You may have noticed that not all books are equal in capturing children's imaginations and in cultivating those innocent, tender souls. My goal is to help you find the ones that do!
(Painting by Mary Cassatt: "Mrs Cassatt Reading to her Grandchildren" -1888)
Showing posts with label Victorian literature. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Victorian literature. Show all posts
Andrew Lang's well-known "Fairy Books" are a series of fairy tales - a collection of twelve books in all - published between 1889 and 1910. Each volume is distinguished by its own color, all collected and edited (not written, as some mistakenly assume) by Lang. Anita Silvey (The Essential Guide to Children's Books) said, "The irony of Lang's life and work is that although he wrote for a profession - literary criticism; fiction; poems; books and articles on anthropology, mythology, history, and travel...he is best recognized for the works he did not write." Fairy Book History: Victorians favored realistic and instructive stories for children. In the late 19th century, interest in the native fairy tales of Britain had declined and there were very few books recounting them for young readers. In fact, fairy tales and magical stories in general were being attacked by some educationalists as being harmful to children. Lang - who had taken pleasure in nursery rhymes and folktales since childhood - challenged this notion by collecting and editing fairy stories for the first of his "colored fairy books", The Blue Fairy Book (published in 1889).
According to the Folio Society: Whilst other folklorists collected stories directly from source, Lang set about gathering those stories which had already been recorded. This gave him time to collect a much greater breadth of fairy tales from all over the world, most from well-known writers such as The Brothers Grimm, Madame d’Aulnoy and others from less well known sources. Whilst Lang also worked as the editor for his work and is often credited as its sole creator, the support of his wife, who transcribed and organized the translation of the text, was essential to the work’s success.
It's a Reading Rainbow of Books!
You can see the contents of each book here. The names and publication dates of Lang’s 12 "Fairy Books" are as follows:
The Blue Fairy Book – 1889
The Red Fairy Book – 1890
The Green Fairy Book – 1892
The Yellow Fairy Book – 1894
The Pink Fairy Book – 1897
The Grey Fairy Book – 1900
The Violet Fairy Book – 1901
The Crimson Fairy Book – 1903
The Brown Fairy Book – 1904
The Orange Fairy Book – 1906
The Olive Fairy Book – 1907
The Lilac Fairy Book – 1910
J.R.R. Tolkein said, "None rival either the popularity, or the inclusiveness, or the general merits of the twelve books of twelve colours which we owe to Andrew Lang and his wife." A Thirteenth "Fairy Book"? Lang's very own work... Did you happen to notice the title of the book pictured at the top of my post? My Own Fairy Book was written by Andrew Lang, "made up altogether from his own head" (as the introduction says), and published in 1895. Lang said he always felt "rather an impostor" because "so many children seem to think" he wrote the twelve fairy books. You can read "My Own Fairy Book" online, here, on Project Gutenberg. If you especially love fairies, go here to read my past post, "I Do Believe in Fairies, I Do! I Do!".
“It’s sort of Victorian-industrial, but with more whimsy and fewer orphans.”
According to steampunk.com: Steampunk has always been first and foremost a literary genre, or least a subgenre of science fiction and fantasy that includes social or technological aspects of the 19th century (the steam) usually with some deconstruction of, reimagining of, or rebellion against parts of it (the punk).
Not Quite Steampunk:
Steampunk moving towards the mainstream? Ya think?
As happens with trends, Steampunk seems to be everywhere all of a sudden, and often a bit over-done and misunderstood - as you can see from this funny Youtube video:
Jules Verne: Before Steampunk was Hipster
Jules Gabriel Verne (February 8, 1828–March 24, 1905) a French author and visionary, is often called the "Father of Science-fiction", as a pioneer of the science-fiction genre. Born out of his own love for travel, Verne's books are about cosmic, atmospheric, and underwater travel before air travel and submarines were commonplace and before practical means of space travel had been devised.
Jules Verne, with some of the amazing inventions her imagined.
