RAD LIBRARY

round the year

2010-04-30T05:19:00.006-04:00

i've seen many different work-play book editions...something about this one really called to me though. i think it was the squirrel in an apron illustration above that clinched the deal. a. gladys peck's illustrations are really whimsical and humorous. i do love that squirrel! the spring bunnies are pretty special too. oh, it's electrotyped. here's another work-play book.

the work-play books: round the year by arthur i. gates and miriam blanton huber
1932, the macmillan company, new york
illustrated by a. gladys peck

little farmer of the middle west

2010-04-28T12:08:00.006-04:00

this is a cute and educational book about farming. it is illustrated in photographs...i'm guessing with that time's version of clip art...but better. this would make a good educational tool, i think. i got it because my husband is from the midwest, but he has zero interest in farming and passed it up.

the children of america stories: little farmer of the middle west by madeline brandeis
first edition, 1937, grosset & dunlap, inc.
photographs not credited

and the jackal played the masinko

2010-04-09T10:16:00.003-04:00

this is a beautiful book...lovely illustrations and a charming story. i learned that a masinko is an ethiopian violin-like instrument.

and the jackal played the masinko by marjorie hopkins
first edition, 1969, parents' magazine press, new york
illustrated by olivia h. h. cole

**on a side note...sorry about the lack of posts lately, i am photographing several books today and will be posted them starting next week! also, have you seen this site book sale finder? i plan on attending a few of those listed in my state.

sparkle and spin

2010-03-31T11:05:00.004-04:00

i'm happy to share this iconic book sparkle and spin by ann (not to be confused with ayn) and paul rand. to me, this is more of a celebration of bold, eye-catching and interesting graphics. particularly graphics that are interesting to children who shy away from the fairy tale, dreamy sort of pictures a lot of children books are headed towards. it is simply wonderful!

sparkle and spin by ann & paul rand
first edition, 1957, harcourt, brace and world, new york

peter pauper's drink book

2010-03-23T07:42:00.005-04:00

a rad library reader, joseph, sent in some scans of ruth mccrea's illustrations for peter pauper's drink book...i've spoken (unabashedly) of my love for all things peter pauper press, and i was overjoyed!

joseph is a graphic designer in nyc and has an appreciation for such things as well...thank you kindly joseph for sharing these illustrations with us!

peter pauper's drink book: a guide to drinks and drinking compiled by peter beilenson
1964, peter pauper press, mt. vernon
illustrated by ruth mccrea

captain kangaroo and his pals

2010-03-18T14:45:00.003-04:00

wow, captain kangaroo sure did have some supersonic sideburns...i forgot how large those things were!

anyways, this nostalgic book has amazing illustrations...i guess that captain kangaroo paired up with pals vitamins and this was the result. much better marketing than today's standards, i think. this once had a record, which is now sadly gone. here is an ad for it!

captain kangaroo and his pals: adventure on pirate island by jean conder soule
an mgm book / record combination, 1970, bristol meyers co.
illustrated by stanley wilde and beatrice kehoe

brownie: girl scout handbook

2010-03-15T17:08:00.003-04:00

chock full of good information for brownies and non-brownies everywhere!

brownie: girl scout handbook
second impression, 1963, girl scouts of the united states of america
illustrators not credited

round up

2010-03-12T10:29:00.002-05:00

dutch picture books from 1810 to 1950 via the always fabulous biblio odyssey...a fantastic resource full of inspiration. be prepared to spend some time here!

if you love libraries, then you'll love a peek at 20 of the world's most beautiful libraries...i haven't been to any of these. although i've made a promise to myself to visit the library of congress next fall.

some lovely illustrations by charles keeping on automatism.

werner herzog reads children's books...at coilhouse...one of my favorite magazines!

a great collection of images of marilyn monroe reading...at come spy with me.

learn how to make a clever hogwart's style spell book at instructibles! via folk and fairy.

have you seen novel teas? i must order some.

mrs. lilien style mrs. literary book club...i love the personal library kit...can one actually be that organized?

once upon a blog covers fairy tale news of all kinds...

and i'll be back on monday with some more books! have a great weekend.

story hour readers: book two

2010-03-05T05:19:00.004-05:00

i wish i had book one. i cannot say enough about this wonderful book. to me it's perfect (even though it's essentially a textbook). printed only in shades of orange, shades of grey and black and white of course. here is book three and a manual. also, it's illustrated by frank lloyd wright's sister...talented family!

story hour readers: book two by ida coe and alice j. christie
1914, american book company
illustrated by maginel wright enright

amish moving day

2010-03-03T08:11:00.005-05:00

i love this book...i forgot to photograph a charming bookplate too. the 3 color silkscreen illustrations are lovely. the book is letterpress in its entirety, even the illustrations...~~which appear to be first letterpress and then silkscreened~~ (although here it is recorded that they are 4 color engravings, hmmm). all in all wonderful, and i'm glad to have it.

amish moving day by ella maie seyfert
first edition, 1942, thomas y. crowell company, new york
illustrated by henrietta jones

all aboard for sunrise lands

2010-03-01T07:49:00.004-05:00

interesting copperplate(?) illustrations...i think the illustrations used were the equivalent of today's clip art, and were most likely not created specifically for this book. there are many of differing styles and the whole seems a bit random.

all aboard for sunrise lands: a trip through california across the pacific to japan, china and australia by edward a. rand
second edition, 1881, d. lothrop & company, boston
illustrators not credited

the gentle heritage

2010-02-26T07:40:00.003-05:00

here is another book from the 1920s...equally as lovely, but with a totally different style.

