#american children's author

[sassafrasmoonshine]

William Steig, author and illustrator (American, 1907-2003) • Illustration of Brave Irene • 1986 • Farrar, Strauss, Giroux -publishers

[uwmspeccoll]

Raggedy Origins

Raggedy Ann Stories is a short story collection written and illustrated by Johnny Gruelle. The collection centers around the sweet ragdoll character Raggedy Ann. Published in 1918 by M. A. Donohue & Company in Chicago, this edition is adorned with cheerful illustrations that truly bring the stories to life.

Raggedy Ann, a character that has captured the hearts of many, was brought to life by the American illustrator and author John Barton Gruelle (1880-1938). The character made its first appearance as a doll in 1915 and was later introduced to the public through this 1918 Raggedy Ann Stories book.

The exact beginnings of the Raggedy Ann doll and its related stories are unclear, but many myths and legends surrounding its origins have been widely circulated. Johnny Gruelle is responsible for sparking many of these tales—whether inadvertently or with his well-known sense of humor, it’s anyone’s guess! In one version, Gruelle's daughter Marcella discovered a faceless cloth doll in her grandmother's attic, which the artist then drew a face on. It is said that Gruelle made up stories about Raggedy Ann to tell his daughter, Marcella, who is believed to have been the inspiration behind the doll and its stories. One detail that is clear is that despite internet rumors to the contrary, the doll was not designed to represent children who died from vaccines. 

View more posts from our Historical Curriculum Collection

-Melissa, Special Collections Graduate Intern

[goldenstarprincesses]

Naw what

Madeline isn't a little French orphan being raised by nuns?

She's a Texan ranch owning oil heiress with stock in Neiman Marcus who seemingly grew up in a Paris boarding school until at least 1939??

[bbeeew]

howdy gamers

Small delema

I'm writing a book called "where's my hair" and all the different ways people style it (specifically curly hair). One problem, I need background information on why people style their hairs and how they do it

And I want specifics. Tell me about how you shave your head until it's only an inch tall and you braid it into 5 foot strands to stand up for yourself for being told it was weird and wrong

Tell me about how you have hair so thick that the only way to maintain it is when it's impossibly short

Tell me about girlies with 4c hair that grow it out so that they can die it any color of the rainbow because they love the colors

Tell me about the pale girls with hair that just barely curls so people say they don't have curly hair.

But most importantly

Tell me your stories and reblog this so I can hear from everyone

[harrowscore]

about to reread the skulduggery pleasant books (i needed something light and fun) and omg i'm kinda nervous, i haven't reread them since my late teens/early 20s and now i'm... an extremely different person and, i hope, a somehow better reader. i suppose i'm afraid i won't find them a delight as much as i used to and "ruin" my memories of a few beloved characters. i'll keep you all updated if anyone is interested (which i heavily doubt lmao)

[neechees]

If you were chosen to adapt your own movie version of "Peter Pan", what would your vision of the classic story look like?

I feel like I wouldn't, personally.Peter Pan isn't really like up high on the list of classic stories that I like and actually, I'm not THAT familiar with the original story. I'm actually not even sure I was allowed to watch the old Disney Peter Pan (or at least watch it very often) when I was a kid, because I didn't remember the "Indians" scene for years, so I think when & if I watched it, my family made sure I didn't see it. The fictional tribe named that Tigerlily is allegedly from is also named after a slur for Black children so. Yeah.

I'm just not very interested in it & it leaves a bad taste in my mouth because of the racism. But I guess if I WERE to make something of my own, I feel like I'd do a more realistic, historical (fantasy? Maybe??) version of it, because I like history & just from what I've seen, the magic aspect of it has always been covered, so that's the spin I'd put on it.

Like maybe Peter is actually an imaginary friend of Wendy, they're an English family who go to North America (& this is actually Neverland), & half of the "magic" involved is Wendy's overactive imagination. I'd sprinkle in some themes about colonialism & infantilization of Native people & our colonizers seeing us as needing to be "Wards" of their kingdoms (tying this into the "never grow up" thing), how the adults in Wendy's life have effected her preconceptions of North America & adulthood, maybe themes about ageism towards children. Wendy befriends "Tiger Lily". I think I'd end it with revealing Peter is Wendy's friend who died as a child & him being her imaginary friend was a way of coping (& I'd do this just to somewhat pay homage to the author of Peter Pan's inspiration for the character) & so him going away shows she's moved on, & neverland becomes more realistic & less fantastical (but not less beautiful or wonderous) by the end, & Wendy matures as a person.

I guess. Fvgvfcv idk

[gone2soon-rip]

IAN FALCONER (1959-Died March 7th 2023,at 63.Kidney failure). American author,cartoonist and illustrator of children's books, and a designer of sets and costumes for the theater. He created 30 covers for The New Yorker as well as other publications. Falconer wrote and illustrated the Olivia series of children's books, chronicling the adventures of a young pig, a series initially conceived as a Christmas gift for his young niece.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Falconer

[like-phantoms-forever]

sometimes I randomly remember that stephen king wrote the shawshank redemption and it keeps blowing my mind

[jello-paws]

To My Dear and Loving Husband

If ever two were one, then surely we.

If ever man were loved by wife, then thee.

