Day Seven: Vintage Children's Illustrations

I've saved the best 'till last.

Once again, not one of my own books from my childhood, but one much more precious. This one was my Dad's.


It was his all time favourite book as a child, and the only one that is still around.

Written on the inside cover is:

"Happy Birthday Colin, with love from Nana & Pop. April 19 / 1957"

And next to this is my dad's name, with his address '38 Webb Street, Altona'. I wonder if there is still a house at this address? Any Melbournites from the west of Melbourne reading this???


Anyway, the book is called Stories of 1001 nights, and is a hard cover with thick brown pages, and illustrations that look as though they were painted in watercolour and pen right onto the page. The book is published by Mulder & Zoon, N.V. Amsterdam, and does not state the illustrator. However, the illustrator himself/herself has signed their name on almost every illustration anyway. It is Truus Vinger. I have no idea what nationality this name is. Any ideas anyone?


So this is my most precious children's book, not because it contains my favourite illustrations, but because it was my dad's.


Thanks so much Pip for such a wonderful meme. I have enjoyed both discovering new and gorgeous books and illustrators, and also my own trip down memory lane. Posting every day has been quite hard, but I've really enjoyed the experience.

Happy Easter everyone
xxx

Day Six: Vintage Children's Illustrations

OK, so this was not actually one of my books from my childhood - but it was my brother's. And my son LOVES this one.


I'm sure there is no-one who doesn't know this book - The Little Engine That Could. Retold (??? not sure what this means - is there a different original version out there?) by Watty Piper, and illustrated by George & Doris Hauman. This copy was a tenth printing, in 1978.


I never really got into the pictures in this book - but after photographing them, I started finding details in the illustrations that really appealed to me. Like the little girl's dress on the cover (I know, again with the clothes!), and the monkey on the train in the second photo. And the tree with the weird pineapple things in it that looks like a pretend tree stuck to the ground (weird!!!).


So there you go. Lee will be so happy that I have done a 'train' post. Don't forget to check out Meet Me at Mikes to see everyone else's vintage children's illustrations (thanks Pip for a great meme!)

And now I'm off for a 'child-free' dinner with my husband. Yay!!! And for the first time in almost two years we will have a child free night ALL NIGHT!!!! - yep, both kids are staying with Grandma tonight. Luckily she is only five minutes up the road so we will be there bright and early (and refreshed after sleeping through the night with NO interruptions!!!!) for an Easter Egg hunt.

Hope the Easter Bunny is kind to you all :P

Bec
xxx

Day Five: Vintage Children's illustrations

Sooooooo busy


Busy busy busy....


Good busy, but....you know....busy....


Deans New Gift Book of Nursery Rhymes, illustrated by Janet & Anne Grahame Johnstone.


A cherished favourite. For obvious reasons :) See Meet Me at Mikes for more gorgeous vintage children's illustrations.

Now, back to being busy....

Day four: Vintage Children's Illustrations

Wow, this blogging every day thing is HARD!!! Lucky it's only for a week (or my house would be in a shambles!!!).

Continuing the meme run by Pip from Meet Me at Mikes, here is another cracker from my childhood. Oh how I loved this one!


It is a story that came with a little record, with beautiful music from the opera "Hansel and Gretel" by Engelbert Humperdinck! If only I had a record player!!!!! Anyway, the story is put out by Walt Disney Productions, and I'm afraid I have no author or illustrator for you. But how could I resist showing these pictures.


I'm starting to see a bit of a theme to the kids of illustrations I am drawn to (excuse the pun!) - simple bright retro looking illustrations, with beautiful clothes a must! I also don't know when this was published, but it does say it was copyrighted in 1967. Given that I received it when I was very young I think I can safely say it is VERY pre-1980!!!

Day Three: Vintage Children's Illustrations

Busy day today, so here's a quick one. My Big Christmas Book, by Hayden McAllister. Illustrations are not credited, which is a shame as I really love them and would love to know who created them.


So many pictures in this book would make gorgeous cards.


I can't find a publishing date on this book, but I'm guessing it would date somewhere in the 70s. If anyone has any ideas about the pictures, I'd love to hear them! All I know is the name of the author, and that this edition was produced for Peter Haddock Limited by Asset Publishing limited. And that it was printed in Czechoslovakia.


I wish I could dress like these kids below. Love their style!


Have a great day everyone!

Oops, just editing this to add that in my rush out the door this morning I forgot to add that you can find more gorgeous illustrations on Pip's List, on the Meet Me at Mikes blog. xxx

Day Two: Vintage Children's Illustrations

Day two of Pip's Week of Children's Vintage Illustrations meme.

I read this to my son last night. Another book from my childhood. Unfortunately the last page at the back was ripped out (I'm blaming my brother - he always sabotaged my books :P) and we didn't realise until we got to the end. Whoops. So I had to make it up!!!


But the illustrations are gorgeous.



The book is called A Dragon in a Wagon (and other strange sights), and is a Little Golden Book. Written by Janette Rainwater, illustrations by John Martin Gilbert. Published in 1966. I love what the little boy is wearing on the cover. Shorts, long sleeved shirt (with decorative stitching), a belt and a tie (that's a bit too short). Gotta love it!!!

Day One: Vintage Children's Illustrations

I'm joining in on the new meme by Pip from Meet Me at Mikes - A Week of Vintage Children's Book Illustration. Seeing as though my sister and I had just finished going through my mum's old trunk full of our childhood books - yep, she'd kept them all!! - I could hardly not join in. I had so much fun pointing out all the gorgeous illustrations to my sister (who to her credit refrained from rolling her eyes at me as she picked out her own - less old - books from the stash). I mean really, look at the picture above, how gorgeous is the detail on the dress!

So anyway, if you're guessing that my take on this meme will be "Vintage Children's Illustrations From Books That I Read BEFORE They Became Vintage"....then uh, yeah. You guessed right. Hope you don't mind. It's hard to resist such a happy walk down memory lane....

Now I must admit I do not know who is and is not famous in the children's illustration circles. I just know what I like. And so many of my childhood books I loved as much for their pictures as their stories. This one I really love. I remember so vividly the feeling of wonder I had as a child reading this book.



The book is one of the Rand McNally Junior Elf books, called Humpty Dumpty and Other Mother Goose Rhymes, with illustrations by Mary Jane Chase. Published in 1952.

There are many two-toned illustrations in it, which left me a little nonplussed as a girl, but I have a bit more of an appreciation of them now - although they still don't hold the magic of the full-coloured pictures. So anyway, these are just a sample of my favourites from this book.