the gentle heritage by frances e. crompton
1920, ward, lock & co., limited, london
illustrated by margaret w. tarrant

a child's garden of verses

2010-02-24T10:28:00.001-05:00

i love this book! any edition of a child's garden of verses is pretty magical...although i don't know many children who would be interested in the style of these poems these days. we are out there though! you know who you are. i was definitely one of those 'odd' children. i think these books are mostly appreciated for their aesthetic value. this one is particularly lovely. so very '20s. the endpapers are amazing! the illustrated borders are so whimsical and pleasing. all around a loved book (even if the cover is a bit blurry).

a child's garden of verses by robert louis stevenson
sears illustrated juveniles, 1926, j.h. sears & co., new york
illustrated by eva noé

noddy and the magic rubber

2010-02-22T12:55:00.000-05:00

my husband and i were snickering at the title of this cute book...it's part of the noddy series, popular in great britain in the '50s. the illustrations by peter wienk and robert tyndall* are wonderful!

noddy and the magic rubber by enid blyton
first edition, 1954, sampson low, marston & co., ltd., london
* illustrators not credited

the book of good cheer

2010-02-22T10:06:00.001-05:00

i normally steer away from these snippet collection type of books...this one was too charming to pass up! the endpapers alone were worth it...and it is rather uplifting. my favorite quote in the book?
"make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you."
-ralph waldo emerson

the book of good cheer: a little bundle of cheery thoughts edited by edwin osgood grover
1916, the algonquin publishing company, new york

the live dolls' house party

2010-02-19T09:46:00.005-05:00

this book is one in a series. the author has written other books such as, the story of live dolls and so on (* see list below). it's a lovely book...with beautiful and under-stated illustrations by virginia keep.

the live dolls' house party by josephine scribner gates
first edition, 1906, the bobbs-merrill company, indianapolis
illustrated by virginia keep

*
the story of live dolls
more about live dolls
the doll that was lost and found
the story of the lost doll
the story of the three dolls
the live dolls' house party
the live dolls' busy days
the live dolls' play days
the april fool doll
the secret of the live dolls
the live dolls' party days
the book of live dolls
the live dolls' in fairyland
the live dolls' in wonderland

happy hours

2010-02-03T05:05:00.004-05:00

if you look closely at the cover of this book, happy hours, you can see the dog is rolling in a cart of cheap cats' meat into the cats' section of town. it's always a scuffle between cats and dogs, no? this letterpress book is darling, the illustrations are magical.

happy hours
happy hours series, c. 1905, m.a. donohue & co., chicago

the three bears

2010-02-01T06:56:00.006-05:00

i love me a whitman tell-a-tale!!!

the three bears as told by solveig paulson russell
1968, western publishing co., racine
illustrated by louise gordon

the bear facts

2010-01-29T08:14:00.004-05:00

i picked up this book thinking it was a children's book full of facts about bears...what i got what a clever not-so-subtle "fable" all about cold war politics! this is such a very interesting book.

the illustrations are so well done in a painterly/comic book style by paul fennell.

the author's statement,
any resemblance in this fable to any person, place or thing is purely coincidental and just the result of your imagination. and mine!
...as well as, her dedication,
this book is dedicated to all alert air-minded americans to all the men who build our planes and all the flyers who man them and particularly to the rawest recruit of them all, my son, roger conant culbertson
are poignant and really show her passion on the subject.
political books aren't very interesting to me, partly because, politics aren't that interesting to me...but i do find this book a valuable bit of americana.

the bear facts by polly culbertson
first edition, 1948, the john c. winston co., philadelphia
illustrated by paul j. fennell

take a peek at another interesting political book (with a totally different viewpoint) posed as children's book here.

fairy tales and fables

2010-01-27T07:37:00.004-05:00

i was unfamiliar with gyo fujikawa's work until i picked this up at a thrift store a few years ago...how could i ever have been in the dark?! simply amazing and downright adorable, as well. as you may know, anything fairy tale or fable is alright with me and this book is no exception. i think it's another must for your library.

this book includes the moon maiden along with other standard classics... it's really a wonderful resource.

fairy tales and fables edited by eve morel
revised edition, 1970, grosset & dunlap, new york
illustrated by gyo fujikawa

the big golden book of poetry

2010-01-25T07:09:00.005-05:00

this is a lovely book full of classic poems such as the owl and the pussycat (also my favorite illustration of the entire book - see cover) by edward lear...and with amazing illustrations by gertrude elliot...a must for your library!

the big golden book of poetry: 85 childhood favorites edited by jane werner
special scott, foresman and co. edition, 1949, golden press
illustrated by gertrude elliot

holly hobbie™

2010-01-08T08:16:00.001-05:00

i used to love holly hobbie™ when i was a girl...i wanted to dress like her and live in her world. as an adult, i'm still fond of her. the cookbook has some nice simple recipes that would be easy to share with a child!

holly hobbie's™ alphabet book by american greetings corp.
1979, ottenheimer publishers, inc.
illustrated by holly hobbie

holly hobbie's™ cookbook by american greetings corp.
1979, ottenheimer publishers, inc.
illustrated by holly hobbie

typewriter town

2010-01-07T11:11:00.004-05:00

this is a rare children's book all written and illustrated using a typewriter. it's an analog celebration!

typewriter town: the nonsense of nonsense by william jay smith
first edition, 1960, e.p. dutton & co.

merry christmas! and a round up

2009-12-28T11:14:00.004-05:00

i meant to post this before the holiday...but i figure, better late than next year :)

merry christmas!
1943, alfred a. knopf, new york
illustrated by natasha simkhovitch

i'll be back in 2010...until then:

a wonderful collection of imaginary idol 'gigi gaston' ephemera by josh gosfield at steven kasher gallery...via boing boing.

once upon a blog... chronicles fairy tale relevent information...great stuff!

the lost pleasure of browsing...it's so true, i am on the wall about electronic readers, i love the tactile feel of a book and the whole bookstore experience...via the mccune collection...a collection of rare books and bookmaking objects, which now belongs to the city of vallejo, ca...via biblio odyssey.

