriller is a pretty good story for what it is: a bit of a buPublished in 1976, not quite fifty years ago, this quick-paced, kidnapped kids, mystery, thriller is a pretty good story for what it is: a bit of a bubblegum, afterschool, TV special. It's a kids book after all, written by Geoffrey Household. He was a British writer of some minor note, obviously enamored with John Buchan's writing style (which is not a bad thing IMHO).
A young boy named Mike is returning home one evening, when he notices a famous actor at a bus depot writing some information on a bulletin board. He asks the distracted actor for his signature, but the actor gives the kid a "brush-off". Unfulfilled curiosity causes Mike to look at what the actor wrote, a series of numbers that look like a telephone number. The child writes them down and gets snatched for his inadvertent nosiness.
When he awakens, he finds himself in a dark place with another child, Carrie, daughter of the actor that wrote his phone number down so that the kidnappers could contact him by phone about Carrie. The kidnappers begin their questioning of Mike with an initially warm demeanor, but are very disappointed to care for 2 children, when they really only meant to have one. This has changed things and any favorable outcome, may now no longer apply.
It's a good thing that Mike and Carrie are together. Although they never met each other before, the boy from a family of modest means, and the girl from a family of affluence come equipped with a set of complementary skills which help them cope with the unique situation. The story is not as profound as I would have liked, but overall, a good, fun, middle-of-the-road kid thriller....more
To be honest, Winnie-the-Pooh was never in my childhood memory as a character I was aware existed. Sure, there were toys and cartoons, but since I hadTo be honest, Winnie-the-Pooh was never in my childhood memory as a character I was aware existed. Sure, there were toys and cartoons, but since I had dozens of other childhood go-to characters, I never needed to read the books or know the supporting cast.
When my then wife got pregnant with our first child, she wanted to decorate the baby's room with the characters from the One Hundred Acre Wood. I figured I ought to learn the characters and read the stories since my kid's childhood would revolve around Pooh. She actually drew all the characters and glued the pictures on reinforced cardboard to attach to the wall.
It was through her, and her illustrations that I learned about Tigger, Piglet, Eeyore, Rabbit, Owl, Kanga and Roo. In fact, she even drew a Christopher Robin figure that she only put up when our first son was born. She felt that Christopher Robin should only go up if we had a boy.
Now, as the years in front of me are less than the years behind me, I realized that I had never read the original Winnie-the-Pooh book by A.A. Milne. I had grabbed it a long time ago and had it occupying space on my Kindle. The book is ten chapters. Ten short silly, funny stories that really show that Pooh is not very smart, but loveable.
I totally get why the stories appeal and why my ex-wife loved those characters. There was an attractive, innocent, whimsy which makes you want to giggle. Definitely, a classic in my book....more
Judy's Journey is just one of the many children's books written by Lois Lenski, who won numerous awards for her literary work over the course of a disJudy's Journey is just one of the many children's books written by Lois Lenski, who won numerous awards for her literary work over the course of a distinguished career. Although, many modern readers are critical of Lenski's work in order to claim that the morals have not aged well, I would disagree.
A modern critique of books published 50, 60, or 70 years ago are wholly unfair. To believe that our perspectives remain static or that they are determined by a monolithic, unvaried, template are equally short-sighted. A truer scrutiny of the writing is more understanding of the historical context in which the work was engendered and applies those standards to the book.
Here, Lenski takes a migrant family struggling through indigence and explores their movement from place to place. Their transient pursuit of a home is not just a search for stability in a place, but a seeking for Dad to have a good job, a community of friendship for Mom, and a school that can provide a viable education for the children.
One of Lenski's strengths is her ability to convey an entire ethos from which a culture can be understood as flowing from that ethos. The characters and situations she put them in are fairly saturated with nuance and authenticity. This may be a kid's book, but it definitely bears a certain weight of sophistication that I as an adult could appreciate....more
The Avion My Uncle Flew is a short children's novel written in 1946, over 75 years ago, designed as a French language educational tool. The author wasThe Avion My Uncle Flew is a short children's novel written in 1946, over 75 years ago, designed as a French language educational tool. The author was Darwin L. Teilhet, who wrote the novel under the Cyrus Fisher pseudonym as a tribute to his father in-law, and son who died suddenly after only 3 months of existence.
