Monday, November 23, 2009

book week: Ramona and friends

I mentioned that we've been reading the Beverly Cleary books to Tsia. They're the first real "chapter" books (as opposed to picture books) in which she's been interested, and when I say interested I mean captivated. Before this she was frightened by the rat in Charlotte's Web, and my beloved Paddington Bear is still a bit old for her. But Ramona! Well, the girl couldn't be more enthralling, could she? And the books are as good as I remember them. Maybe even better. I can't stand to miss a chapter, so when it’s Todd’s turn to read, he reads to both of us.


This fall we obsessively made our way through every Ramona story, and then we exhausted most of the Henry Huggins books as well. But Ms. Clearly is right when she says that children want to read "books about kids like us;" Tsia is definitely more interested in the stories about girls than boys (although Ribsy is pretty cool, too). Right now we're hoping that Ellen Tebbits will repair her friendship with Austine, and suddenly ballet classes sound appealing, when two weeks ago she responded with a big "NO!" upon being asked if she was interested. (Ellen and her friend Austine take ballet classes together.)


We've been borrowing Ms. Cleary's books from the public library, and I've been surprised to see that the newer copies of the books have "updated" illustrations. I still visualize Ramona as drawn by Louis Darling, the original illustrator of many of the books. From what I can gather, Mr. Darling died quite young, and several other illustrators were hired for later books. But it’s the Darling illustrations that have stayed with me, and I’m sorry that they’re being replaced. I really don’t think the newer illustrations do the books justice. When I think of Ramona, I still see her with her printed dresses, fuzzy cardigans and oxford shoes with floppy bobby socks. I completely agree with this blogger, who says that Mr. Darling’s illustrations are appealing to children and adults, in part, because of their nostalgia. They were also just beautifully composed and compelling in the way they captured the expressions and personalities of their characters. Call me whiney, complain-y and old fashioned, but I really do think the illustrations are an integral part of the books.


Todd’s parents recently sent us his copies of the books which they had saved for him, signed by Ms. Clearly herself. I’ve enjoyed paging through them to reminisce, and I’m putting them away until Tsia is old enough to read and enjoy these copies herself. I’m sure our first reading of the books was just one of many for her. But I hope that future printings of Ms. Cleary’s books will include those original illustrations so that more children can enjoy them as well.

17 comments:

  1. I read those with my little boy and then moved on to The Mouse and the Motorcycle. We love Beverly Cleary!

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  2. We did the same thing this summer. My daughter was enthralled. I totally agree with you about the illustrations. It's those exact illustrations that made me want to be an illustrator when I was a little girl. What a treasure you have in those books.

    Thanks for highlighting something I dearly love.

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  3. Oh the memories that brings back for me! I was a Ramona fiend! I lived for our local store getting another Ramona book (we didn't have a local library). I would devour it in one sit down and put it on the bookshelf my dad made for me.

    I was Ramona, the girl with messy hair and the older sister who always drove me crazy. I still have my collection, tucked away in the attic for safekeeping. I can't wait to pull them out to share with my own little Ramona.

    PS - bring back the old Ramona!

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  4. The original illustrator was definitely the best--that's how I still see Ramona in my head, too.

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  5. Love the illustration of Ramona with her doll, Chevrolet.

    I also love the early images of Ramona as a preschooler when she was Beezus' pesky shadow in her overalls and bunny ears or jump rope tail.

    Those books feel like part of me, I read them ragged. I'm jealous you have autographed copies!!!

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  6. another thing we have in common: love for ramona quimby! i actually have a tattoo of her, holding her doll chevrolet ;n)
    and thanks for your lovely review of the book!

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  7. I remember really loving The Boxcar Children series (and there are so many!) maybe check those out once you have exhausted the Ramona books.

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  8. We're loving Beverly Cleary as well.. Mouse and the Motorcycle was a big hit and now we're working our way through Ralph S. Mouse. And my kids loved Henry and Ribsy! Maybe we should read Ramona next?

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  9. Anonymous5:28 PM

    You might try the Clementine books by Sara Pennypacker. Clementine lives in an apartment building in NYC and is allergic to sitting still. I loved reading them with my daughter. I can't wait to read the new one she is getting for St Nicholas day.

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  10. I'm totally with you on the Ramona Quimby original illustrations. I feel the same way about the original illustrations in James and the Giant Peach. Beverly Cleary is a genius.

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  11. how old is your little girl? mine is almost 4 and we were about to try pippi longstocking, but I ended up taking it back to the library when my husband couldn't get her to sit still through the wizard of oz.

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  12. Ylime, Tsia is almost 5 now. We tried Pippi earlier this summer and it didn't fly. Your daughter might enjoy the books when Ramona is really young: try Ramona the Pest and work your way up. I bet she'll love them! If she's not ready yet, I'll bet she will be ready if you try again in a few months.

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  13. I adore the Romana books! I even have a sister called Beezus!! We'll, that's her nickname but its stuck and even as an adult she can't shake it although she does try to encourage people to call her Elizabeth :-)

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  14. i am so with you about the original illustrations!i have some of the old books (mostly Henry Huggins)--but what a treasure you have in the autographed copies!

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  15. When Tsia is about a year older, may I recommend the Junie B. Jones series? We just love them over here! We started them because my daughter's kindergarten teacher was reading them aloud to the class. They're about a kindergartner who is as practical and hilarious as Ramona, only different but still wonderful.

    WV: fallate. Ummmm...

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  16. I agree with you about the illustrations. As an artist/illustrator myself, I always feel it's important to have the characters and settings 'feel' right. I think many times new illustrations on old books can feel cheap.

    Two other young adult instances where I was saddened to see this occur were on S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders and also - don't laugh, the Francine Pascal series' Sweet Valley High and Sweet Valley Twins. Although those were only covers, no interior illos, still, to me they were an entrance to a world. I would stare at them and *be* there.

    Today, I feel publishers (and the world really) sometimes dumb things down for kids. I think they feel that if you aren't going what 'everyone else is doing' as far as a trend, then children or teens won't be interested. I don't think that's true.

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  17. Paul Leo9:59 AM

    I simply could NOT agree MORE with you, that replacing those wonderful Louis Darling illustrations was an absolute travesty. I only discovered this crime last week, when purchasing a few of the books for a niece of mine, and I was so astounded, angry, disgusted and appalled at this betrayal that I have yet to recover. I do indeed feel betrayed. I immediately went home and called the publisher (I left the editor one heckuva an earful, let me tell you). Then immediately penned an email as well. The IDEA, that they would replace the scowling, jump-off-the-page Ramona of the Darling illustrations with such tepid, anodyne, bland new ones is truly a crime. The Darling/Cleary marriage was perfect. A pox on the editor for breaking it up

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