BERL Book Reviews
All Book Reviews by Barbara Elleman

Dictionary of American Children’s Fiction:
Recent Books of Recognized Merit
By Alethea K. Helbig and Agnes Regan Perkins

Have you ever been curious about the life of Rachel Field, tried to recall the plot of Robert Lawson’s The Great Wheel, wanted to know the character’s names in Eleanor Estes’ Moffat novels, or sort out the order of Lloyd Alexander’s Prydain Chronicles? In The Dictionary of American Children’s Fiction, a two volume work, Helbig and Perkins provide just such a resource. Published in 1985 and 1986 respectively, the Dictionaries were produced by two professors of English—then at Eastern Michigan University—to fill a much needed resource for the children’s literature community. After a lengthy selection process, detailed in the Preface, the authors chose more than 900 American fiction books for children to analyze and discuss. The majority of the titles have won or been finalists for major awards in children’s literature, giving Helbig and Perkins a “broad spectrum of the literature recognized for merit by a wide variety of experts in children’s literature over many years.” The individual awards are identified at the close of each entry.
The Dictionaries use an alphabetical listing to profile authors, describe plots, and identify characters and settings; critical commentary is included for the author and title entries. As stated in the introduction, “we have attempted to bring literary judgments to bear upon the books, keeping in mind, of course, that children are the intended audience.”

Restricting the entries to fiction allows space for substantial commentary; however, it also results in some omissions. For example, the first Newbery winner—Wilhelm Van Loon—is nonfiction and hence not included—and neither are any picture books with fewer than 5000 words of text. Nevertheless, researchers will find valuable information here on books recognized through the years and especially on titles now out of print and rarely discussed in current literature.

One of the gems of this collection is the inclusion of character names. Readers will find delineated the roles of Will Stanton in Susan Cooper’s Dark is Rising series, Jody Baxter in Marjorie Rawlings’ The Yearling, and the historical figure John Hancock in Esther Forbes’ Johnny Tremain.

Volume One (1859 to 1959) includes entries about titles as diverse as Roller Skates and Prince and the Pauper and authors from Frances Burnett to Jean George. In Volume Two (1960 to 1984), entries on Virginia Hamilton, Laurence Yep, and Mildred Taylor signify the appearance of more ethnic writing for children but one also finds long-recognized names such as Madeleine L’Engle, Scott O’Dell, and Keith Robertson. Although the earlier book covers a longer time span, the second volume, because of the increased number of books published for children in those years, is about 300 pages longer.

Another plus to this work is the use of cross references. One can, for instance, start with the title Tuck Everlasting, be lead to the main character—Winnie Foster—go on to the author—Natalie Babbitt—which will then lead to her other works—Kneekock Rise or Search for Delicious—and on and on. One can spend hours hop scotching across the entries, retrieving material to make the reading of children’s books a rich and enlightening experience. All in all, a veritable treasury for scholars and browsers alike.

Myth, Magic, and Mystery:
One Hundred Years of American Children's Book Illustration
Essays by Michael Patrick Hearn, Trinkett Clark, and H. Nicholas B. Clark

In 1996, a groundbreaking exhibition of original children's picture book art was mounted at the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, Virginia. Although "Myth, Magic, and Mystery" was only on display for a few months (and had only short stays in Memphis, Tennessee and Wilmington, Delaware) the essence of the exhibit can be still found in this hardbound, full-color catalog.
The 242-page book is divided into sections, paralleling the divisions of the exhibit itself. In the beginning chapter "Discover, Explore, Enjoy," Michael Patrick Hearn, one of the three curators, sets the scene. He traces the British forerunners to American picture book art (Beatrix Potter, John Tenniel, Arthur Rackham), segues to into a discussion of early 20th century giants (Howard Pyle, Peter Newell, and N.C. Wyeth, continues with a look at the work of Wanda Gag, Virginia Lee Burton, Robert Lawson, before concluding with, among others, the works of Maurice Sendak, Leo and Diane Dillon, and William Steig.

Deliberately arranged in an un-chronological fashion, Hearn tells us, to spur comparison and contrast, the volume offers hours of viewing pleasure and will send devotees of the picture book off to find the actual title under discussion.
The second section by Trinkett Clark, now curator at the Mead Museum in Amherst, provides "And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon: A First Look at the World of Words from Mother Goose to Dr. Seuss." A fascinating special feature is a complete "alphabet" created from a selection of ABC books featuring illustrations from Roger Duvoisin to Marcia Brown and Richard Scarry.

The last three chapters, written by Nick Clark, now director at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, showcases illustrated books for young readers, high adventure and fantasy tales with art for all ages, and closes this sumptuous offering with fairy tales, fables, and myths.
Nearly every page is filled with full color, well-produced art and a number of black-and-white spot illustrations are included as well. Commentary and graphics are well synchronized, offering readers, if not a visit to the exhibit itself, then a compelling, alternative experience.

A Weekend with Winslow Homer
By Ann Kaey Beneduce

Imagine spending a weekend with the great American impressionist Winslow Homer, experiencing the wind-tossed Maine coast at his side, viewing his studio with its “good north light and beautiful ocean view,” and listening to him muse about his work. Although time travel, as we know, happens only in fantasy, Beneduce provides a delightful opportunity to “meet” Homer, making the visit seem almost real. The author, a long-time editor who has worked with many children’s illustrators, including the prominent Eric Carle, is a great choice to lead readers on this excursion. Beneduce’s eye for art and her knowledge of color, line, and perspective bring appreciation to Homer’s many and varied works.

Written in the first person as though by Homer himself, readers meet his family and learn about his early interest in art. A peripatetic traveler, Homer tells of his work as an artist on the Civil War battlefields, his camping excursions to paint in the Adirondacks, and his art-centered trips to England, Europe and the Caribbean. Beneduce interweaves the impact of these journeys on Homer’s art in a pleasant and breezy text.
The growth of Homer’s artistic expertise mirrored his rising reputation and he talks about how and why his style, medium, and subjects changed over the years. Looking at color reproductions of a few of his most famous works— The Lifeline, The Gulf Stream, Fresh Air, and Northeaster—as well as back-and-white copies of many others— Snap the Whip, Eight Bells, Cotton Pickers—allows young readers to examine closely these master paintings. A prolific artist, Homer’ works are held in many museums across the United States and Beneduce provides a state-by-state listing, motivating readers, one hopes, to visit the originals.

While this book makes a great teaching tool as well as an introduction to Winslow Homer for parents to use with children, it also holds possibilities for adults who want a simple but effective introduction for themselves. Further exploration of the artists’ work can be found in Carl Little’s Winslow Homer and the Sea.

Other Weekend With titles in this series provide visits with Leonardo daVinci, Renoir, Rembrandt, Rousseau and others—also available in the Barbara Elleman Research Library.