between the covers an exhibition on "women's magazines and their readers"...via nothing elegant.

the 10 essential classics according to antler magazine.

bangkok rare books...if only i had millions!

design is mine explores the golden age of illustration in ten images.

answers to frequently asked questions about old books and their values at the american library association's rare books department.

more rare books...yale's beinecke library...columbia university's...and penn's.

when bad covers happen to good books and 100 notable books of 2009 both are via automatism (who always posts the best book links).

i've also added a bunch of new links to the sidebar!

happy new year <3

the gingerbread boy, little red riding hood and the house that jack built

2009-12-22T08:36:00.000-05:00

a compilation of three great stories...i love the naïveté of the cover!

little red riding hood is perhaps my favorite fairy tale of all...i grew up with a large painting of little red with the wolf hiding behind a tree. the painting was by this man named eddie newman, who was a ~~street fighter~~ boxer friend of my grandfather's. it was hung directly across from my bed and it gave me nightmares for years.
i used to have these cartoon dreams that the wolf was after me and would catch me by my wrist and gnaw on it. really unpleasant stuff for my 5 year old self. but after a while, i guess it seeped in and i grew to love it and not fear it...and now i'm a bit of a morbid adult and i'm sure this painting has something to do with it!

i told this story to a college professor of mine...i was taking a class titled something like "medieval women's culture" (it was a summer course). after the shock of troubadour poetry being read to me at 8 a.m., the love-lorn letters between abelard and heloise, and many discussions on nuns...i was prompted to share this for some reason and my professor said, "well you must be afraid of men!!" i realized her point, being, that fairy tales concern girls/women in particular ways that they might not men...although i'm not sure about that. anyways, discussion for another day.

the gingerbread boy, little red riding hood and the house that jack built
1945, whitman publishing, racine
illustrated by hilda miloche and wilma kane

chester bear's adventures

2009-12-21T16:28:00.003-05:00

mama bear, papa bear, baby bear...never gets old for me...this book's illustrations are unique and special, i think. adapted from romanian. this is apparently one in a series.

chester bear's adventures by maria zetea
adapted by ana marian
c. 1980, roydon publishing co. ltd, london
illustrated by ecaterina draganovici

robinson crusoe

2009-12-17T10:40:00.002-05:00

i used to have a robinson crusoe coloring/activity book when i was a kid and i loved it. it had a real survival in the elements slant to it and i remember thinking i would've been a better leader when i read lord of the flies. pretty arrogant i guess, but then again i was 8 or something. anyways, long story short...i've never actually read this book! but i promise to and will hopefully some day soon.
these illustrations are really special...they were apparently created in the "tropics" so that they would accurately set the mood for the text.

the life and strange surprising adventures of robinson crusoe, of york, mariner by daniel defoe
c. 1900, harper and brothers, new york
illustrated by the brothers louis and frederick rhead

junior deluxe editions

2009-12-07T13:11:00.006-05:00

i've posted about junior deluxe editions before here. they are little pieces of sunshine in book form! here are 3 stories of 3 strong and interesting men!

the story of doctor dolittle by hugh lofting
1948, j.b. lippincott, philadelphia
illustrated by hugh lofting

robin hood by howard pyle
c. 1955, junior deluxe editions, new york
illustrator not credited

treasure island by robert louis stevenson
1954, nelson doubleday, new york
illustrated by henry c. pitz

the golden book: the story of fine books and bookmaking - past & present

2009-12-03T06:44:00.007-05:00

this book has a beautiful gilt cover...i'm not really sure how the title relates to the text...maybe it's something i'm missing (referring to books for the masses?). anyways...this used to belong to a church congregation and it must have sat on a library shelf for years because it is in excellent condition. just a loose spine which has been repaired in a few places. all of the paper is hallmarked with the printer's mark (which i've never seen in another book).

as a reference tool this book is remarkable! it includes all kinds of information on bookmaking (past and present)...
ancient forms of writing
the origin of the alphabet
types of paper
books in manuscript
woodcuts and block books
typography
the invention of printing
the venetian masters
early illustrated books
the study of the incunabula
roman type design
the printing press
benjamin franklin
isaiah thomas
william morris
bookmaking and its process
type design (have you seen helvetica?)
book illustration
the art of bookbinding
modern fine printing
and much much more...including a ton of illustrations. this book is 2" thick!

the golden book: the story of fine books and bookmaking - past & present by douglas c. mcmurtrie
second edition, 1927, pascal covici, chicago

david copperfield in copperplate

2009-12-02T11:20:00.004-05:00

i found this amazing book at a book sale this past summer. i love the irony of the book...i find it very clever. i also love dicken's david copperfield. well, i love dickens. these copperplates illustrate the story very well and i like the style of illustration too. there are 46 illustrations in all with short quotes from the story filling in the gaps.

the publisher's note sums it up nicely...

in offering this series of drawings by william ross cameron, the publisher is confident that their charm will be apparent to collectors & amateurs alike. collectors of dickensiana will find in them a fresh interpretation of david copperfield, so often essayed by other artists, so seldom successfully. through his painstaking researches into the life and manners of the period and through his piquant characterization - often just this side of caricature - that is dickens, will cameron has added another bouquet to the great victorian's wreath. whether or not they have ever read the 800-odd pages of the novel amateurs from "seven to seventy" will find in these plates, with accompanying excerpts from the original text, a personally conducted tour of vivacity and sustained interest through the stirring scenes of david's fortunes & misfortunes. children of seven will be led to read this truly remarkable novel, and those of seventy to reread and relive it!

david copperfield in copperplate
first edition, 1947, bern porter, california
illustrated by william ross cameron

light7

2009-12-01T11:22:00.004-05:00

this is an aperture book from 1971. it's a book/exhibition catalog. aperture was the creation of minor white, ansel adams, dorothea lange and a few others. when i was in university, aperture was spoken of with a reverence usually reserved for holy books. i've come across old editions from time to time and they seem to be getting harder and harder to find. aperture does still publish some fantastic books and a magazine.

