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JennGM
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I found a wonderful book on Black Friday. Two years now I've gone out on Black Friday to shop, but I go to antique malls and stores -- less crowds, more treasures.  Of course, I'm not hitting all the bargains and getting my shopping done, but just enjoying an outing.
Anyway, I've been discovering Ruth Sawyer and her Christmas books, and came across this title at the antique store (inexpensive, I promise), Journey Cake, Ho! by Ruth Sawyer and illustrated by Robert McCloskey. I linked to the paperback edition so you could see the cover. It is a vintage and OOP book, but delightful. If you love McCloskey's illustrations, this is a keeper.
It's about a poor farmer and his wife, and a boy named Johnny. They work hard, and then they fall among harder times, with all the animals gone. Johnny has to be sent away to find work. They give him a large round Journey cake, which rolls away from Johnny, and sings a "Catch me if you can" like the Gingerbread Man or Gingerbread Baby stories. The cake entices many animals to follow and then it rolls all the way back home to the original homestead. That means all these animals can now help their farm, and Johnny can stay home.
And the Journey Cake becomes now a Johnny Cake.
It never says if Johnny is a son, or just a worker, and the idea of him leaving isn't too heavy or sad.
I just loved the little connections, thinking of the Little House books and Johnny Cakes -- and this is the story of how it was named that? And also how similar it was to Gingerbread Baby, which we're loving to read over and over again.
I see it was reviewed at Vintage Children's Books and that Ruth Sawyer is McCloskey's Mother-in-law! Who knew!
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Jennifer G. Miller
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Family in Feast and Feria
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insegnante
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I know this is tangential, but for a short time I was reading this thinking it was a "book on Black Friday." I thought it odd that someone had written a picture book on the topic of shopping the day after Thanksgiving, and given it the title of Journey Cake, Ho! 
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Theresa
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Maddie
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Wow! That's so cool!
We love this story too.
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~Maddie~
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MaryM
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insegnante wrote:
| I know this is tangential, but for a short time I was reading this thinking it was a "book on Black Friday." I thought it odd that someone had written a picture book on the topic of shopping the day after Thanksgiving, and given it the title of Journey Cake, Ho! |
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, that's funny Theresa.
And now I'm wondering if because of my post in another thread, Angie is going think this is a thread about her birthday cake .
See, it's so good that you share these finds, Jenn. I only have vague recollection of having seen this title before and I know it was long ago when I wasn't as in-tune to the classic picturebooks and their appeal. I just requested it so I can really enjoy it.
I had researched Johnny cake/journey cake history before for our pioneer studies. There are so many "stories" about the name and no one knows for sure the origin. Very fun that this story does a little "gingerbread boy" twist - I love the variations on the gingerbread boy. 
At What's COoking America they have this to say:
The origin of the name johnnycakes (jonnycakes) is something of a mystery and probably has nothing to do with the name John. They were also called journey cakes because they could be carried on long trips in saddlebags and baked along the way. Some historians think that they were originally called Shawnee cakes and that the colonists slurred the words, pronouncing it as johnnycakes. Historians also think that "janiken," an American Indian word meant "corn cake," could possibly be the origin.
The McCloskey/Sawyer connection is cool. I believe I'd read that before. Have you read the Golden Legacy yet? I know I keep recommending it. It has so many of those kinds of connections between these writers and illustrators. It was a small little world of publishing, yet big and amazing too.
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Mary M. in Denver
Our Domestic Church
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JennGM
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MaryM wrote:
| The McCloskey/Sawyer connection is cool. I believe I'd read that before. Have you read the Golden Legacy yet? I know I keep recommending it. It has so many of those kinds of connections between these writers and illustrators. It was a small little world of publishing, yet big and amazing too. |
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Not yet, but it's on my list. I cannot wait to read it. I'm on a Little Golden Books rabbit trail right now.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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JennGM
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I just read that Journey Cake, Ho! was a Caldecott Honor book in 1953. Interesting. This link fleshes a little more about Ruth Sawyer. There are a few of her books on the Baldwin Project.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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JennGM
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I'll add this little Christmas connection. One of our Christmas books is Clown of God by Tomie dePaola. My sister's son was doing research on St. Hermann Joseph, and found that this saint was the original young boy that gave the apple to our Lady, and that there has been so many other stories that are derived from the real one.
This one by Ruth Sawyer is another derivation.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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Paula in MN
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I know I have this book somewhere! Now if I can just find it!
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 Paula
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Carole N.
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What a great find, Jenn! I love learning all these tidbits of information that you and MaryM and so many others share with us.
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Carole ... in Wales
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amarytbc
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I loved this book as a child and it was the one book that survived my childhood. It's been a favorite of my children too.
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4Real Forums : Picture Book Discoveries
Topic: Journey Cake, Ho!
