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MaryM
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I didn't want the the year to slip by without a special tribute to Margaret Wise Brown and Elizabeth Orton Jones who would have been celebrating 100th birthdays this year. I just realized it last week and though their birth dates have passed, Jenn's post in the "3 picture book a day" thread reminded me. With Leo Politi, Clement Hurd, Don Freeman having 100th birthdays in 2008, Virginia Lee Burton in 2009, and now Margaret Wise Brown and Elizabeth Orton Jones - I was amazed to see such talent all born around the same time.
So looking at Margaret Wise Brown and Elizabeth Orton Jones, what are your favorite books or theirs? Any stories to share?
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Mary M. in Denver
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MaryM
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My favorite Margaret Wise Brown titles are:
The Fierce Yellow Pumpkin - published after her death from manuscripts that were found.
The Little Island
The Little Fir Tree - except I like the original edition with the Barbara Cooney illustrations!
The Runaway Bunny
What do you think of the books that have been published since her death? She left a lot of manuscripts which are being published now.
Jenn mentioned in the other PB thread a newly published book this year - from her unpublished manuscripts. The Fathers are Coming Home. I read it. It was okay but didn't grab me.
Just this week we read The Moon Shines Down published in 2008. It was from an unfinished manuscript. An author worked to write addition verses in her style, but there are some that just don't sound right and I'm betting that those are the non-MWB ones. So I had mixed feelings on this one.
But, I love The Fierce Yellow Pumpkin mentioned above which was not published until recently and has a modern illustrator. The Little Scarecrow Boy is cute as well though I like the pumpkin one so much more.
Elizabeth Orton Jones favorites:
Twig and Big Susan which she wrote.
Prayer for a Child - which she illustrated.
I realize I haven't seen that many of the books she has illustrated. I'll have to try to find more.
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Mary M. in Denver
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JennGM
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Margaret Wise Brown wrote so many in her short life! That Golden Legacy book really helped me see her life a bit.
If I had to pick top ones, the book Runaway Bunny is my top favorite.
Other runners up:
Goodnight, Moon
My World
Christmas in the Barn (ill. by Barbara Cooney)
I love, love, love Elizabeth Orton Jones illustrations. I've raved about them before.
My favorites of hers are
Song of the Sun (illustrated the St. Francis prayer. I shared pictures in the St. Francis book thread)
Prayer of a Child
and she illustrated books for her mother, Jessie Jones. I found one called Secrets that is just gorgeous.
But her illustrations of the Golden Book Little Red Riding Hood I always loved and only recently put the connection.
My library doesn't have Twig, so I have yet to see it!
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JennGM
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About Margaret Wise Brown...not all her writings read well out loud. Big Red Barn never flows right for me.
Well, the "Fathers Come Home" was nice, and especially nice with Daddy reading it. Very simple, though, on the level of "The Important Book" and the "Noisy" book series. Very basic.
I have not seen the others you mentioned.
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MaryM
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JennGM wrote:
If I had to pick top ones, the book Runaway Bunny is my top favorite.
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Why do some Amazon reviewers talk about this book being creepy??? Have you seen that? I just don't get it, because it isn't supposed to be about a mother who doesn't let her child (bunny) grow up and stalks it. It's about unconditional love - even when that one isn't being loveable and knowing that nothing a child can ever do will cause mommy to not love or look for her baby. Now, Robert Munsch's "I'll Love You Forever" - that one I find a bit creepy 
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JennGM
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MaryM wrote:
JennGM wrote:
If I had to pick top ones, the book Runaway Bunny is my top favorite.
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Why do some Amazon reviewers talk about this book being creepy??? Have you seen that? I just don't get it, because it isn't supposed to be about a mother who doesn't let her child (bunny) grow up and stalks it. It's about unconditional love - even when that one isn't being loveable and knowing that nothing a child can ever do will cause mommy to not love or look for her baby. Now, Robert Munsch's "I'll Love You Forever" - that one I find a bit creepy |
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After seeing Emma Thompson in Wit and there's a scene where this book is read and the woman stops and mentions that it's an allegory of God, that has got me thinking over the years how this book reflects God's unbounding and limitless love, all-merciful, and also how He is everywhere.
As a mother, I am to imitate that love and mercy...so no, I don't find it creepy at all. But I agree with the Munsch's book...yuk. I won't read it here.
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Trinity
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I think my favorite book by Margaret Wise Brown is The Golden Egg Book. The edition we own is huge, I think it is one of our biggest picture books. It is such an endearing story and the illustrations by Weisgard are gorgeous!
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Trinity
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MaryM wrote:
Elizabeth Orton Jones favorites:
Twig and Big Susan which she wrote.
Prayer for a Child - which she illustrated.
I realize I haven't seen that many of the books she has illustrated. I'll have to try to find more.
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Thank you for the suggestions. : ) I just checked online and our library has two of those. I'll add them to my list for when we go this week.
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DominaCaeli
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JennGM wrote:
| About Margaret Wise Brown...not all her writings read well out loud. Big Red Barn never flows right for me. |
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That's funny, Jenn--I definitely agree with you that not all her writing reads well aloud, but Big Red Barn isn't one I would categorize that way. (Although I do think that Christmas in the Barn, which has many of the same lines, reads more smoothly.)
Some of our favorites:
Christmas in the Barn (like Jenn, I much prefer Cooney's illustrations)
The Little Fireman
The Little Island
Goodnight Moon
I also like The Little Fir Tree, again, with the Cooney illustrations.
I've never much liked The Runaway Bunny. Not entirely sure why...
I also know that there are several of hers we have never read and that our library doesn't own.
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JennGM
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DominaCaeli wrote:
JennGM wrote:
| About Margaret Wise Brown...not all her writings read well out loud. Big Red Barn never flows right for me. |
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That's funny, Jenn--I definitely agree with you that not all her writing reads well aloud, but Big Red Barn isn't one I would categorize that way. (Although I do think that Christmas in the Barn, which has many of the same lines, reads more smoothly.) |
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There's just one page that I stumble, the cadence isn't the same. "My World" has the same flow problem with me.
I wish my library had more of her books, but it would be very full, wouldn't it?
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DominaCaeli
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Can't believe I forgot one of my very favorites:
The Good Little Bad Little Pig by Margaret Wise Brown and Dan Yaccarino
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Erin
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Thought you would be interested in knowing Margaret Wise Brown wrote an Australian book! Young Kangaroo I found a copy recently.
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JennGM
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Erin wrote:
| Thought you would be interested in knowing Margaret Wise Brown wrote an Australian book! Young Kangaroo I found a copy recently. |
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Cool! Who was the publisher?
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Erin
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Whoops. It was published in Great Britain in 1959, by Jarrold and Sons Ltd. But on another page is says' The World's Work Ltd. Illustrated by Symeon Shimin.
Compared to my other MWB books I would say there is far more print on most pages. Quite informative, I'd list it with my living books. Lovely Australian illustrations.
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Erin
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MaryM wrote:
| Just this week we read The Moon Shines Down published in 2008. It was from an unfinished manuscript. An author worked to write addition verses in her style, but there are some that just don't sound right and I'm betting that those are the non-MWB ones. So I had mixed feelings on this one. |
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Just read this tonight, was excited because the blurb "Forgotten for decades in a dusty, tucked away trunk" sounded mysterious and promising.....not so, was irritated by the word 'kids' used a couple of times, certain MWB didn't use that word, must have been the other author. And the koala in all the pictures was strange, didn't fit, why would an American be using a koala as their 'voice'
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4Real Forums : Picture Book Discoveries
Topic: Favs? Wise Brown & Orton Jones 100 yrs.