this book is a catalog of an exhibition titled, "light 7," or light to the 7th power, that was displayed at MIT's hayden gallery. the title is the them and some wonderful photographers are included: dorothy norman, lotte jacobi, eugene meatyard (one of my favorites), don worth, ansel adams and minor white. all of the photos are black and white and there is also some text and quotes included, which are really interesting. here light is used as metaphor, medium and philosophy rounding out the whole exhibition. wish i could've been there!

light7: an aperture book
photographs from an exhibition on a theme edited by minor white
1971, aperture, inc., new york

love is a special way of feeling

2009-11-25T07:01:00.001-05:00

i remember reading joan walsh anglund's books as a kid. i think she is the first illustrator that i really enjoyed, recognized and followed. she is also the origin of my love for hand drawn type. i loved (and still do) how everything is hand done and that there were tiny imperfections in each illustration. an overdrawn line here, shaky lines, uneven lines there...this is what makes her books special to me. also her dedications were hand written with a little drawing meant for just that person. on top of that, they are also super cute and warm and fuzzy and all that.

love is a special way of feeling by joan walsh anglund
1960, harcourt, brace and world, inc., new york

growing up

2009-11-24T10:53:00.003-05:00

back on the growing up theme...books with baby animals are abundant and always pleasing! here are some other rand mcnally elf books.

growing up by jean fritz
a rand mcnally elf book, 1962, rand mcnally and co., chicago
illustrated by elizabeth webbe

crossing the bar

2009-11-19T05:52:00.000-05:00

i've been collecting antique tennyson books for ages...i was super pleased to find this little book illustrating his poem, crossing the bar. the whole book is lithograph by a small publisher with gold accents and gorgeous illustrations. it's really a lovely little thing and i will gladly add it to my collection.
here is the poem within:

Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea.
But such a tide as moving
seems asleep,
Too full for
sound and foam,
When that which
drew from out
the boundless deep
Turns again home.
Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark!
And may there be
no sadness of farewell,
When I embark;
For tho' from out
our bourne of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see
my Pilot face to face
When I have crost the bar.

(how lovely would this be paired with ezra pounds' the river merchant's wife: a letter? ~perhaps my favorite poem of all~)

crossing the bar by alfred lord tennyson
circa 1900, the hayes lithographing co., buffalo, new york
illustrator not credited

the wonderful story of how you were born

2009-11-18T06:39:00.000-05:00

i love the cover of this book...how the back looks like the back of the children's heads and the writing is reversed. very clever! this book actually includes the words vagina, penis, and testicles...i almost giggled like a little girl. but truly i was surprised since this book was published in 1959. this is actually a revised edition (it was originally published in 1952). i just figured everything in the '50s was storks and cabbages. the lithograph illustrations are lovely too, and it really is very informative.

the wonderful story of how you were born by sidonie matsner gruenberg
revised edition, 1959, doubleday & company, inc., new york
illustrated by hildegard woodward

there is nothing like a cat

2009-11-17T14:18:00.003-05:00

there is nothing like a cat...i can attest to that, having 5 of my own. 2 too many if you ask me, but they are lovely so i can't complain!
anyways, i love the expressions of her illustrations...you can tell she knew cats well...and the endpapers are darling. i'm glad i found this one!

there is nothing like a cat by rosalind welcher
first edition, 1968, panda prints, inc., new york

round up

2009-11-12T05:51:00.002-05:00

the new york review of books talks about the lost pleasure of browsing...interesting to ponder, it's the same reason i haven't purchased a kindle...i just love the feel of a good book...via automatism.

the mccune collection is a fantastic collection of rare books including the kelmscott chaucer, a gorgeous version designed by william morris with woodcut illustrations by edward burne-jones...via bibliodyssey.

also via bibliodyssey is the truly lovely victorian blood book...which originally belonged to evelyn waugh. speaking of, have you read the loved one or seen the movie? so good!

luisa frascati by leopoldo lugones on the fantastic a journey round my skull.

book by its cover shares the new moomin book reprinted by drawn & quarterly.

a ton of interesting endpapers on drawger...via cafe cartolina.

book lovers never go to bed alone...a tumblr of people's bookshelves!

artist julianna swaney shares some inspirations on her blog rare bird...illustrations from the brambley hedge.

i've also added some new links to the sidebar:
we heart books * the new york review of books * bees knees reads * nordic voices * the mccune collection * children's illustration *

the happy hollisters and the mystery of the little mermaid

2009-11-10T07:13:00.000-05:00

this is another grab bag book...if you want to see the rest just search 'grab bag' in the navigation bar at the top of the page.
i'm a scandophile...and i was given a lovely trip to copenhagen for my college graduation by my mother. the day we visited the little mermaid it was christmas and about 0 degrees. the wind coming off of the oeresund strait was even more frigid. but it was worth it, she really is as lovely as everyone says.
i've never read any of "the happy hollister" books, but i'm glad to have this one to start with.

the happy hollisters and the mystery of the little mermaid (book #18) by jerry west aka andrew e. svenson
1960, doubleday and co.
illustrated by helen s. hamilton

when granny was a little girl

2009-11-09T08:03:00.000-05:00

another lovely grab bag book...apparently true remembrances by the author. i also love the inscription which reads, "to the father and mother who gave their six children that priceless gift-a perfectly happy childhood"...a priceless gift indeed.

when granny was a little girl by a.e.p. searing
young moderns books, 1934, doubleday, doran & company, new york
illustrated by marion t. justice

stories for alice

2009-11-06T06:50:00.000-05:00

this is another grab bag book. the illustrations within are engravings in tints. it is also stereotyped (aka letterpress). the frames are amazing! they are by far my favorite thing about the book, although it is charming as a whole. it is all poems.

