All the Way to Morning, Felipe Davalos

Today's book, All the Way to Morning, is not very vintage, hailing from 1999. I picked it up on one of my library jaunts and was taken by Felipe Davalos's beautiful illustrations. All the Way to Morning tells the story of night time sounds heard by children all around the world as they get ready for sleep. My scans show very little text as I want to show the landscape illustrations - they are what I really like about the book. As always, click on the photos to see a larger view.

All the Way to Morning

By Marc Harshman

Illustrated by Felipe Davalos

Marshall Cavendish, New York, 1999

According to Dávalos’s website, his "work has been inspired and influenced by his ancestors, the pre-Columbian artists of his native Mexico, who carved statues and painted murals to broadcast important information." This influence has served him well, Felipe Davalos is a very talented artist.

Some of Felipe Davalos's other books:

Lizard and the Sun by Alma Flor Ada and Felipe Davalos, 1999

Heart of a Jaguar by Marc Talbert and Felipe Davalos, 1997

Gone Forever: An Alphabet of Extinct Animals by Sandra Markle and Felipe Davalos, 2007

The Secret Stars by Joseph Slate and Felipe Davalos, 2003

Our Lady of Guadalupe by Francisco Serrano, Felipe Davalos and Eugenia Guzman, 2011

Tales Our Abuelitas Told: A Hispanic Folktale Collection by Alma Flor Ada, F. Isabel Campoy, Felipe Davalos and Susan Guevara, 2006

Home at Last by Susan Middleton and Felipe Davalos, 2006

Punia and the King of Sharks: A Hawaiian Folktale by Lee Wardlaw and Felipe Davalos, 1997

Letters of Thanks, Helen Oxenbury

Today's vintage children's book, Letters of Thanks, is a bit unusual as it was written by an eleven year old girl (at the time), Manganita Kempadoo from India. A parody of The Twelve Days of Christmas, the text is comprised of letters Lady Huntington sends to her beau, Lord Gilbert, after receiving each of the twelve "gifts". The accompanying illustrations by Helen Oxenbury show Lady Huntinton's increasing aggravation and in the end she gives Lord Gilbert the heave-ho.

Letters of Thanks

Written by Manganita Kempadoo

Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury

Simon and Schuster, 1969

Helen Oxenbury (1938 - ) has had a long and successful career. She started out designing theatrical sets and turned to children's books after having children of her own. Her decision to do kids books was influenced in part by her husband, John Burningham - also a famous children's book author and illustrator. Helen was one of the first writers to develop board books for toddlers, a wonderful invention. She is the author/illustrator for the Tom and Pippo books. She won a Kate Greenaway medal for The Quangle Wangle's Hat (1969), written by Edward Lear. Helen also illustrated Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. Her nontraditional take on the illustrations won her another Kate Greenaway Medal in 1999.

Some other books illustrated by Helen Oxenbury:

The Dragon of an Ordinary Family by Margaret Mahy, 1969

Cakes and Custard by Brian Alderson, 1975

We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen, 1989

Farmer Duck by Martin Waddell, 1991

The Three Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas, 1993

So Much by Trish Cooke, 1994

I Can by Helen Oxenbury, 1995

Big Momma Makes the World by Phyllis Root, 2003

Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox, 2008

Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain

Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain

Written and illustrated by Edward Ardizzone

Scholastic Book Services, 1968

This charming book is written about a boy named Little Tim who wants to be sailor. According to the story, Little Tim lived by the sea and spent his time on the beach playing on the boats. His friend, the old boatman, taught him about ships, the sea and how to make sailors knots. Sometimes Little Tim would visit his old friend, Captain McFee, who would tell him about his voyages and sometimes give him a sip of his grog. (Gotta love that) "Sometimes Tim would astonish his parents by saying, "That's a Cunarder" or "Look at that barquentine on the port bow." (guffaw) When Little Tim asks his parents if he can be a sailor, they tell him he is too young and must wait many years until he is grown up. So the plot is cast. 

This must have been a popular book in it's day and I can see why it became a series, as it's full of adventure. There are entertaining bits in the book that unfortunately, could not be printed today. Bits like a child playing in boats on the beach, sharing some grog with the captain, taking a boat ride without your parents permission. A memorable part in the book: after the ship hits a rock and is sinking, Little Tim (who was forgotten) and the Captain (who stayed with his ship) - tells Tim  "Come, stop crying and be a brave boy. We are bound for Davey Jone's locker, and tears won't help us now." 

Not familar with Edward Ardizzone (1905 - 1979), I was pleased to find a nice website about him with much information. (Click here) Ardizzone was considered a English artist though his parents were Italian and Scottish and he was born in France. But Ardizzone grew up in England and his work represented English life. In his work you see his day-to-day world, people chatting on the street, quiet evenings in the pub, families enjoying a day out at the seaside or the fair and art school scenes. It is stated that Ardizzone drew constantly and from his biography it appears that he did right up until his death.

Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain was done at the prodding of Ardizzone's son, Philip, who must have been around five years old when the book was originally published in 1936. It was the first of a series of 'Tim' books. I like Ardizzone's loose sketchy style. It looks like he worked in pen and ink and watercolor. Of interest, my Scholastic edition states there was a second edition in 1955, that was completely redrawn with additional text.  Ardizzone also wrote a book for his daughter, Christianna, which she requested, called Lucy Brown. He published many books over the course of his career, which you can see on the Edward Ardizzone website. Below is a list of the Little Tim Books.

The Little Tim Books

Little Tim and the Brave Sea 
Captain Tim and Lucy go to Sea
Tim to the Rescue
Tim and Charlotte
Tim in Danger
Tim All Alone 
Tim's Friend Towser 
Tim and Ginger 
Tim to the Lighthouse
Tim's Last Voyage 
Ship's Cook Ginger

The Little Tim Collection