WRB—Children’s Literature Supplement, May 2024

“unhappy with the weather”

May. The month of beginnings and endings. Proms and graduations, First Communions and Confirmations, baby animals and fresh strawberries—these events and many others fill this lovely time. Like Christmas, alas, it can be hectic, with all the parties and concerts and goodbyes. But it also brings with it the fresh smell of rain, the riotous colors of poppies and roses and wisteria, and the promise of that much-needed vacation. We at the CLS are reveling in the longer days and charming grad-party invites, but realize that change—for the younger child—can be distressing. Here are some books, poetry, and art to explore with them, reminding them that, sad as goodbyes can be, there’s still plenty of excitement and beauty to be discovered.   

A beloved horse

Homeschool history curricula can vary widely in subject and scope, and for Sarah, the most memorable one she used growing up involved horses. The “History of the Horse” program is a wonderful resource, and besides learning interesting horse facts and how to sketch the majestic creatures through it, Sarah also read some of Marguerite Henry’s excellent equestrian novels. Mustang: Wild Spirit of the West (1966) is Sarah’s personal favorite, but Misty of Chincoteague (1947) is perhaps Henry’s most beloved story. Interestingly, “Misty” was a real pony, and Henry’s use of her as a promotional tool was wildly successful:

Henry’s best-known work, Misty of Chincoteague, wasn’t only a perennial bestseller but a veritable book-promotion master class.

First published in 1947, Misty is the semi-true story of how a boy and girl came to own a pony named Misty born on an island of wild ponies off the coast of Virginia. The book was an immediate bestseller that spawned several bestselling sequels, a successful if middling movie and a plastic model horse that has been a top item for Breyer Animal Creations since its 1972 debut. . . .

. . . But Misty was a real-life heroine and actually came to live with Henry at her Illinois home.

Henry soon realized that Misty was a terrific promotional tool. She taught the pony tricks, hosted annual birthday parties for her on the front lawn and invited hundreds of school children to attend. The gatherings were assiduously covered by the press.

Art corner

St. George, patron saint of England (among other places) is the subject of a recent Goldberry Arts post. He’s been depicted in many ways over the centuries, and Bethany Kern has assembled a worthwhile collection for readers to peruse. The piece also reminded Sarah of two St. George-related stories. Kern includes an image from one, Margaret Hodges’s Saint George and the Dragon (1984), in her post. The other is an E. Nesbit story from her collection The Book of Dragons (1899). The specific story in which St. George makes a brief appearance is “Deliverers of Their Country,” where dragons, of all sizes, take over England, and two children must save the nation. Sarah prefers the Chronical Books edition of this collection, but you can also buy “Deliverers of Their Country” separately or read the whole collection for free over at Project Gutenberg. 

A beloved bunny

If you’re lucky enough to be in NYC between now and June 9, pop into the Morgan Library for a fabulous exhibit of Beatrix Potter art and artifacts. Nic Rowan went, and wrote about Potter and the exhibit over at The American Conservative:

I think everyone who grew up on Beatrix Potter has some similar memory of a story or even of one line. Once made, her impression on the mind is lasting. Steven Runciman, who wrote a wildly popular revisionist history of the Crusades in the 1950s (these days generally unread), often claimed that she taught him everything he knew about storytelling. I don’t know if most people would go that far, but every now and then, I’m sure, those who read her as a child find themselves remembering at odd hours a stray line from Peter Rabbit or Squirrel Nutkin or Jeremy Fisher. 

Kipling creations 

Master storyteller Rudyard Kipling, besides having a wonderfully memorable name, knew how to write a lasting tale. Sarah writes about her enjoyment in his Just So Stories over at National Review:

Depending on which collection you find, there are around a dozen of these tales, each detailing how some facts of nature became facts. Unlike many of us, Kipling doesn’t take it for granted that the elephant has a trunk. With child-like persistence, he puts forward his views on phenomena ranging from the formation of the alphabet to the genesis of the whale’s throat.

Do some of Kipling’s tales cause issues for the modern reader? A few, and Sarah addresses these concerns in her piece.

What the kids are reading