stories for alice by anna sharpless brown
1853, henry longstreth, philadelphia
illustrator not credited

corazon

2009-11-05T07:35:00.005-05:00

this interesting book was in a stack of children's books that i picked up in a grab bag. they were all vintage and i'll be posting quite a few (if not all) of them. the entire book is in spanish and has pop-up diorama like illustrations. really lovely. i am most smitten with the cover though.
it's a translation of the italian children's novel heart (cuore) by edmundo d'amicis. which is known for its socialist leanings.

corazon by edmundo d'amicis
translated by hector sanchez puyol
1951, editorial codex, buenos aires
illustrated by enzo nardi

peter pauper's book of fun

2009-11-04T11:26:00.004-05:00

another peter pauper press book for my collection. another with silkscreen illustrations!

peter pauper's book of fun
1963, peter pauper press, mount vernon
illustrated by albert eisler

the city and country mother goose

2009-11-04T08:49:00.000-05:00

i'm endlessly amazed at the wealth of beauty in illustrated children's books. this book is no exception. hilde hoffmann's illustrations are fantastic. busy, colorful, loose, naive and all around amazing. it's like jumping into a blissful dream.

the city and country mother goose by hilde hoffmann
first edition, 1969, american heritage press, new york
illustrations are also by hilde hoffmann

the dragon who liked to spit fire

2009-11-03T07:33:00.000-05:00

there's something about castles and dragons that immediately evokes a feeling of childhood imaginings for me. this book is really the embodiment of such childhood fantasies. there's also great merit to creatures that should be frightening, such as a fire spitting dragon, that are personalized into little cuddly BFFs. i used to have a dragon ring (high school-ish) that i would fantasize could come alive and live in my pocket and light my cigarettes (thank god i'm no longer a smoker...and i no longer fancy dragon rings). guess the fantasy lasted a long time for me :)

the dragon who liked to spit fire by judy varga
weekly reader children's book club edition, 1962, william morrow and company, new york
pictures also by judy varga

collections

2009-11-02T11:22:00.004-05:00

another collection...view the others here. aren't those endpapers da bomb, yo? ha.
interesting fact about the bobbsey twins' author...it's a pseudonym!

the bobbsey twins' toy shop by laura lee hope
1948, grosset & dunlap, new york

the bobbsey twins on a houseboat by laura lee hope
1943, grosset & dunlap, new york

leedle yawcob strauss and other poems

2009-10-30T07:48:00.000-04:00

this is probably the strangest book i have ever come across! the entire book is written in dialect (the only other early american books i've come across in dialect are slave narratives)...a german-american (pennsylvania german) "accent" is illustrated in the words, for example:

"Haf you seen mine leedle Shonny, Shonny Schwartz, Mit his hair so soft und yellow, und his face so blump und mellow: Sooch a funny leedle fellow, Shonny Schwartz?"

the book is comprised of poems of this sort. all of the works are by charles follen adams who was apparently a writer of short columns in scribner's and the detroit free press. i had no idea that these poems in dialect were de rigueur at one point in time. i think they are meant to be humorous, but i have to say i find them a bit offensive.

the illustrations by "boz", a pseudonym for george cruikshank, are incredibly well done, although quite a few of them depict the racial stereotypes of the time that are not only inappropriate for the current day, but are also a bit awkward to share here. i chose to include them to show that once in a while, these images pop up in the most unexpected places and they are indeed, historically, a part of american literary culture.
i found this book in a grab bag of children's books, and although i find it interesting and would never have sought it ought, i am glad to have it.
oh, it's electrotyped!!

leedle yawcob strauss, and other poems by charles f. adams
first edition, 1878, lee and shepard publishers, boston
illustrated by "boz"

miss z: the dark young lady

2009-10-29T11:53:00.004-04:00

i got this lovely little book from etsy seller vintage books n' things...i am a long-time angela carter fan! i think angela carter wrote only two stories for the young adult; this one and another titled, the donkey king. i've never read the latter...maybe it's a re-telling of the grimms' tale the donkey? there is surprisingly little information that i could find online about both.
this book also has unique and wonderful illustrations by eros keith.

miss z: a dark young lady by angela carter
1970, simon and schuster
illustrations by eros keith

schlechte zeiten für gespenster

2009-10-27T10:25:00.009-04:00

i mentioned on my other blog about doing a vampire related post here...partly due to halloween and partly because of the vampire explosion of late.
i love vampires and i love vampire literature, film, culture, etc...i even wrote my honor's thesis on vampirism is scandinavian folklore and blood drinking in viking history...truly weird, right?

my friends are always asking me if i like twilight or the vampire diaries...i read the first twilight book and it was alright (i preferred the movie). i do see the appeal to the young adult crowd, although i think i would've hated the whole thing when i was 14 (i was a vampire lit snob back in the day). i haven't read the vampire diaries books but i think the show is pretty good so far.

i love hbo's show true blood, as well as, charlaine harris' southern vampire series of books; which the show is based on (the show is very different from the books). it's good, light, page-turning reading and harris does an excellent job on character development. i'm addicted and if they could go on forever i would read them forever!

right now i'm reading laurell k. hamilton's anita blake: vampire hunter series...i'm on the second book the laughing corpse and they are alright. i hope they get better further into the series.

anyways, i think there are some must reads in the vampire genre of literature...and i certainly have not read everything out there so if there's anything you want to add in the comments, please feel free! i love recommendations.

but first! the book pictured above...i picked it up a long time ago, where, i cannot remember. the whole book is in german and that means i can't really read it, but i still love it. the illustrations are wonderful (including the super neat moving bat on each page corner)...the title in english reads, bad times for ghosts, and i believe it's also a episode of a tv show (maybe?).