The book received a Newbery Medal in 1947, a prominent honor given to works of children's fiction for distinguished contributions to literature. One of the many uniqueness's of the work is the very liberal use of French vocabulary and its repetition as an educational device to build familiarity and ultimately some fluency with the language. There is also a historic perspective endemic to the plot of this story which is also educational.
Here, John, a young boy with a broken leg is sent to live with his uncle in France. The uncle had just been discharged from World War II after suffering an injury. John is not thrilled with his presumed sacrifice (even though it is a temporary arrangement) he feels put upon to leave his home just so that his mother can comfort her husband who is an American officer in Europe. He is also ignorant of the language. The uncle offers to teach him.
In one of the initial conversations that John/Jean has with his uncle, he learns that his uncle is designing a glider plane, which changes John's demeanor toward his uncle and the summer vacation in France. Somewhere along the line there are Nazis, a mystery, and several interesting convolutions of the plot. The story is over 76 years old, so the book is a little dated. Even so, it is definitely a fun read....more
Sara Crewe or What Happened at Miss Minchin's is really an early draft of Frances Hodgson Burnett's far more recognizable work, A Little Princess. ThiSara Crewe or What Happened at Miss Minchin's is really an early draft of Frances Hodgson Burnett's far more recognizable work, A Little Princess. This is written as a long short story without chapter breaks, just section breaks that are included as spots to pause the story.
Sara Crewe is the daughter of a wealthy captain stationed in India with a British Army regiment. She attends a boarding school in England due to the hostile environment in India. When he dies, all of the privileges that were supported by the captain's finances at the school are now no longer paid for by her father. From one day to the next, Sara becomes indigent, dependent on Miss Minchin's good graces to survive.
I won't say much more on the plot, since it is very similar to A Little Princess. I loved that novel; this novelette is lacking some of the strong plot points of the longer work, which I find essential to the building of pathos and making Miss Minchin the most vile kids' book villain I have ever had the displeasure to encounter in a children's story. Here, she's just evil....more
One of Frances Burnett's personal, literary idiosyncrasies was to take a familiar children's story (Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe comes to mind for sOne of Frances Burnett's personal, literary idiosyncrasies was to take a familiar children's story (Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe comes to mind for some reason) and concoct her own story by deviating plot points with humor and imaginative leaps. She does a more than adequate job with Barty Crusoe and His Man Saturday.
Here, there is a brief collection of stories that recounts the Defoe novel with subtle variations, comedic characters, silly situations, and ironic reflections. There is a Good Wolf that immediately caused my Spidey sense to tingle. I was not sure if the name was supposed to be ironic or if it was designed to quell anxiety. Saturday is a black "savage" character that may or may not be a racist addition meant to riff on Friday in the Defoe classic.
Barty Crusoe is shipwrecked on a desert island with his Good Wolf. Together they explore the island and find that they are not marooned alone. There are pirates and indigenous people of which Saturday numbers the latter.
The stories are okay children's stories. The book made me laugh a few times. The book was published in 1909, is in the public domain, and available for free via Project Guttenberg....more
I would start with caveats. I'm going through a "The Works of Frances Hodgson Burnett" compilation. This is definitely not one of her better noveletteI would start with caveats. I'm going through a "The Works of Frances Hodgson Burnett" compilation. This is definitely not one of her better novelettes. It starts off as a tale riffing on Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, but honestly, I think the book (Progress), although a renowned religious classic, was already a dated work in 1894, when Burnett wrote Two Little Pilgrim's Progress.
