Daffodils and A.A. Milne

On a recent visit to the Santa Ynez Valley to celebrate my upcoming birthday (it's a big one this year, more on that in another post) my husband and I stayed in the tiny town of Ballard, at a quaint bed and breakfast inn.  



Springtime was in evidence everywhere - we saw wisteria, ranunculus, poppies, and A.A. Milne's favorites: daffodils.

I learned this interesting tidbit about Milne from my blog friend, Brian Sibley (Brian is a multi-talented British radio broadcaster, writer, and photographer. I hope you check out his blog.)  

We were commenting back and forth on a photo he'd posted of daffodils, "Easter Gold", with a short verse by Milne.  He told me that Milne was especially fond of daffodils, called his wife, Daphne, "Daff", and had included this poem in Now We Are Six (April is National Poetry Month, after all)...

Dafodowndill

She wore her yellow sun-bonnet,

She wore her greenest gown;

She turned to the south wind

And curtsied up and down.

She turned to the sunlight

And shook her yellow head,

and whispered to her neighbor:

"Winter is dead."

Brian's comment and Milne's poem prompted me to comment further that I knew of a picture book by Milne, The Magic Hill, about a princess named Daffodil. Published in 2000, with illustrations by Isabell Bodor Brown, it was written originally by A.A. Milne in 1925.  I had been so excited to discover a fairy tale by Milne and had included it in this post I did about Princess books!

Brian gave me details about the history of Milne's original story - why is Brian so knowledgeable about A.A. Milne?  Mr. Sibley wrote all about Milne's bear in Three Cheers for Pooh!, to commemorate Pooh's 75th Anniversary.
  

Brian is really a walking encyclopedia when it comes to many classic authors, illustrators, books, films, and Disney!   

He commented: "The Magic Hill first appeared in a curious book, A Gallery of Children: a collection of stories written by Milne to accompany a series of paintings by Henrietta Willebeeck Le Maire in 1925. Here is her original painting of The Magic Hill" (linked).

Well - now I've got to add A Gallery of Children to my own library!  It contains twelve A.A. Milne stories along with Henrietta Le Maire's gorgeous artwork - you can see some of the illustrations here.

Back to Santa Ynez Valley, where all this talk of daffodils started...the town of Ballard is so cute, I have to share some pictures.  In reality, it is more of an intersection than a town, with our B&B on one corner, and a church on the other!

One morning we walked around the corner and down the street from our B&B, and saw a wonderful little red schoolhouse. It was founded in 1882 (ironically, that was the year A.A. Milne was born).  The best part is that the school house is still in use!

There are modern facilities that were built right next to it in the 1980's, as more classroom space for K-8 was needed. You can read about the history of the Ballard School here.

So here's to small towns, Easter, daffodils and A.A. Milne - from my house to yours!

ORIGINS OF WINNIE-THE-POOH

Happy Winnie-the-Pooh Day!  Today marks the anniversary of the birth of author A.A. Milne in 1882.   Christopher Robin's "Silly Old Bear" holds a special place in my heart, being one of the early favorite characters I introduced my children to during our read aloud time.  I enjoyed Milne's books as much as they did - and there's a reason for that...

Peter Dennis, an English actor who for many years performed a one-man-show, "Bother!", and lent his vocal talents in recording all of Milne's stories and verses (available HERE), said:  For too long, Winnie-the-Pooh has been relegated to children's bookshelves and Disney children's cartoons. But A. A. Milne didn't write the stories and poems for children. He intended them for the child within you – and me – and countless millions of others. Milne rarely read the stories and poems to his son Christopher, preferring rather to amuse him with the works of P.G. Wodehouse. In a letter to me, Christopher wrote, "My father did not write the books for children. He didn't write for any specific market; he knew nothing about marketing. He knew about me. He knew about himself..." [source: Pooh Corner]

photo source: nypl.org

If you're ever in New York City, be sure and stop by the Public Library's Children's Center (their home in the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street), where you can see Christopher Robin's beloved bear and other treasured toys preserved for viewing in a glass cabinet.  Below are some "Fun Facts" from the NYC Public Library website...

FUN FACTS ABOUT THE REAL WINNIE THE POOH AND HIS FRIENDS

-The curious name of "Winnie-the-Pooh" came from Christopher Robin, from a combination of the names of a real bear and a pet swan. During the 1920s there was a black bear named "Winnie" in the London Zoo who had been the mascot for the Winnipeg regiment of the Canadian army. "Pooh" was the name of a swan in When We Were Very Young [Milne's first book of poems].

-Pooh was purchased at Harrods department store in London and given by A.A. Milne to his son Christopher Robin on his first birthday, August 21, 1921. He was called Edward (proper form of "Teddy") Bear at the time.