back to vampire literature...here are my recommendations:

^o^ dracula by bram stoker
^o^ carmilla by j. sheridan le fanu
^o^ interview with the vampire by anne rice
(as well as the vampire lestat and the queen of the damned...don't bother with the rest)
^o^ the vampyre by john william polidori
^o^ varney the vampire or the feast of blood (a penny dreadful) by james malcolm rymer
^o^ the hunger by whitley strieber
^o^ salem's lot by stephen king
^o^ the historian by elizabeth kostova
^o^ let the right one in by
^o^ the demon lover by dion fortune
^o^ the vampire tapestry by suzy mckee charnas
^o^ our vampires, ourselves by nina auerbach - not literature, but critique

schlechte zeiten für gespenster by w.j.m. wippersberg
1984, benziger
illustrated by käthi bhend-zaugg

dolls: the wide world over

2009-10-26T13:22:00.004-04:00

left: a funerary doll of the marques of normandy, 1715 | right: russian wood dolls (19th century)

a lapp couple (20th century)

left: german wooden old woman doll | right: german wood dolls with glass eyes (18th century)

left: doll by sasha morgenthaler (c. 1955) | right: doll by else hoffman (c. 1968)

another doll book...i got this one for research. i love the german dolls in the 4th picture (rh). they remind me of old pretenders, and the midcentury dolls (last picture) are really lovely! oh, never mind the mysterious light action in the photos, i hope it doesn't detract too much from your viewing pleasure.
this book is a pretty good comprehensive guide of dolls through the ages (and around the globe) from primitive and archaic to current and elaborate. there is a focus on the handmade, or limited production dolls. i wish more of the pictures were in color (there are only a few), but all in all it's been a good resource and source of inspiration for me.

dolls: the wide world over by manfred bachmann
translated by ruth michaelis-jena
first u.s. edition, 1973, crown publishers, new york
photographed and designed by claus hausmann

pippa mouse

2009-10-22T07:25:00.001-04:00

speaking of memories from my childhood (isn't that most of this blog anyway?)...pippa mouse was a beloved memory of mine. i was lucky to find a copy on abe books. i highly recommend this book for parents to give their children! the stories are meant to be read aloud, and the illustrations are so cute. hours of fun were inspired by pippa mouse. i made pippa mouse houses, pippa mouse clothes, pippa mouse furniture...all acted out with those mice from the '70s...remember them?

pippa mouse by betty boegehold
1973, alfred a. knopf, new york
illustrated by cyndy szekeres

mystiskt besök i mumindalen

2009-10-21T11:54:00.004-04:00

i was introduced to tove jansson's moomins late in life...(although i think i have a memory from my childhood, while in holland visiting cousins, of something moomin or moomin-like that i coveted and threw a temper tantrum over because it wasn't bought for me).
anyways, better late than never. i think the stories (this book is swedish, which i cannot read) are darling and the characters are so dang cute. they make me wish i was 8 years old again.
i think this title translates to something akin to "Mystical visits in Moominland"...please correct me if i'm wrong.

there is a ton of information on the internet on this subject...for a sampling see:
here
here
here
here
and here

mystiskt besök i mumindalen samlingsvolym (omnibus) after tove jansson
1993, bokförlag carlesen

gardener's magic and other old wives' lore

2009-10-19T08:18:00.004-04:00

i love this book...it's another that i first spotted and thought may be a peter pauper press book. it's not, and it's totally lovely all on its own (and quite rare i think).

the whole book is letterpress printed with medieval illustrations taken from the hortus sanitatis and john gerard's herball.

written by bridget boland who researched and researched to find some interesting and esoteric information.

gardener's magic and other old wives' lore by bridget boland
1977, the bodley head, london

rubaiyat of omar khayyam

2009-10-16T09:44:00.000-04:00

i always see copies of omar khayyam's rubaiyat everywhere (flea markets, thrift stores, antique malls, etc...), and i always wonder why. it's beautiful. i guess some don't give it a chance. i've never seen an edition this lovely.

and those who husbanded the golden grain,
and those who flung it to the winds like rain,
alike to no such aureate earth are turn'd
as, buried once, men want dug up again.

the illustrations by sarkis katchadourian are amazing. i love the unibrows! i would also love a print or two of these painting to hang in my home.

rubaiyat of omar khayyam
translated by edward fitzgerald
1946, grosset & dunlap, new york
paintings and decorations by sarkis katchadourian

a hive of busy bees

2009-10-15T07:24:00.000-04:00

i picked this book up right after i made this illustration...now my eyes are searching for bee hives everywhere. i've been really concerned about colony collapse disorder and it has inspired my work.

this book isn't so much about bees, but rather about two children, joyce and don, who want to spend a summer with their grandparents in the country. christian life lessons abound! wholesome fun and quite lovely too.

there is another book as well, another hive of bees.

a hive of busy bees by effie m. williams
1931, gospel trumpet co.
1939, metropolitan church assn.
illustrator not credited

round up

2009-10-14T08:54:00.004-04:00

forgotten bookmarks...finding some old note, piece of ephemera or bookmark is such a prize.

fine little day shares a lovely swedish children's book with illustrations by kerstin frykstrand.

what claudia wore is an adorable homage to the fashion references in the baby sitter's club books.

the hunting lodge shared a selection of illustrations from the japanese book an anatomical guide to monsters.

infinite summer currently has a dracula read-along going...they're on chapter 11 but have archives available for every other so far...such a great idea! in january they'll be reading roberto bolaño's 2666. (thanks to kyle's friend from ze facebook for the link)

i've also added a few links to the sidebar: international children's digital library ~ a journey 'round my skull ~ the book cover achive ~ the modern word ~ the literary gothic ~ never mind that; never mind that now ~ awful library books

the folklore of weddings and marriage

2009-10-13T10:56:00.004-04:00

when i first saw this book i thought it was from peter pauper press, then i realized it was a bit large and some more investigation brought me to its publisher: american heritage press (a subsidiary of mcgraw-hill). not only is the folklore aspect of it interesting to me, but the illustrations are by tomie de paola...maybe you've heard of his book strega nona?

