Vintage Children's Books News

Hello and welcome to another week of Book Trivia Tuesday.  Last week we discussed Maurice Sendak's second career as a costume designer for plays & musicals.  

This week we are focusing on someone who was once known as America's most loved poet.  Perfect as we celebrate Poetry Month.

Where did the idea for the Little Orphan Annie comic strip originate?

Harold Gray, who created the Little Orphan Annie comic strip in 1924, used James Whitcomb Riley's poem, Little Orphant Annie, which Riley wrote in 1885, as the basis for the comic strip.  And as we know, the comic strip has led to movies, plays and more based around our beloved Little Orphan Annie. 

James Whitcomb Riley was born in Indiana in 1849 and after quitting school at age 20 & working a few odd jobs, his longest being a sign painter, took his poetry writing full time. He wrote poems & went on tour reciting them at local theaters throughout the country.  We can thank Henry Wadsworth Longfellow for encouraging Riley to quit his job as a sign painter to pursue writing poetry. 

And while he is no longer as popular as he once was, his legacy lives on in the Indiana Public Library for which he donated the land.  After his passing, friends of Riley established a memorial association which then created the James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children and a camp for children with disabilities named Camp Riley. 

He is also known as The Hoosier Poet & The Children's Poet. 

To purchase his works, visit the James Whitcomb Riley Collection.

Good morning & welcome to this week's Book Trivia Tuesday!  Two weeks ago, we discussed some of the names pitched for the Nancy Drew Mystery series by Edward Stratemayer before the name Nancy Drew was settled on.

This week we are shifting gears & focusing on Maurice Sendak.  Not only did Sendak write & illustrate his own children's books, but he also illustrated books for other authors as well, most notably The Little Bear books written by Else Holmelund Minarik. But did you know he had another job, which leads to this week's trivia question:  In the late 1970's what was the second career Maurice Sendak took on?

Sendak became a costume designer for opera and musical sets in the late 1970's, working on such operas as Krása’s Brundibar, Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Prokofiev’s The Love for Three Oranges, and Engelbert Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, as well as Tchaikovsky’s ballet, The Nutcracker. He also designed the sets and costumes, as well as wrote the book and lyrics for the musical production of Really Rosie. - Taken from his official website shown below.

Let's dig a little deeper into his life:  Although his most famous work is Where the Wild Things Are, he wrote and illustrated 15 books. He also worked with six authors to illustrate their books & illustrated many classics including Mother Goose and The Brother Grimm Fairy Tales.  

"Maurice Sendak remains the most honored children’s book artist in history. He was the recipient of the 1964 Caldecott Medal, the 1970 Hans Christian Andersen Award, the 1983 Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, and the 2003 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. In 1996 President Bill Clinton presented him with the National Medal of Arts in recognition of his contribution to the arts in America".  ~Taken from the Biography page of The Maurice Sendak Foundation's website.  

You can see some of his works at the following two exhibits this year:  

Skirball Cultural Center

April 17, 2024 thru September 1, 2024

Denver Art Museum

October 13, 2024 thru February 17, 2025

And lastly, you can download resources for learning & teaching more about his books on his website:  www.mauricesendak.com

To find Sendak's books currently available for purchase here at Log Cabin Vintage, click here.

Welcome to another week of Book Trivia Tuesday.  Last week we discussed Beatrix Potter's first name - Helen.

This week we are back with another fun piece of trivia:  What were some of the original names pitched for the Nancy Drew Mystery Series?

While Edward Stratemayer was pitching the concept of a new mystery series to his publishers, names like Diana Dare, Nan Drew, Helen Hale and Stella Strong were all suggested. Publishers settled on Nan Drew but decided to lengthen it to Nancy because they felt it rolled off the tongue more easily.

And while we are at it, let's talk about a few other little-known facts about Nancy Drew: 

• Carolyn Keene was not a real person, but a pseudonym used by a group of writers throughout the lifetime of the series.
• Edward Stratemayer wrote the outlines for each book but hired writers to write the actual stories.  Mildred Wirt penned 23 of the first 25 books in the series.  
• When people refer to Carolyn Keene's birthday, they are using Mildred Wirt's birthday as the date.
• The Nancy Drew books have inspired so many women over the years with its strong female main character, but did you know Stratemayer thought women belonged in the home?  He only created the series after the success of The Hardy Boys Mysteries & wanted to duplicate that same success with a female lead.
• No illustrator is named in any of the Nancy Drew books; however, Russell Tandy created the dust jacket illustrations along with the content illustrations for the first 25 books of the series.  
• Did you know the books were modernized throughout the years to stay relevant to each generation of readers?  The original Nancy Drew books were written in the 1930's, long before the Mustang was ever produced by Ford. Yet in the books of the 1970's, Nancy owns & drives a Mustang.  In the original books, her car is referred to as a blue roadster.

There is so much fascinating information out there on the history of the Nancy Drew books. What little tidbit of information do you have about the Nancy Drew series?

Find a selection of Nancy Drew Books for sale here.