-The rest of the toys were received as gifts by Christopher Robin between 1920 and 1928.

-Not only Christopher Robin played with the toys; so, apparently, did the family dog, which may have contributed to their well-worn appearance.

-The baby kangaroo stuffed animal (named Roo) was lost in an apple orchard during the 1930s.

-Winnie-the-Pooh had adventures with Piglet, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, Owl, Rabbit, and Tigger in the 100 Aker (Acre) Wood (based on the Ashdown Forest in southern England, located near the Milne family home).

-Owl and Rabbit were brought to life to join Pooh and pals Eeyore, Piglet, Kanga, Roo, and Tigger, by Milne and illustrator Ernest H. Shepard.

-The stuffed animals range in height from 25" (Eeyore, the biggest) to 4 1/2" (Piglet, the smallest).

Want more information?  You can also see NYP Library's A REAL POOH TIMELINE, here.

Make a Honey Cake, to celebrate the day: Click HERE for the recipe, from my past post, "Proper Tea with Winnie-the-Pooh".

My book recommendation for today: Three Cheers for Pooh, by Brian Sibley. You'll love Brian Sibley's richly detailed account, with lavish illustrations of Ernest Shepard's full-color artwork and original sketches (as well as photographs, newspaper reports, and manuscript pages in Milne's own handwriting). This creatively designed book is perfect for both seasoned Pooh admirers and those eager to get better acquainted with Edward Bear - known to most as: Winnie-the-Pooh.

NEED A "SUSTAINING BOOK"?

"...would you read a Sustaining Book, such as would

help and comfort a Wedged Bear in Great Tightness?"

A.A. Milne's books about Edward Bear will definitely hold your child's attention, as well as provide them with lots of bedtime stories, one chapter at a time!

This edition celebrated the 75th anniversary of the beloved "silly old bear". THE COMPLETE TALES AND POEMS OF WINNIE-THE-POOH collects A.A. Milne's classic stories (Winnie-the-Pooh; The House at Pooh Corner; When We Were Very Young; and Now We Are Six) and Ernest H. Shepard's original illustrations in one gorgeous oversize gift edition.  And it includes Three Cheers for Pooh: The Best Bear in All the World, by Brian Sibley, which provides readers with a historical reference point, starting with the story of Mrs. Milne's purchase of a stuffed bear at a London department store for their young son, Christopher Robin. Photographs, original manuscript pages and Shepard's sketches and illustrations complete the package.

 


from WINNIE-THE-POOH,
Chapter II ...In Which Pooh Goes Visiting and Gets Into a Tight Place...

"We'll read to you," said Rabbit cheerfully. "And I
hope it won't snow," he added. "And I say, old fellow, you're
taking up a good deal of room in my house -- do you mind if I
use your back legs as a towel-horse? Because, I mean, there
they are -- doing nothing -- and it would be very convenient
just to hang the towels on them."

"A week!" said Pooh gloomily. "What about meals?"

"I'm afraid no meals," said Christopher Robin, "because
of getting thin quicker. But we will read to you."


Bear began to sigh, and then found he couldn't because
he was so tightly stuck; and a tear rolled down his eye, as he
said:

"Then would you read a Sustaining Book, such as would
help and comfort a Wedged Bear in Great Tightness?" So for a
week Christopher Robin read that sort of book at the North end of Pooh,
and Rabbit hung his washing on the South end . . . and in
between Bear felt himself getting slenderer and slenderer. And
at the end of the week Christopher Robin said, "Now!"

So he took hold of Pooh's front paws and Rabbit took
hold of Christopher Robin, and all Rabbit's friends and
relations took hold of Rabbit, and they all pulled together....

And for a long time Pooh only said "Ow!" . . .

And "Oh!" . . .

And then, all of a sudden, he said "Pop!" just as if a
cork were coming out of bottle.

And Christopher Robin and Rabbit and all Rabbit's
friends and relations went head-over-heels backwards . . . and
on the top of them came Winnie-the-Pooh -- free!

So, with a nod of thanks to his friends, he went on
with his walk through the forest, humming proudly to himself.
But, Christopher Robin looked after him lovingly, and said to
himself, "Silly old Bear!"


A.A. Milne always acknowledged that it was his wife, Daphne, and his young son, Christopher Robin, who inspired him to write the poems and stories – the literary journey began in 1924 when the Very Young Christopher Robin was introduced to an American black bear at the London Zoological Gardens. (from PoohCorner.com)
Click on the link PoohCorner.com to read more about the origins of Winnie-the-Pooh.

And you can read my previous post "Making Friends With Pooh" by clicking HERE.