Courtesy of the Smithsonian Libraries
Did you know that Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days was based on a true story? In 1870, U.S. railroad magnate George Francis Train declared in the middle of his Presidential candidacy that he would travel around the world in 80 days or less. It ended up taking him almost double the time.
Verne never acknowledged George Francis Train (that couldn't have been his real name!) as the inspiration for his book. Train lived until 1904 and made three more round-the-world trips, beating his record each time, finally achieving 60 days. He once told an English journalist: "Remember Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days? He stole my thunder. I'm Phileas Fogg. But I have beaten Fogg out of sight." source
Other sci-fi books by Jules Verne: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea;Journey to the Center of the Earth Modern day author/illustrators who've introduced kids to a fantastical Steampunk world in their books:
Graeme Base-An alphabetical search and adventure book full of alliteration, Animalia was published in 1986 and has been a hit ever since. Each page features a short poem utilizing the feature letter of each page for many of the words. The illustrations are intricate, embedded with riddles and secret objects. The author has even hidden a picture of himself as a child on every page.
The Eleventh Hour is another award winning mystery picture book by Graeme Base. Set on the grounds of Horace the elephant’s elaborate mansion, Horace hosts a dress-up party for his eleventh birthday, inviting all of his friends; swans, alligators, rhinos, pigs, mice and more, to feast on a lavish spread, which regrettably, mysteriously disappears.
James Gurney, author of the Dinotopiaseries. In the year 1860, biologist and explorer Arthur Denison and his son, Will, set out on a sea voyage of discovery and adventure. When a powerful typhoon wrecks the ship in uncharted waters, Arthur and Will are the sole survivors. Washed ashore on a strange island called Dinotopia, they are amazed to find a breathtaking world where cities are built on waterfalls, people have found new ways to fly, and humans and dinosaurs live together in harmony. With new discoveries at every turn, Arthur and Will embark upon their own separate journeys to unearth the mysteries of Dinotopia. (You can find James' wonderful blog, here.)
William Joyce'sThe Guardians of Childhood picture books and chapter books develop fantasy "origin stories" for childhood figures such as Santa Claus, The Tooth Fairy, and the Man in the Moon. Ultimately, the series will consist of 13 books - six picture books and seven novels, for older kids. Pure imagination - childhood folklore and mythology at its best (and beautifully illustrated!)
Balloons lost on earth often floated up to the moon, carrying the hopes and dreams of the children who lost them.
Brian Selznick, The Invention of Hugo Cabretwebsite is here. The movie, directed by Martin Scorsese, has more of a Steampunk look than the book, but there is definitely a steampunk aspect to this story: the mysterious drawings, notebooks, keys, secret messages, and oddball contraptions (including an automaton) come togehter for a great adventure!)
And lastly: Two classics, with some Steampunk style... The Voyages of Dr. Dolittle Doctor Dolittle heads for the high seas in perhaps the most amazing adventure ever experienced by man or animal. Told by nine-and-a-half-year-old Tommy Stubbins, crewman and future naturalist, the voyages of Doctor Dolittle and his company lead them to Spidermonkey Island. Along with his faithful friends, Polynesia the parrot and Chee-Chee the monkey, Doctor Dolittle survives a perilous shipwreck and lands on the mysterious floating island. There he meets the wondrous Great Glass See Snail who holds the key to the greatest mystery of all.
book by Hugh Lofting
film version
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, by Ian Fleming
Commander Caractacus Pott is an inventor who buys and renovates an old car after gaining money from inventing and selling whistle-like sweets to Lord Skrumshus, the wealthy owner of a local confectionery factory. The car, a "Paragon Panther," was the sole production of the Paragon motor-car company before it went bankrupt. It is a four-seat touring car with an enormous bonnet (the car can also function as a hover craft). After the restoration is complete, the car is named for the noises made by its starter motor and the characteristic two loud backfires it makes when it starts.
