A Haven for Vee

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Not All Stuff is Bad Stuff



Right. What was I saying about stuff? Here's a lovely stack of books that my mother left off for me today. She actually had some of these slated for the library sale until I snagged them.

I love books for making subtle or not so subtle decorating statements around the house.

This little one I put in my window arrangement for the sweet graphics of children fishing. I don't remember ever reading it.



This book I remember loving. L.o.v.i.n.g. My mother and grandmother loved it before me.



Let's see if we can discover why...













Ahhh, yes! Great pictures and



great text. I've never read a better-written truncated summary of King Henry VIII since.

Catch me in four years when I may be offering some of these fun graphics. Blast that 100 year rule! (Edited to Add: Math... the bane of my existence.)

So do you have a favorite childhood book that was your mother's and her mother's?

Edited to Add: Kristi at Thoughts from Thicket House graciously provided *this online site* for the book. Who knew? You can see the wonderful illustrations in much better detail. While the authors are different, it appears to be the same pictures and the same stories (on further review...not quite, but very close). I'm not sure what that mystery is about. My book is written by Charles Morris. This site says it was written by E. Nesbit. Please note that illustrations may be copied from that site. Yay!

35 comments:

  1. They look like wonderful books and how nice that in some cases they were loved by your mom and her mom too. I do not have any books form my mom or grandma, but if I did they would be treasures for sure.

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  2. I am glad you snaged these books too Vee, I love old books to reread and to display.. I love the smell of old books too. Silly, huh. Enjoy your day and thanks for sharing.
    Sue

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  3. I've loved to read from that first time in first grade when I ran home from school yelling, I can read, I can read. :-) I don't have any of my old books. My mom gave them all away :-(
    I love all books!!

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  4. I am trying to take in the feel and smell of those old books. I love to go through them, read them and look at those fabulous graphics.

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  5. something so magical and lovely about old books...they hold the promise of great adventures and treasured moments :)

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  6. Oh that Royal book looks like a real treasure. Love the pictures and it would be a homeschool Mom's dream.

    Good for you for recapturing these lovely books.

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  7. What beautiful illustrations, Vee. How fortunate you are to be able to sit down and enjoy them again. Cheryl

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  8. I love old books like that.

    No... sigh. My mother was not at all bookish. She read the National Enquirer and thought the stories had to be true because they were in print.

    Another sigh.

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  9. I have a book called Uncle Arthurs bed-time stories. The stories all have lessons to learn. It was my Mum's and the read it to us and I read it to our sons.

    Love this kins of stuff.

    Leann

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  10. I saw Black Beauty in that pile of books! I LOVE it! Oh, those graphics in old books are to die for - so gorgeous!

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  11. Oh, I love children's books and especially love the Curlytops kids! My grandmother read Heidi to me one summer so that one is special to me! I love to collect children's books...old and new! ♥

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  12. Good thing you snagged them! What a shame for them to show up in a used book store somewhere...and you or I paying good money for them. Enjoy!

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  13. We also have a love for old books in our home....I have several school books that belonged to my great-grandmother and an old 'birthday' book that belonged to her as well (friends would sign their names on the date of their birthday)...I love classic children's books and my daughter seems to have followed in my footsteps.....
    Great post, Vee!

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  14. Sweet gifting!

    Oh look at those lovely, worn covers. And precious illustrations. And text.

    100 year rule on graphics? Does this mean you can't copy & paste something?

    Whatever...

    My fav "old" book is "Marjorie's Vacation" which was given to me when I was sick once. The Copyright date is 1907. I probably got it around 1945 or there-abouts.

    I have other "old" books, but this is my fav, because I didn't grow up, surrounded by books. So a book given to me by family, is memorable. Something rare in childhood, is a jewel, to be kept and treasured.

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  15. Hi Vee, I have been having problems with blogger too. I hope it all get streightened out soon. My mother really didn't read a lot to us but my favorite book was 'The wind In The Willows' My brother used to read it to me. Your book sounds wonderful. It is one that I would enjoy.

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  16. Oh Vee,
    What treasures you have. I love old books, but if I were to pick one favorite, it would be The Secret Garden by Frances Burnett. I have a collection of them. The Secret Garden was the first book my father gave to me.

    I just gave my husband a treasure I found the other day in my book shop haunts. The Beautiful Lake. Inside the words, the illustrations...amazing.

    Vee if you took a photo of the cover and made it into a bookplate, you might want to have your mom and your grandmother sign it. What a keepsake it would be for your grandchildren some day. If you need any help in creating a bookplate just e-mail me and I'll create it for you and e-mail the jpeg back.