Clearly, Burnett is paying homage to the work, while returning to the tropes that were staples of her literary style: the themes of neglect and poverty, undaunted spirits with elevated expectations, a wealthy benefactor unhappy with present circumstance, and the unerring foresight to visualize better for himself.
Felix and Felicity are twin siblings with the misfortune of having survived their parents, watched over by an aunt with the charity to take her brother's children and provide them with room and board, but little else in the ways of education, supervision, and affection. Although the siblings are appreciative of their aunt, they wish for more. They see a poster advertising the World's Fair and that transforms their lives of drudgery by giving them purpose. They save their salaries for over a year in order to attend which allows them to meet people that will transform their lives.
The story is meant to be magical, whimsical, mystical, Cinderella-rags-to-riches, but in an entire collection of similar stories, told in the same voice, it pales in comparison to Little Lord Fauntleroy, The Secret Garden, and A Little Princess. It's an OK story, but not a heck of a lot more....more
If you ever asked yourself how Peter Pan became what he became; then Peter and the Starcatchers Book #1 of the prequel series to the J. M. Barrie bookIf you ever asked yourself how Peter Pan became what he became; then Peter and the Starcatchers Book #1 of the prequel series to the J. M. Barrie books would begin to answer that question. To be honest the cover was what drew my attention: a pirate right there in a cinematic Dutch angle in front of a captured girl, demonstrating the pirate's malevolent intent toward her. Also, Peter is flying across the moon leaving a trail of stardust in his wake.
I was pleasantly surprised at what I read. The story fits well within the Disneyfied Peter Pan mythology. For someone familiar with the Barrie works, there may be some things that are dissimilar, but nothing to my recollection which may be considered objectionably inconsistent. Most certainly, children will enjoy it; especially if they are familiar with the Disney versions.
Here, Peter is an orphan along with a group of five other orphan boys, lost boys perhaps sold into the servitude of royals in India. First, he must earn his keep as an indentured sailor on the Neverland, a ship headed for India, but carrying a most valuable treasure. On the ship is a pretty girl named Molly who is a member of a group called the Starcatchers.
The Starcatchers flock to the place where falling stars land, in order to capitalize on star dust because it has magical properties. Molly teaches Peter about star dust because she has become aware of a plot by pirates to board the Neverland and she will need help to foil their plot.
The novel is filled with adventure and whimsy, with a bit of slapstick humor. The pencil illustrations are lovely. Story arcs become evident as the book moves forward, and if you've read previous Peter Pan novels, you begin to see narrative threads which will lead to the future: Tinkerbell, Captain Hook, the Lost Boys, and even Wendy. I am impressed....more
I remembered that I had read The Jungle Book as a child, but the content was a surprise to me, because I had forgotten that the book is not a novel, bI remembered that I had read The Jungle Book as a child, but the content was a surprise to me, because I had forgotten that the book is not a novel, but really an anthology of stories. I allowed myself to misremember that the book is not exclusively a book about Mowgli, but really a collection of stories where animals behave like human stand-ins.
Of course, the story of Mowgli the wolf boy is predominant. There are actually three stories: Mowgli's Brothers, Kaa's Hunting, and Tiger! Tiger!. The White Seal is a really good story about an intrepid seal attempting to find a haven where seals can find a respite from predators and other hunters. I remembered Riki-Tiki-Tavi from when I was a child, demonstrating what an impact that mongoose had on my life. Toomai of the Elephants and Her Majesty's Servants finalize the collection.
As in most anthologies, the stories fit together well, thematically, but they are uneven insofar as their impact on the reader. Mowgli clearly has captured the zeitgeist as evidenced by the numerous incarnations of he and the supporting characters: Bagheera, Kaa, Shere Khan, and others. Riki-Tiki-Tavi was impactful, but Her Majesty's Servants fell flat.
