I have a huge weekness for vintage kid's books, as you have come to know by now, and could probably fill an entire book case with our collection. And when you can pick them up for almost nothing sometimes, really. I just can't resist sometimes. So, I thought it might be fun to share a few of our favorites here once in awhile.
Up first is one that is on high rotation around here these days. This 1941 copy of Virginia Lee Burton's Calico the Wonder Horse or The Saga of Stewy Stinker was found (rescued) in Texas a few summer's ago for a grand total of 50 cents. You'd a been straining to get to your pocket book too!
Most everyone knows of and loves Virginia Lee Burton books: Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, Choo-Choo and The Little House are just a few. But if you have little boys who live in cowboy boots and bandanas like mine, you need to check out this lesser known Burton book.
I have had our copy put up on Wyatt's shelf for quite awhile, but he asked to read it again a few nights ago and it has become part of our nightly bedtime routine for over a week now. Even thought we know what's going to happen, he laughs out loud everytime Stewy lands in the cactus patch.
The illustrations in this book are very different than the other books we are familiar with. In doing a little research, I found this quote:
Burton involved her sons and their friends in her story writing, changing the plots in tandem with the level of their interest, then altering the illustrations to harmonize and balance the story. She contended that this constant interaction with children was responsible for the success of her books. This proved especially true in her preparation of Calico the Wonder Horse; or, the Saga of Stewy Slinker (Houghton, 1941). Her children's growing fascination with comic books convinced her that a compelling story and an interest-claiming format could captivate them, and she decided to create a story in cartoon format. Burton and her sons dreamed up many disastrous situations, pitting cowboy Hank and his horse, Calico, against the bad guy, Stewy Slinker. When the book was revised in 1950, Burton also changed the villain's name—Stewy Slinker became Stewy Stinker as she had originally intended.
Knowing that Burton involved her children in the writing of her books so much I can just imagine that one boy wanted to name the book Calico the Wonder Horse and the other wanted to title it The Saga of Stewy Stinker. What's a good mama to do, but use both titles of course!
This book has everything a good western needs...cattle rustlers with names like Little Skunk Skeeter and Buzzard Bates, a stagecoach hold up, a stampede and a hero horse (who happens to be a quick thinking female horse) named Calico.
Even if you are from the East Coast, like Burton was, you won't be able to help but read this book with a Texas draw.
We love Calico the Wonder Horse by Virginia Lee Burton. You will too!
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I am excited to hear about a documentary of Burton's life released in 2008 called A Sense of Place. I've added it to the top of the ever growing Netflix que and hope to have some time next week to view it . Has anyone seen it already?