    Have a beautiful day.

    Karen

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  17. Oh these are fantastic! My heart always skips a beat when I spot old children's books...maybe it because now I am an OLD CHILD :-)

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  18. They look like wonderful books, Vee. The illustrations are so detailed.
    I think you know how much I love vintage books of all kinds. I had so many favorites as a child --I was lucky to grow up within walking distance of a branch of the Brooklyn Library, so it's shelves were well explored. I remember reading Robinson Crusoe when I was 10 -- it took me the whole summer and I was so proud of myself when I finished it.

    Sadly no books were passed down from my grandmother (she was an immigrant and could not read, as she was not able to go to school as a child) and my Mom didn't have any books besides schoolbooks, as a child.
    My Dad was a great reader, but he also used the public library. He told me that James Fenimore Coopers' Leatherstocking Tales were always his favorites and he encouraged me to read them all. "Last of the Mohicans" was my favorite.

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  19. THESE ARE SO WONDERFUL VEE!!! Oh my goodness...I found myself drooling over the graphics of the book you all loved. And don't worry one bit 1904-2004...we're completely safe!!! And just reading that first page ~ ohmy, the writing is magical! I'm so very glad you snagged these from your mom, have a great weekend sweet friend, hugs and love, Dawn

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  20. Ding! You're the winner, Dawn! :D

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  21. How memorable and they draw me back to childhood and into the pages of wonderment and fascination. I loved those old books and still do! My shelves are lined with them!

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  22. Mine was a copy of Mother Goose...hugs...m...

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  23. what a happy find...... and we loved that you gave us glimpses at the cover and inside too!

    I don't have any books that my mom or grandmother loved as children. I still do have my very first children's Bible story book. Tattered and worn from all the readings I gave it as a child. It was one of the beautifully illustrated story books by Egermeier's.

    Your posting makes me want to dig it out and browse through it now.

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  24. Fantastic books, such family treasures. I am not so lucky to have any shared family books. Thank you for sharing yours with us. Have a beautiful day!

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  25. My dear Vee,

    Every day we are getting closer to Maine. I CAN'T wait.

    Books are piled everywhere in our house. I guess I belong to the school of decorating with books. Anyhow, I am lucky to have kept books once read by my Grandmother. Robert Louis Stevenson's A Child's Garden of Verses is one of my favorites. I also love my old copy of Heidi, The Secret Garden, and too many more to name.

    Luckily my best friend in Maine bequeathed an old A.A. Milne book to me that is filled with marvelous illustrations. As I turn the pages I can feel and see the illustrations that Kate most loved.

    Thanks for this posting,

    Sharon Lovejoy

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  26. Vee, how wonderful that you were able to snag these!!! They are just wonderful. I love the sweet illustrations in the old books, especially the old textbooks.

    I don't have an old book that has been passed on, however I have many fond memories of snuggling in my chair to read an entire Nancy Drew in one afternoon.

    xo
    becky

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  27. I too adore the artwork in the books published between 1890-1930. I've studied some of the illustrators and especially the artists responsible for the cover art. A lot of them have web pages dedicated to their work.

    Curlytop books rock!

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  28. LOVE your collection of books! One of these days I hope to have mine unpacked and on display. Not sure I could ever replace them with a Kindle.

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  29. This book looks like such a treasure. How precious. Yes, I have a few Nancy Drews, Bobbsey Twins, and Trixie Beldens that were my mothers. I love that!

    Blessings,
    Christi

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  30. Great books..........And may all be well with you, Vee....I actually loved your pictures of the Royal Children book and found it online here: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/30167/30167-h/30167-h.htm

    It's a treasure, written by Edith Nesbit who wrote some of our favorite children's books like The New Treasure Seekers, and The Wouldbegoods.

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  31. What wonderful books! I have an old collection called "Journey Through Bookland" that belonged to my mother and every time I look at the pages it reminds me of her. The peppery smell, the lovely fonts and the memory-filled pictures make my heart smile. Thank you for reminding me.

    Hugs,
    Dena

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  32. I absolutely love old books! My friend occassionally will bring by some - some are so very tiny too!
    Wishing you a wonderful week.
    You can have some of my sun!!
    Kathy

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  33. Hi Vee!

    I'm so glad you got those wonderful books instead of the library! Although, I'd be overjoyed if I found such books at our library sale!

    I Love old books - from the covers to the loverly illustrations!

    Manuela

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  34. Thanks so much for the visit and comment on my columbine.
    Your blog is beautiful and calming. I usually turn off sound when I hear music on a site, but yours is sweet and lovely.
    Happy 4th to you!
    Pam

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