I can understand why the stories have been deemed classic literature, but I probably am done reading about these characters for the rest of my life. Good book as a whole, a productive experience, but definitely not in my "Best Books of All Time" category....more
When I first acquired my Kindle, I was in my 40s, and I really had no great love for the concept of electronic books. My x had bought me a Kindle, I tWhen I first acquired my Kindle, I was in my 40s, and I really had no great love for the concept of electronic books. My x had bought me a Kindle, I think as a way to make gift giving easier. I have always been a bibliophile, and I look forward to books as the best gifts; ergo, give me an Amazon gift card and I am a happy man. To be honest my first $10 gift card was unsuccessful. I bought one book and then went right back to buying paperbacks.
Until my eldest sat down with me and showed me the power of book clubs and reading lists, I had no idea how great it was to have a Kindle. So of course, it was only a matter of time until I had over a thousand books spread over 2 separate Kindle accounts along with my sons in a family library which gave me access to hundreds more.
The Bedtime Storybooks collection was something that I found for free during my initial exploration over ten years ago. My Dad used to read to my brother and I as children from this treasury of books written by Thornton Burgess and illustrated by Harrison Cady. Consequently, there was a great deal of nostalgia tied to my enjoyment of these books.
There are 19 books all told included in this whimsical, classic collection. The setting for all the stories is: The Green Meadow, The Green Forest, The Laughing Brook, The Smiling Pool, and its surrounding areas. The animal characters of Reddy Fox, Bowser the Hound, Johnny Chuck, Granny Fox, Drummer the Woodpecker, Peter Rabbit, Unc' Billy Possum, Digger the Badger, Striped Chipmunk, Bobby Coon, Jimmy Skunk, Whitetail Marshhawk, Jerry Muskrat, Sammy Jay, Ol' Mistah Buzzard are just a few of the natural denizens, we readers meet.
Overall, the books are useful as grade school educational tools for reading, life sciences, ecology, and morality. Repetition, poetry, and humor are some methodologies utilized. I, also, believe that the books are great as entertainment, as well. I loved these books....more
Since 1941, Archie Comics which started as MLJ Magazines, Inc. began publishing a line of humorous comic titles designed to attract a specific teenageSince 1941, Archie Comics which started as MLJ Magazines, Inc. began publishing a line of humorous comic titles designed to attract a specific teenaged demographic of readers. The line was so incredibly successful that the company changed its entire business model, forgoing their superhero titles to concentrate on a market geared more toward teen humor. In fact, the name of the company was changed to reflect that model.
In the Archie 1000 Page Digests, Archie Comics takes the curated content of 82 years of published titles and reprints the stories, one page quick-cut gags, puzzles, and half pages of silliness, and markets them in these 1000 page compilations. In this Gala issue (Book 10), the reader sees the stories of the usual characters: Archie, Veronica, Betty, Jughead, Reggie, Sabrina, Moose, Josie and the rest of the gang.
The artistic teams do the old stable proud. From Frank Doyle, Chic Stone, Harry Lucey, Alex Simmons, George Gladir, Stan Goldberg, Sam Schwartz, Dan Parent, Mike Esposito, Bill Yoshida, Jack Morelli, Rudy Lapick, Al Milgrom, Fernando Ruiz, Dan DeCarlo, Carlos Antunes, Kathleen Webb, Digikore Studios, and a crap-ton of others. There are over 100 stories anthologized here.
This issue seems to be dedicated to parties and Christmas celebrations in particular. I won't enumerate too many because there are so many, but there's a story that includes Noelle Claus (Santa's daughter) where she's crushing on a favored red-head. The adults ask the Archie's band to perform at a holiday party, which goes well. There's a gift-wrapping business that will make you chuckle, and so many more.
The artwork hasn't change very much in the intervening years. Archie has a style which causes all the artists to demonstrate the characters never really change. The Little Archie's have been around since the 1950s, and there's about 50 pages dedicated to that historical milieu. Anyway, I loved it and if you are an Archie's fan, you will enjoy these too....more
The Adventures of Bob White was the last book from the Bedtime Story Books collection written by Thornton Burgess and lovingly illustrated by HarrisonThe Adventures of Bob White was the last book from the Bedtime Story Books collection written by Thornton Burgess and lovingly illustrated by Harrison Cady. Cady's illustrations are so iconic that they are usually just reproduced into the newer publications. Even newer artists take Cady's art as models for the characters created by Burgess.
