The Little Fur Family

By Margaret Wise Brown

Pictures by Garth Williams

Originally published 1946

This edition 1985

 

This story of the little fur family is very simple and the rhythmic text is so comforting and beautiful.  It’s a tiny book and it is covered in soft fur.  

 

In the story, there is no danger for the little fur child to face.  He has small adventures in the “wild” wood – friendly encounters with a fish, a bug, and the tiniest fur animal.  Then a brief visit with Grandpa who comes out of his log just to say “Bless you” to his little fur grandchild.  His day ends when his big fur parents tuck him in bed “all soft and warm”, and sing him to sleep.  

Sleep, sleep, our little fur child,

Out of the windiness,

Out of the wild.

Sleep warm in your fur

All night long,

In your little fur family.

This is a song.

The little fur child had his little adventures and knew that at the end of the day he would return to the steady comfort of a loving home.

We know that one day the little fur child will grow up.  He will go out into the wild world and it will not always be as friendly and comforting.  But for now, it is.  And for now, that’s all we can do.  It has to be enough.

The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles

By Julie Edwards

Copyright 1974

Pax amor et lepos in iocando

Written by Mary Poppins (aka Julie Andrews Edwards), with a motto of "peace love and a sense of fun", this children’s book was destined to be magical.  Three children, with the guidance of a Nobel winning science professor, attempt to harness their imaginations to reach Whangdoodleland, where all magical creatures retreated when humans stopped believing in them.  Whangdoodle, the king of this land, has some pretty awesome magical powers.  Not only can he change colors at will, but he can randomly grow his own bedroom slippers.  Sadly, though, he is the last of his kind and is quite lonely.

One of my favorite characters the children meet is the Whiffle Bird.  She is a fluffy, feathery, colorful creature, who protectively shouts out warnings of danger to the travelers.  Unfortunately, it takes a while for them to take the warnings seriously.  After climbing on the Jolly Boat, which only starts to move after you tell it jokes, the Whifflebird shouts, “YOU’RE BEING TAKEN FOR A RIDE”.  Only too late did they realize they were being warned of a deception.  

What I found unusual about this book is the combination of crazy fantasy and imagination mixed with serious science.  The professor’s area of expertise is genetics, but don’t take his science lessons as fact.  This book was written in 1974, after all.  The point is clear though; knowledge, skill, determination, imagination, and faith were all necessary for the children and the professor to reach Whangdoodleland  and to grant the Whangdoodle his heart’s desire.

Knowledge and faith can and should coexist. 

Tiny Nonsense Stories

Tiny Golden Library

By Dorothy Kunhardt

Illustrations by Garth Williams

Copyright 1949

“I’m glad these are going to someone who appreciates them.  Sorry I scribbled on them when I was four.”  These are the words I heard while walking away from the flea market booth with this little treasure – a boxed set of 12 Tiny Golden Books from 1949.  

Randy loved his books.  He wrote his name in almost every one; sometimes mirror-image, sometimes correctly.  From his drawings, I gather that he also liked cars.  He treasured these books enough to hold on to the whole slightly tattered set for all these years.  And now they will continue to be treasured.  

I read each book on the ride home from Wisconsin.  All are short, happy little stories with adorable pictures.  Tiny books for tiny hands.  Some teach a lesson.  Others are just for fun.  The only story that gave me a surprise was Uncle Quack since it would be considered inappropriate for today’s child.  

Frederick Duck travels to the city to visit his Uncle Quack.  Like many uncles, he likes to tease.  His uncle has bought him a gift, but Frederick has to guess which wing it is hiding under.  It’s not under Uncle’s  left wing.  It’s not under his right wing either.  Silly Uncle.  He has hidden it under Mrs. Duck’s wing.  But Frederick has to try to hide his disappointment in the gift.  Oh, wait a minute.  Uncle Quack is joking again.  It isn’t really a package of cigarettes.

“Chocolate cigarettes!  And here is little Frederick smoking one now.  He’s a lucky duck, isn’t he?”

Yes, times have changed in many ways.  What hasn't changed is that children still treasure their books!

The Ghost of Cramer’s Island

By Linda Cline

Originally published as Weakfoot

Copyright 1975

You might say it’s obvious that I have a profound love of books and reading.  That’s quite true.  You might think I would naturally choose a spouse with the same passion for literature.   You would be very wrong.  It has become a running joke that The Ghost of Cramer’s Island is, in Mike’s opinion, the best book ever written.  That’s because it is the only book he ever remembers truly enjoying and one of the handful of fictional works he’s ever read.  It was his go-to book each year in grade school for book reports.  Pictured here is his original copy and it is obviously well-loved.  After hearing about this book for the past 30 years, I finally broke down and decided to read it.  

I can see why Mike likes it since the story is based on what his actual passions are:  the outdoors, adventure, survival skills, and animals in the wild.  A dangerous panther lives and hunts deep in the swamp on Cramer’s Island and Lonny comes face to face with it one day.  Lonny thinks Weakfoot is the most dangerous and fearful creature in the swamp.  When a fugitive kidnaps Lonny he finds out how wrong that assumption is.  Held captive for months by this wild fugitive, the two eventually form a bond and learn from and help each other.  Lonny learns survival skills while his kidnapper learns that people really do sometimes need each other.  

I have to admit, I did enjoy this book.  Yes, it is exciting and action packed.  It’s more than that, though.  The lesson is clear.  Lonny faced life-threatening situations and at first thought of himself as a coward for being afraid.  Over the course of his trials and adventures, he learns the truth: being afraid does not make a person a coward.  As his pa tells him, “I reckon being afraid is as natural as being sad, or happy, or crying or laughing.”  What an important life lesson for every child to learn!

So anyway, it’s perfectly fine with me that Mike does not share my interest in books.  That allows him more time to build me bookshelves!