these illustrations are super charming and have a very gorey-esque feel to them (particularly his illustrations for pbs' mystery!...(or shall i say gorey's work had a de paola-esque feel to them)).

i love that they are all printed in wedgwood blue (very wedding, no?).

the folklore of weddings and marriage: traditional beliefs, customs, superstitions, charms and omens of marriage and marriage ceremonies
edited by duncan emrich
1970, american heritage press, new york
illustrated by tomie de paola

cherry-blossoms

2009-10-07T13:37:00.003-04:00

i've mentioned before how much i love these little books published by peter pauper press...i have quite a few now, making it a small collection. i just picked this one up. the woodcut illustrations are really charming.

cherry-blossoms: japanese haiku series 3
translations of poems by basho, buson, issa, shiki and others.
1960, the peter pauper press, new york
illustrations and decorative lettering by jeff hill

boy scout handbook

2009-10-05T06:29:00.000-04:00

this is a 1965 edition of the boy scouts of america's boy scout handbook...this book includes a surprising amount of information. besides laying out all the rules, awards, oaths and codes of being a proper boy scout (from "tenderfoot" to "eagle scout")...this book has knowledge on camping (everything you need to know from building a tent to campfire recipes), bird and wildlife identification and tracking, mapping, constellations, wood-lore, morse code, conservation, tying knots, athletics...and much much more. this book is a fantastic reference for many things and the illustrations are amazing!

boy scout handbook
1965, boy scouts of america, new jersey
no. 3227

our wedding

2009-10-02T12:42:00.000-04:00

and now for something a little different...i think this book technically may fall under the ephemera umbrella (which is a lovely umbrella, i must add)...but it is housed in my personal library along with the books i share here, so i decided to include it. it's also a bit personal with an interesting story too.

this is the wedding book from my great great aunt irene's marriage to her husband wilmer in 1943. irene married old to a religious zealot (although a kind and gentle man as my father remembers him). apparently wilmer was never without his bible and spent a large portion of his time "speaking the word" (and sometimes in tongues) to neighbors and towns people. he was eventually placed in a mental institution for speaking the word a little too fervently and later died while receiving electroshock therapy.

our wedding: form for the solemnization of matrimony with certificate
by the methodist book concern
1939, abingdon-cokesbury press, new york

the historic county of burlington

2009-10-01T12:30:00.003-04:00

i found this pamphlet and actually find it quite interesting. among information gleaned from this mini book i learned that 'cinnaminson' means "sweet water", 'pennsauken' means "crooked river" and 'rancocas' means "many kinsmen". these are all new jersey cities with native american place names!

the historic county of burlington
text by lloyd e. griscom
1973, the burlington county cultural and heritage commission, mount holly
artwork by marguerita shinn farmer & richard c. moore

hans andersen's fairy tales

2009-09-22T13:46:00.005-04:00

i had to stop myself from photographing each illustration in this lovely book. i always notice hans christian andersen books because, well, i love him. i can't believe this is my first post dedicated to one of his books! i've seen so many editions of his iconic fairy tales...so many have gorgeous illustrations, and yet, i think this may be my favorite so far. this book is illustrated by jiří trnka, "the walt disney of the east" who is best known for his stop-motion puppet movies. his movies are truly magical and i highly recommend them all.

it includes some of his best (in my opinion) fairy tales, such as : "the snow queen," "thumbykin," a.k.a. "thumbelina" "mother elder," "the wild swans" and many more. i will definitely be treasuring this book. i may even break it out and share it with guests...carry it around like my bible (ala mark david chapman minus the sinister) and sing it lullabies at bedtime.

hans andersen's fairy tales
designed and produced for artia by paul hamlyn
1967, paul hamlyn, london
illustrated by jiří trnka

where have you been?

2009-09-18T10:45:00.004-04:00

this little pamphlet style book is one of my favorite finds of late. it's incredibly endearing from the short rhymes by goodnight moon's margaret wise brown to the illustrations by barbara cooney.

i love the illustrations so much i could get them tattooed all over my body. seriously, i can go ga-ga for some of these books. from time to time i think of the tattooed disney man and come back to my senses. anyways, if you can find a copy...snap it up!

where have you been? by margaret wise brown
first scholastic edition, 1965, scholastic book services
illustrated by barbara cooney

i know a giraffe

2009-09-17T14:11:00.003-04:00

i love these silkscreen illustrations...although i think this book is actually all lithograph...but the blue, olive, gold and black palette on white is fantastic! the creatures are darling and the detail and patterns are also really something. a must own book.

i know a giraffe:a tall tale by david omar white
first edition, 1965, alfred a. knopf, new york
illustrated by author

collections

2009-09-15T09:49:00.004-04:00

a set of 2 books presented as a collection.

anna karenina by leo tolstoy with an introduction by james t. farrell
living library edition, 1946, the world publishing co.
translated by constance garnett
illustrated by laszlo matulay

nine plays by eugene o'neill, selected by the playwright himself, with an introduction by joseph wood krutch
1932, liveright, inc.

the horse that liked sandwiches

2009-09-14T09:19:00.000-04:00

i love aliki's early illustrations...and a horse named mario? can you get any better than that?!

the horse that liked sandwiches by vivian l. thompson
see and read, 1962, g.p. putnam's sons, new york
illustrated by aliki brandenberg

the big bark

2009-09-13T09:14:00.002-04:00

another cute little 'tell-a-tale' book.