I decided that this year, I would read the entire run of the collected works and have enjoyed myself immensely. Part of that joy is due to the nostalgia that comes from rereading books that my father used to read to my younger brother and I. My brother is no longer around and so the books were a real way to remember him -- the two of us huddled in pajamas in my bed as we listened to Dad read about the animals that lived in the Green Meadow, the Green Forest, the Laughing Pool, and the surrounding areas.
Here, Bob White and his wife have decided to make a home in the Green Meadow, near the home of Farmer Brown and his family. When a hunter shoots at the partridge babies, Farmer Brown's boy becomes incensed and schools the hunter at how useful to their farm it is to keep the partridges present and alive. They keep the environment free of insects that would prove harmful to the crops grown on the farm.
Once again, I marvel at the story arc that the boy has had. He began as a hunter himself, but as the time has passed and his experiences with the denizens of the forest have increased, he has become a more compassionate person. I think the morality of the stories have become more evident and their educational value as well.
I wanted to finish the Bedtime Story Books collection by the end of this year. That is looking like a very real possibility seeing as how this is bookI wanted to finish the Bedtime Story Books collection by the end of this year. That is looking like a very real possibility seeing as how this is book number 18 of 19. The Adventures of Jimmy Skunk by the passionate and prolific author / conservationist Thornton W. Burgess is another well-written tale that is illustrated with whimsical flare by the capable Harrison Cady.
Here, the prankster, Peter Rabbit, has the opportunity to unwittingly enlist the aid of his rival and enemy, Reddy Fox, in a silly gag that will scare Jimmy Skunk and lay the blame squarely at Reddy's feet. Along the way, Peter will suffer a bit of a fright, but Reddy will get squirted by some of Skunk's signature scent, and hence get ostracized by all the denizens of the Green Meadow / Green Forest area.
There will be another controversy about eggs between Jimmy Skunk and Unc' Billy Possum in the henhouse and Farmer Brown's boy will mediate, but there's a great deal of silliness along the way. Farmer Brown's boy continues to become an important aspect of nature, which is great due to the fact that humans have thus far continued to play a negative role. Yet Farmer Brown's boy and his mother seem to have a conversation that is all about conservation.
I have thoroughly enjoyed all of the Bedtime Story Books, not just because of the nostalgia factor, but also because they represent a historic change in the conscientiousness of 20th century humans. There is a clear shift from just an arrogant sense of proprietary disregard for nature to an actual concern for the environment and our responsibility to it....more
The Adventures of Bobby Coon is the 17th book of the Bedtime Story Books collection written by the conservationist author Thornton W. Burgess and whimThe Adventures of Bobby Coon is the 17th book of the Bedtime Story Books collection written by the conservationist author Thornton W. Burgess and whimsically illustrated by Harrison Cady. Growing up, I loved these books: first, because Dad used to read these books at bedtime to my brother and I; second, because now that my brother has passed on, the nostalgia connects the three of us in a way that nothing else does.
Here, Bobby Coon is hibernating when bad dreams startle him awake. He was dreaming that a giant was chopping down the tree that serves as his home. As he wakes, he realizes that the dream was not far off. Farmer Brown's boy is chopping down his tree. Apparently it's dead, and he is chopping it down before it falls and potentially kills one of the other woodland creatures, He is trying to serve the animals of the Green Forest a good, while unknowingly doing an ill to Bobby Coon.
In this novel the reader finds out many good things about Farmer Brown's boy. In the earlier books, Farmer Brown and his son are portrayed as hunters with predatory ideas about the animals that inhabit the Green Meadow, the Smiling Pool, and all of the other wonderful places in this milieu. However, over the course of the latter books, the human characters have provided shelter and comfort to the animals that exist on their property.