**Some information from this post was taken from 10 Surprising Facts About Nancy Drew written by Stacy Conradt on March 11, 2019, for the website Mental Floss.

Welcome to this week's edition of Book Trivia Tuesday!  Last week we had a little fun with Dr. Suess & his pen names.  

This week we welcome the return of Spring!  And, as you may know, March is Women's History Month! Over on social media, I have been sharing information about different woman authors & illustrators who have impacted the literary world.  I chose this question about Beatrix Potter because she not only impacted the literary world with the sweet books we have all grown up reading, but because she was also a natural scientist & conservationist.  Perfect to feature for Women's History Month & to help us Welcome Spring!

This week's question is this:  What is Beatrix Potter's First Name?

Born in England in 1866 she was named Helen Beatrix Potter. She is best known for her beloved Peter Rabbit books which have sold over two hundred and fifty million copies.  Along with her brother, Bertrum, they had a rotating collection of animals they would sneak into their home during childhood including rabbits she named Benjamin & Peter. In 1893, she wrote a letter to Noel Moore (the son of her one-time governess) and since she had nothing to say to him, told him the story of four bunnies:  Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail and Peter, with which she included an illustration of Peter looking like he was ready for mischief.  

But did you also know she was also a natural scientist and conservationist?  When she was in her late 40's she left her parent's home in London & bought a cottage in a remote English countryside. There she raised prize-winning sheep and became a farmer.  She bought the 34-acre farm after the sudden death of her fiancé, Norman Warne, who also happened to be her publisher.  "In Potter’s grief, she set about planting a garden. Years later, she wrote of the house, “It is in here I go to be quiet and still with myself. This is me, the deepest me, the part one has to be alone with."  In the eight years after Warne's death, she wrote twelve books. When she died in 1943, she left more than four thousand acres, and many working farms, to the National Trust, which now owns more than twenty per cent of the Lake District. Her bequest remains the Trust’s largest acquisition in the area.

Information was taken from an article by The New Yorker entitled The Secret Life of Beatrix Potter dated March 12, 2022, which can be found here.  

To find a collection of her books click here:  https://www.logcabinvintage.com/collections/beatrix-potter

Two weeks ago, we discussed illustrator, John Schoenherr, the1988 Caldecott Medal Winner.

This month we are going to celebrate a pioneer in making reading fun for kids:  Dr. Seuss.  Today's Dr. Suess Trivia Question is:  What is Dr. Seuss’ real name and what other pen names did he write books under?

Theodor Seuss Geisel was born on March 2, 1904, in Springfield, MA. During his writing career he wrote under the names Theo LeSieg, Rosetta Stone, and of course his most famous name, Dr. Seuss. He founded Beginner Books, Inc. in 1958 (which became a division of Random House in 1960).  

During his career, he wrote more than 60 books, served in the Army during World War II and he won a Pulitzer Prize in 1984.  Read Across America is celebrated on his Birthday every year in his honor.

What Dr. Seuss books did you read as a child & which one has stuck with you all these years? 

Find a collection of his books here.

To find a collection of books published by Beginner Books, Inc., click here.  

Last week we discussed the origins of Mother Goose & the long tradition of stories handed down by word of mouth.

This week's question comes after a visit to The Brandwine Museum of Art last week with my bestie. We went to see the exhibit on Children's Book Illustrators titled Rooted: Family and Nature in Contemporary Children's Book Illustration.  What a wonderful exhibit.  We both came home with a few books from the exhibit & learned so much.  Not only did we get to see some amazing artwork in the exhibit, but we also learned so much more about other artwork including many local artists. I will be sharing another blog post about my favorite pieces from the exhibits soon.

But now onto today's trivia question: John Schoenherr won a Caldecott Medal for his illustration of the book Owl Moon (written by Jane Yolen) in 1988. What other well-known children's books did he also illustrate?

Born on July 5, 1935, John Schoenherr was a graduate of Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY.  After he married, his family settled in New Jersey in a farmhouse where he rekindled his love of nature. During his career, he illustrated over 40 books. Famous books he illustrated include Gentle Ben written by Walt Morey, Julie & the Wolves written by Jean Craighead George, and Rascal, written by Sterling North. He also illustrated a number of Science Fiction book covers including Dune written by Frank Herbert. 

In the years leading up to illustrating Owl Moon, Schoenherr primarily painted and was featured in galleries across the country.  When he read Owl Moon, it reminded him of his nighttime walks with his own children and he used their family farm as the setting for the illustrations found in the book.  It was a good choice as it earned the book a Caldecott Medal in 1988.

Do you have a favorite book he illustrated?  I loved the Julie of the Wolves books so I would have to go with them as my top choice.

On Monday my bestie & I visited the Brandywine Museum of Art in Chadds Ford, PA to view their exhibit Rooted: Family and Nature in Contemporary Children’s Book Illustrations.  It was wonderful - so many amazing illustrators were represented in the exhibit including several recent Caldecott Winners. We had a great time not only enjoying this exhibit but also the entire museum.  It was the first time either of us had visited & we were amazed by the artwork we saw.  