the big bark by christine woyke
tell-a-tale book, 1975, western publishing, wisconsin
illustrated by stina nagel

paddington at the circus

2009-09-02T09:52:00.004-04:00

take a peek at my previous paddington post.

paddington at the circus by michael bond
first american edition, 1974, random house, new york
illustrated by fred banbery

paddington's garden

2009-09-02T09:26:00.006-04:00

i'm fairly certain that paddington is the cutest bear ever. i remember this girl who lived down the street from me growing up...i have nothing nice to say about her so i won't say anything...anyways, she had a paddington bear doll with hat, raincoat, wellies and suitcase. it was my first dealings with serious stuffed animal envy.

i was lucky to find 2 paddington books...they aren't illustrated by peggy fortnum...but i do think the illustrations by fred banberry have the spirit of paddington that is essential and i remember these illustrations most from my childhood. they make me melt. if i could stuff little paddington into my pocket and keep him forever, i would.

paddington's garden by michael bond
first american edition, 1973, random house, new york
illustrated by fred banbery

dolls of japan

2009-08-31T12:11:00.004-04:00

this book is wonderful for so many reasons...the pictures are lovely and it also included a kimono pattern, which is good for me since i like to sew things and make dolls as well. this book isn't mainly a guide to make dolls though, it also has some great information on styles of japanese dolls, their costumes and inspirations.

dolls of japan: a guide to the creation and appreciation of japanese dolls in all their colorful splendor by satako ozawa (who also created the dolls pictured)
first edition, 1957, toto shuppan company ltd., tokyo

round up

2009-08-11T12:18:00.004-04:00

i have to apologize for my lack of posts of late...the tail end of summer has distracted me. i have lots of new (to me) stuff to share and promise to back with regular posts shortly. until then...a round up!

automatism's buffet always has fabulous literary inclusions...here are some that i've saved...

sarah waters' top 10 victorian novels...and i pretty much agree with her choices.

stephen smith's top 10 subterranean books...seems to me there'd be quite a few that one could add to this list...such as neil gaiman's neverwhere and haruki murakami's hard boiled wonderland and the end of the world (both of which are great books).

jessica duchen's top 10 literary gypsies...i think some non-literal (literally) gypsies could be interesting to ponder too...such as trilby and dracula.

linda buckley-archer's top 10 time travelling stories...some of these are now on my 'to read' list.

also...

61 essential postmodern reads: an annotated list chosen by a grouping of categories, such as, author as character, disrupts or plays with form, includes historical falsehoods and such...there are tons that could have been chosen and so many of them wonderful (albeit not for everyone)...but where is bret easton ellis' presence on this list? american psycho stands out in my mind...i think lists of mundane items is one of the devices of the postmodernist author.

dead poet's society via poetic oneirism...hear poets reading their poems...fabulous!

a lovely french medical book regarding the x-ray...at cori kindred

black*eiffel shares a vintage german copy of the brothers grimm

clever nettle shares a vintage storybook titled campire girls

meet me at mike's shares a favorite book, debbie learns to dance...i love the illustrations by marcel marlier.

the snail and the cyclops shares a box of sun...a wonderful book that captures the real essence of summer.

collections

2009-07-20T09:30:00.005-04:00

i love daphne du maurier...she's one of those authors that i can read everything she has ever written (wilkie collins is another)...i thought that theo made a great companion for the scapegoat. a "sprightly" love story and a story of a doppelgänger who tries to right the wrongs of the other.
isn't that 'scapegoat' font fantastic ?!

theo: a sprightly love story by frances hodgson burnett
1877, f.m. lupton publishing co., new york

the scapegoat by daphne du maurier
1957, doubleday & co., new york

collections

2009-07-17T10:07:00.006-04:00

i've been getting emails asking if i sell books...and the answer is "i do!" i don't usually sell the books that i feature here on rad library because i don't want this to be a commerce blog, but rather an expression of my love for these books. i will be featuring from time to time though, books that i sell, although primarily because i sell books that i think are beautiful or wonderful in some such way. these collections are an example of that.

i've seen very few book covers as beautiful as great pictures described by great writers...the design is just fabulous, and with very little fading too. one of the pleasures of collecting and resourcing books is the little gems that are sometimes tucked within, such as this pressed plant. it's fun to imagine how it found its home here, on a walk in a park, maybe a gift from a friend.
both of these books are rare and great references for the cerebrally inclined. last image is the second book.

great pictures: as seen and described by great writers
edited and translated by esther singleton
rare and letterpress printed, 1901, dodd, mead and co., new york

lectures on the history of english literature by professor william marvel nevin, ll.d.
edited by rev. theodore appel, d.d.
a memorial volume, 1895, intelligencer printing office, lancaster, pa
rare and letterpress printed

a very special house

2009-07-16T12:04:00.003-04:00

very few capture a child's expressions like maurice sendak. happy happy pictures in this one, although i particularly love his 'darker' work. this one is a caldecott honor book.

a very special house by ruth krauss
library bound, 1953, harper & row, new york
illustrated by maurice sendak

lucinda: the little donkey

2009-07-15T11:16:00.005-04:00

lucinda is a bad donkey who ends up saving the day. i love books about stubborn, willful animals. particularly when they end up being heroes. lucky for me, there are lots out there!

lucinda: the little donkey by irma wilde
an elf book, 1952, rand mcnally & co., chicago
illustrated by george wilde

snow white vs. snow white...part 2

2009-07-06T12:23:00.003-04:00

in comparison to the last book, this one is quite different. it has a definite sci-fi comic book quality to it that fits the year it was published, 1985. i think there's an obvious and deliberate divergence from the walt disney version...and i find it refreshing. i quite like both, but find this one a bit more meaty.

you can see an annotated version and a listing of various snow white books here...there's more here too.

snow white and the seven dwarfs
1985, gallery books, new york
illustrator not credited (any clue?)