As an example, when the tree is chopped down and Bobby Coon falls out of the tree, before Bowser the Hound can snatch up the raccoon, Farmer Brown's boy behaves with alacrity like a conservationist and takes Bobby Coon to his home because he notices that Bobby Coon has an injured leg. I think Burgess is communicating the idea that when nature is observed, there is a pedagogical possibility. Farmer Brown's son has learned how to behave toward nature that is less predatory and more environmentalist.
I've really enjoyed rereading these stories that my father used to read to my brother and I when we were kids. My boys (now men) never really took to I've really enjoyed rereading these stories that my father used to read to my brother and I when we were kids. My boys (now men) never really took to these books. However, I undertook to read all of these books before I eliminated them from my Kindle. There are 19 books in the Bedtime Storybook collection written by Thornton W. Burgess and illustrated wonderfully by Harrison Cady. This is book #15.
Paddy Beaver is a new resident of the Green Forest, Green Meadow milieu choosing to make his home in the Smiling Pool, Laughing Brook area. Paddy is a diligent and conscientious worker, who works hard at constructing a dam that doubles as his home. He is careful not to cut down more trees than he needs to fortify his constructs, knowing that if he thins the forest too much by his home, he is harming not only his surroundings but other critters indigenous to the forest.
Despite the similarity to the other adventures, Paddy is unique in the sense of making deliberate, moral choices that impact not just his own existence, but his environment as well -- consisting of flora and fauna. I love how he outsmarts Old Man Coyote, befriends Sammy Jay (a potential enemy), and assists other beasties. Definitely a really good book in my opinion. Highly recommended....more
As the year 2023 starts to wind down, I feel strongly compelled to finish the 19 volume Bedtime Storybook collection written by Thornton W. Burgess wiAs the year 2023 starts to wind down, I feel strongly compelled to finish the 19 volume Bedtime Storybook collection written by Thornton W. Burgess with illustrations by Harrison Cady. The Adventures of Old Man Coyote is book #14 from my collection, and is unique because it is the only volume with the villain as the lead character.
Here, Old Man Coyote is only gossiped about for the first third of the book. He is a new resident of the Green Meadow, Green Forest, Smiling Pool area, and Old Man Coyote is only known by reputation, which to be honest, is NOT so great. The story is odd because there's humor when dealing with this not a major threat kind of villain, but I really think this is played too tongue-in-cheek.
One of the great things about Burgess was that he was a conservationist, so even though tis was published in 1916, he gave unvarnished, non-judgmental animal stories with a healthy respect for nature. This story is sanitized to make the coyote seem a little more like Wile E. and even though the animals become a little more respectful, and a lot more afraid of him, the bullying would totally warrant some of the animals to become lunch.
But what do I know, I'm a jaded adult that loves horror. Reddy and Granny Fox should have been toast, but I understand why people should not get their faces eaten off. LOL! Just some silliness. Good book....more
I came into the year of 2023 with the objective to finish the Bedtime Storybook Collection of books that I own, and it looks like that actually might I came into the year of 2023 with the objective to finish the Bedtime Storybook Collection of books that I own, and it looks like that actually might become a possibility. The Adventures of Prickly Porky by Thornton W. Burgess is book number 13 which leaves 6 more to go. The original art drawn by Harrison Cady is reprinted here to continue the aura of these books.
I have waxed nostalgic as to what these books mean to me, although my father doesn't remember reading these books to my brother and I. It doesn't matter that the memory means more to me than it does to him.
As for the plot, Prickly Porky is a porcupine, new denizen of the Green Meadow, when all of the celebrated characters greet the new neighbor. As the day turns to night, and some of the nocturnal neighbors pass by Porky's home to hunt for food, they witness a rolling ball that if observed to closely causes physical pain. Even Granny Fox loses some of her composure when seeing the dangerous ball. It's humorous and a little scary, but also incredibly whimsical. A classic story, with some significant educational value....more
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