If ever wife was happy in a man,

Compare with me, ye women, if you can.

I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold,

Or all the riches that the East doth hold.

My love is such that rivers cannot quench,

Nor ought but love from thee give recompense.

Thy love is such that I can no way repay;

The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray.

Then while we live, in love let's so persever,

That when we live no more, we may live ever.

Before the Birth of One of Her Children

All things within this fading world hath end, Adversity doth still our joyes attend; No ties so strong, no friends so dear and sweet, But with death’s parting blow is sure to meet. The sentence past is most irrevocable, A common thing, yet oh inevitable. How soon, my Dear, death may my steps attend, How soon’t may be thy Lot to lose thy friend, We are both ignorant, yet love bids me These farewell lines to recommend to thee, That when that knot’s untied that made us one, I may seem thine, who in effect am none. And if I see not half my dayes that’s due, What nature would, God grant to yours and you; The many faults that well you know I have Let be interr’d in my oblivious grave; If any worth or virtue were in me, Let that live freshly in thy memory And when thou feel’st no grief, as I no harms, Yet love thy dead, who long lay in thine arms. And when thy loss shall be repaid with gains Look to my little babes, my dear remains. And if thou love thyself, or loved’st me, These o protect from step Dames injury. And if chance to thine eyes shall bring this verse, With some sad sighs honour my absent Herse; And kiss this paper for thy loves dear sake, Who with salt tears this last Farewel did take.

The Author to Her Book

Thou ill-form’d offspring of my feeble brain, Who after birth didst by my side remain, Till snatched from thence by friends, less wise than true, Who thee abroad, expos’d to publick view, Made thee in raggs, halting to th’ press to trudge, Where errors were not lessened (all may judg). At thy return my blushing was not small, My rambling brat (in print) should mother call, I cast thee by as one unfit for light, Thy Visage was so irksome in my sight; Yet being mine own, at length affection would Thy blemishes amend, if so I could: I wash’d thy face, but more defects I saw, And rubbing off a spot, still made a flaw. I stretched thy joynts to make thee even feet, Yet still thou run’st more hobling then is meet; In better dress to trim thee was my mind, But nought save home-spun Cloth, i’ th’ house I find. In this array ’mongst Vulgars mayst thou roam. In Criticks hands, beware thou dost not come; And take thy way where yet thou art not known, If for thy Father askt, say, thou hadst none: And for thy Mother, she alas is poor, Which caus’d her thus to send thee out of door.

[sassafrasmoonshine]

Franklin Booth, illustrator (American,1874-1948) • Flying Islands of the Night • James Whitcomb Riley, author • Indianapolis: The Bowen-Merrill Co. • 1892

Franklin Booth produced 16 watercolor illustrations for Flying Islands of the Night.

[silverislander]

ok i just finally finished lagoon. ohhh my god i am so excited to discuss this in class

[memoriallibrarytmc]

What’s Here Wednesday: BIPOC Authors

A little girl learns to embrace what makes her unique in the BIPOC-authored picture book Eyes that Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho. Throughout the beautifully illustrated pages, the child gains an appreciation of her heritage. It’s a wonderful celebration from the female perspective, and would make for an excellent pairing with Eyes That Speak to the Stars by the same author, which provides the male viewpoint.

There are many lessons out there which you can adapt to go along with this book. Or you can stop by to find even more books written by Asian authors, such as Bringing In the New Year, Crouching Tiger, or The Name Jar.

[publicdomainbooksdevotee]

Almost done with The West From a Car Window by Richard Harding Davis, and it's very well-written but damn, there were some bits where I had to set the book down and stare into the middle distance for a little bit.

[joyousmaximus]

Fun fact! There IS an official "accent" for usamericans that is taught! It is almost exclusively used by newscasters and the like to be understood by the largest number of usamericans possible.

It is commonly referred to as the "Midwestern" accent despite the Midwest having an actual accent separate from the official one. Why?

Originally, in the earliest days of broadcasting, everything was broadcast from Chicago, and they informally called it the "educated chicago accent" which is amazingly classist if you think about it for more than 2 seconds.

Once telephone lines were installed from NY to CA, broadcasting moved to NY, but the middle class doesn't like change, and the sound was already there, so from the 1930s to the 80s, the accent was TAUGHT to anyone working in the news.

While it is no longer "required" in any sense, it still prevails as the easiest understood accent by the general usamerican population, and as far as I know, newscasters generally opt for using it. (not to mention that a lot of major news stations have had the same anchors for decades, therefore the accent was already taught to them before it fell out of popularity.

whenever someone calls USAmerican English the 'movie accent' I remember how somewhere last year I was on a train when suddenly the silence was broken by an american voice behind me somewhere and I immediately thought "Oh no, someones playing their tiktoks out loud again" and automatically turned around to put a face to my annoyance like you do when someones driving bad, and turns out a few rows down were just some actual in the flesh USAmericans having a nice conversation amongst themselves. I am sorry Americans I'm glad they let you out of the phone

[fossuchi]

hi do you mean the china that is basically next to where you are mister japanese high school student?

where digging down would have you go in the completely wrong direction?

that china? mister 15 year old who is in high school

[picturebookshelf]

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Mysterious Howling (2009)

Story: Maryrose Wood -- Art: Jon Klassen Canadian