A FATHER WHO LOVED TRAINS

Most children in the U.S. and their parents were introduced to THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE through the television series, "Shining Time Station", which aired from 1989 through the 1990's on PBS, FOX FAMILY and NICK JR.  What many Americans may not know is that this Britt Allcroft production (which spawned the huge collection of merchandise in toys, dvd's, and books that are so popular with kids today) was based on a hugely popular series of books written by an English clergyman between 1945 and 1972!

Wilbert Vere Awdry was not only a "Reverend", but a railroad enthusiast.  In the early 1940's, when his two-year-old son Christopher suffered a bout of the measles, Rev. Awdry began telling him stories about steam engines.  His first stories were about Henry, Edward, and Gordon, and were eventually published as The Three Railway Engines in 1945.  In the dedication of his second book of the series, Thomas the Tank Engine, Rev. Awdry wrote:

Dear Christopher,
Here is your friend Thomas, the Tank Engine.
He wanted to come out of his station-yard and see the world.
These stories tell you how he did it.
I hope you will like them because you helped me to make them.
Your Loving Daddy

By the time Rev. W. Awdry had stopped writing in 1972, his Railway Series numbered 26 books.  He was very involved in railway preservation and building model railways, which he took to exhibitions. A year before his death in 1997 he was awarded the Order of the British Empire.  He also lived to see his son Christopher continue his beloved series (books 27-40).

Our own family (back in 1985, before the t.v. series came to the States) was fortunate enough to have been sent a copy of Thomas the Tank Engine (Series No. 2) as a gift from some friends in England for our firstborn son, David - along with a set of children's dishes by Wedgewood, painted with characters from the stories - now regarded as one of our Family Treasures!  Our third child, Jonny, knew all about couplings, sidings, "silly" trucks,  and "cheeky" engines by the time he was three. (And he wouldn't go to bed each night until he'd pointed out and recited the names of all the engines and cars on his "Thomas Poster".)

I love that the original books are done in a small-format style (reminiscent of Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit books).  You can read about the series' illustrators on the Sodor Island Thomas Fan Site.  Most of THE RAILWAY SERIES books are now out of print (as is Brian Sibley's excellent biography of Rev. W. Awdry), but many can be found used on Amazon.com.   Warning: reading aloud phrases such as, "rubbish", "bother", and "don't stop dawdling, don't stop dawdling" can be addictive to U.S. born Moms and Dads! -peep, peep!
THE THREE RAILWAY ENGINES (RAILWAY SERIES NO. 1) by Rev. W. Awdry


THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE (RAILWAY SERIES NO. 2) by Rev. W. Awdry


JAMES THE RED ENGINE (RAILWAY SERIES NO. 3) by Rev. W. Awdry


THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION by Rev. W. Awdry

THE THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE MAN, by Brian Sibley.  A biography of Rev. W. Awdry, released to coincide with the 50th Anniversary of The Railway Series.

PAULINE BAYNES, THE ARTIST WHO BROUGHT ASLAN TO LIFE...

From THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE:  Aslan with Susan and Lucy

Readers will be forever indebted to illustrators such as E.H. Shepard (Winnie the Pooh) and Pauline Baynes (The Chronicles of Narnia), who not only contribute to the success of a book, but somehow make real the magical worlds that would only live in our imaginations, were it not for their visual creations which become almost inseparable from the beautifully crafted text of the authors...


Illustrator Pauline Baynes was recommended to C.S. Lewis through her friend, J.R.R. Tolkien.  Tolkien loved her stunning medieval illustrations, which were a perfect fit for several of his books (Farmer Giles of Ham, The Adventures of Tom Bombadil).   She also did a magnificent job creating the detailed map of Middle Earth and some of the cover artwork for Tolkien's first-edition paperback Lord of the Rings. 

In a true collaboration of writer and illustrator, Baynes' stunning artwork helped bring to life C.S. Lewis' land of Narnia (which have sold over 100 million copies) and will forever be linked with those seven stories...but she also illustrated over 100 other books, many of which - in her later career - were of a religious theme.


THE LAND OF NARNIA: Brian Sibley Explores the World of C.S. Lewis

A TALE OF TROY

ARABIAN NIGHTS

I BELIEVE:  THE NICENE CREED
 
THE COAT OF MANY COLORS

THE MOSES BASKET

STORY OF DANIEL

NOAH AND THE ARK (This book is out of print - beautiful illustrations!)
GOOD KING WENCESLAS



Pauline Baynes died at the age of 85, in August of 2008.  You can read Brian Sibley's beautiful tribute to her HERE.  Examples of her gorgeous fine art prints (these are not her book illustrations) can be seen and purchased here at Bridgeman ART ON DEMAND.