Tuesday, October 12, 2010

10 Books A Day: #165












Uncle Wiggily's Story Book...Howard R. Garis...Platt & Munk
Uncle Wiggily Goes Camping...Howard R. Garis...Whitman Publishing Co.
Jack and the Beanstalk...ill. by Anne Sellers Leaf...A Rand McNally Book
Captain Kangaroo and the Panda...Kathleen N. Daly...A Little Golden Book
How The Grinch Stole Christmas!...Dr. Seuss...Random House
The Great Big Treasury of Beatrix Potter...Beatrix Potter...Derrydale
The Munsters and the Great Camera Caper...William Johnston...Whitman Publishing Co.
The Secret of Crossbone Hill...Wilson Gage...Weekly Reader Children's Book Club
Legends of the North...Olivia Coolidge...Houghton Mifflin Co.
Treat Shop...Charles E. Merrill Books, Inc
Enchanted Isles...Charles E. Merrill Books
Uncle Wiggily books were another "fiction series" at McQueeney at about the same level and popularity of the Thornton Burgess books. Stories of the "old bunny gentleman" and his candy-stripe cane, his constant helpmeet Nurse Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy, and the rascals Skeezicks and Pipsisewah were full of whimsy and fun, if laced with inevitable Lessons To Be Learned. What I particularly remember was Uncle Wiggily's automobile with tires made out of sausages, that he would sprinkle with pepper when he wanted them to go faster.
The Secret of Crossbone Hill holds a peculiar place in our family lore. If I remember correctly, we got it at an old second-hand/army surplus store, not because we really wanted it but because it was pretty cheap: in other words, a parental decision. But we all read it, at one time or another. We had two summer occupations as children. There was the week-end trip to the beach, and there was camping out in the country. We found that Crossbone Hill pretty much described the quality of those outings, the spirit of what we experienced. The old blue book even accompanied us on several of these trips. It helped develop our appreciation of nature and of the wildlife we saw. So even though it never became what I would call a favorite, it was always around and a sort of quiet influence; so much so that when I found this newer copy I had to get it.
Book Count: 1975.




2 comments:

AlanDP said...

I used to have that same edition of "Jack and the Beanstalk."

Babel said...

That blue cover illustration brings back a flood of memories! I remember also loving the Uncle Wiggly board game.