the bear facts

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

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 three billy goats gruff

yesterday i remembered that i had another the three billy goats gruff...you can see the other here...they are both completely different styles, albeit the same book (same publisher and authors). this book also includes the fable the little goat and the wolf (which i didn't photograph). it's interesting to see the two books in contrast i think. despite their being essentially the same book, they appear quite different. it's amazing what illustrations can do, is it not?

i forgot how "trip, trap, trip, trap" is so integral to the story!

there is a postscript in the back of this book that credits sir george dasent's popular tales from the norse (1858) as the introduction of this tale to english readers...rather than peter christen asbjørnsen and jørgen moe's norwegian folktales (1896) as wikipedia suggests. hmmm. oh, it appears dasent was publisher/translator of asbjørnsen and moe's text. all settled then.

the three billy goats gruff
adapted from the norwegian by alice o'grady and frances throop
1940, rand mcnally & co., chicago
illustrated by tony brice