If you know me at all, you know I love history & old farmhouses, so Sophie Blackall’s illustrations from her book Farmhouse immediately drew me in but let me tell you, all of the artists’ works were amazing. 

Two others I wanted to mention that I loved were The Train Ride is Long But My Mom Says it’s Worth It by Qing Zhuang from her book Rainbow Shopping. The book is filled with beautiful illustrations and colors depicting shopping in Chinatown in NYC.

Frank Morrison’s illustrations in The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver (written by Gene Barretta) had me studying each illustration to take in all their wonderful details. The one below, of George as a child reminded me of a modern day Maxfield Parrish painting - thankfully my bestie captured the image for me to share as I missed it.

Honestly every single illustrator featured had beautiful artwork.  Be sure to visit the museum’s Facebook page for a complete list & more video & photos of the exhibit (on exhibit until February 28th, 2024).

My bestie & I both came home with a few new books for our bookshelves including a few recent Caldecott Winners. I want to collect all of the Caldecott and Newbery Medal Books and read each & every one of them.  So this was my start - I came home with Owl Moon written by Jane Yolen and illustrated by John Schoenherr, which won the 1988 Caldecott Medal and Finding Winnie written by Lindsay Mattick with illustrations by Sophie Blackall, a 2016 Caldecott Medal Winner.  And of course, you know I bought Farmhouse by Sophie Blackall because the story and illustrations just spoke to me.  

PS The image of the boy & girl in the barn entry at the top left of this photo is exactly how my husband & I would be if we milked cows.  I have always wanted to live on a farm - him, not so much!

Happy Tuesday! Time for another week of Book Trivia Tuesday!  Last week we discussed Bemelman's Bar in NYC - where the murals of Ludwig Bemelmans (famous for his Madeline books) grace the walls of the bar. 

Today's trivia question is:  Who was the first woman to win the Noble Prize for Literature?  Bonus Points if you can also name the year!

Selma Lagerlöf of Sweden won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1909.  She was awarded the prize in 1909 “in appreciation of the lofty idealism, vivid imagination and spiritual perception that characterize her writings.” 

Her first published piece was Jerusalem which was intended to be a primer for elementary schools but actually became one of the most delightful children’s books in any language. She is best known for her work - The Wonderful Adventures of Nils which was published in 1906.  You can find it here.

Happy Tuesday everyone!  Last week we discussed how Ramona was an accidental character created by Beverly Cleary for the book Henry Huggins.  So fun.

This week's trivia comes from my IG friend Patty, who shared this tidbit of information with me a few weeks ago when I shared a collage of books with snow pictures in them.

What author/illustrator painted scenes of New York's Central Park & in 1947 the scenes were used as murals on the wall of a bar in the Hotel Carlyle in NYC?

 In 2021, the Hotel Carlyle re-opened their restaurant under the name Dowling’s.  They brought in five never before seen murals of Madeline works by Ludwig Bemelmans which they purchased at auction for $422,800.  These are in addition to the Bemelmans murals found in the hotel's bar of scenes from Central Park which have been there since 1947. Central Park located a block from the hotel.

Madeline was first published in 1939 & has been a favorite of each generation since it was published.  A total of six books about Madeline were published by Bemelmans. Ludwig Bemelmans said that the French schoolgirl was inspired by his mother, wife and daughter. “But", his grandson wrote after his death, “certainly it was also part Bemelmans himself — the smallest in class, the one always in trouble.” (Taken from The New York Times article dated April 27, 2018).

What is your favorite Madeline book?

To view a selection of Madeline books in the shop, click here.

Happy Tuesday & welcome to week 8 of Book Trivia Tuesday.  Last week we discussed the first modern novel published in 1605 - Don Quixote written by Miguel de Cervantes.

Today's trivia question comes after my recent Beverly Cleary finds (if you haven't watched the reel on IG, you can view it here:  Wendy - Vintage Bookshop (@logcabinvintage) • Instagram photos and videos 

What famous character was created by Beverly Cleary by accident while writing another book?  Bonus points if you can name the book the character first appeared in.

Beverly Cleary created her now famous character Ramona in the book Henry Huggins.  She realized Beezus needed a younger sister & Ramona was born (no pun intended).  From there, 8 novels featuring Ramona were written including Ramona and Her Father, which was a 1978 Newbery Honor Book.

What is your favorite Ramona Book?  Mine has to be Ramona the Pest.  I loved it a child & want to reread it this year.  

To see what Beverly Cleary books are available on the website right now, click here.

Good Morning & Happy Tuesday - last week we had a little fun with our trivia regarding a final Jeopardy Question no one got right pertaining to Frances Hodgson Burnett's famous novel, The Secret Garden.

This week we are going way back with our trivia question:  What famous book was published on this date - I'll give you a hint - the year was 1605.

On January 16, 1605, Miguel de Cervantes published Don Quixote. Don Quixote is considered to be the first modern novel and one of the greatest novels of all time.  We get the term "tilting the windmill" from the novel.  It heavily influenced Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as well as other works of literature throughout history.

Have you read this great piece of literature?