Honey for a Child's Heart

Fortunately, wise editors who “mine the backlist” are putting some favorites of past years back in print, without any gimmicks. If you have never read the original or are not a purist, it may not matter to you anyway, but hardly anything tears at the “reading-heart” quite like finding a favorite book reprinted with some of the most delicious “memories” taken out.

Thankfully the reissue of Ruth Krauss’ The Backward Day (1950) is as charming as ever. In this story a little boy wakes up one morning and says to himself, ‘Today is backward day.’ He puts his clothes on in backward order and ends with socks on top of his shoes. Then he walks backward down the stairs, says goodnight to his family. The situation is silly, and illustrator Marc Simont makes the most of it with his bold colors, showing other family members going along with the idea. Backward Day is undone by walking backwards up the steps, climbing in bed, and starting the whole day over, announcing “Backward Day is Done!” Be glad that a new generation will enjoy the ridiculous elements of the story, told in the straight forward simplicity that marks all of Ruth Krauss’ wonderful children’s books.

Tico and the Golden Wings (1964) by Leo Lionni has been reissued in a more appealing format than the original. It’s the story of Tico being granted wings of pure gold by the “wishingbird,” only to have his friends turn against him, accusing him of thinking he is better than they are with his golden wings. Tico responds by giving golden feathers away, and each time he does this a black feather takes its place until he has turned all black again. The friends say, “Now you are like us!” but Tico knows this isn’t true. “We are all different. Each for his own memories, and his own invisible golden dreams.” It’s good to see Tico’s wings printed appropriately done in metallic gold in the new edition.

Don Freeman’s Quiet! There’s a Canary in the Library (1969) was republished almost two years ago. It’s the story of a little girl named Cary who loves to go to the library, and suggests what she would do if she were the librarian. “I would have a special day when only animals and birds would be allowed to come in and browse.” The book shows a parade of animals coming in the reading room where the trouble begins. A canary with a piercing voice comes to the rescue, resolving the bedlam in a delightful way. Freeman contrast drawings of the actual library with crayoned drawings from Cary’s imagination.

Sometimes the text gets changed when a book is reissued. Here’s an example.

In the original opening of Marshmallow by Clare Turlay Newberry (1942) the story begins: “Oliver was a cat of middle-age, gray with tabby markings. He was a bachelor without wife or kittens, and lived in an apartment in Manhattan.” The new edition reads “Oliver was a gray cat with tabby markings who lived in an apartment.” The heart of the story remains the same, but as you read it feels like someone has taken the spice out of it. This book still has the capacity to captivate children, even though it won’t help develop their vocabulary. The basic story line remains and the same drawings of cat, whose daily life is thrown into disarray at the arrival of a baby rabbit, are as winsome as ever.

There’s more…much more. Several of Roger Duvoisin’s books about Petunia have been reissued. I was glad to see a new edition of Veronica on Petunia’s Farm (1962). Syd Hoff’s I Can Read Books always give children a sense of pride as emergent readers. His books tell interesting stories with a minimum of words—like The Littlest Leaguer which begins: “Of all the players in the little league, Harold was the littlest” and then goes on to tell how bespectacled Harold saves the big game of the season. In addition, several out-of-print editions of Ingri and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire books are back in print.

It seems to me that for every reissue that is a winner there seems to be a “loser” that is hastily thrown together and seems a mistake. Discretion is advised. Look for original editions at book sales. Above all, publishers, don’t tamper with the text!