We finally made it to see Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland this past weekend.  It’s always fun to see a classic story through fresh eyes. Miss Alice has had many makeovers through the years - both on film and in book illustrations.  I was excited to find a wonderful archive of vintage book illustrations compiled by artist and jewelry designer Diane Plumley called ‘We’re All a Little Mad Here.’ Diane uses select images in her work (see her shop Picture Purfect Design) but has also been kind enough to share a large number of the illustrations and ephemera she’s collected on Flickr.

One of the series I particularly love depict Alice as she’s falling down the rabbit hole. Like the wardrobe, or the looking glass or the tollbooth - the rabbit hole is that magical place of transition between reality and fantasy. Following is an except from Lewis Carroll’s original text describing Alice’s decent.

“The rabbit-hole went straight on like a tunnel for some way, and then dipped suddenly down, so suddenly that Alice had not a moment to think about stopping herself before she found herself falling down what seemed to be a very deep well.

Either the well was very deep, or she fell very slowly, for she had plenty of time as she went down to look about her, and to wonder what was going to happen next. First, she tried to look down and make out what she was coming to, but it was too dark to see anything: then she looked at the sides of the well, and noticed that they were filled with cupboards and book-shelves: here and there she saw maps and pictures hung upon pegs. She took down ajar from one of the shelves as she passed: it was labeled “ORANGE MARMALADE” but to her great disappointment it was empty: she did not like to drop the jar, for fear of killing somebody underneath, so managed to put it into one of the cupboards as she fell past it.”

We love tiny things - the tinier the better.  Seriously, what’s cuter  - a full grown adult or a baby?  Dog or puppy?  Actual house or a dollhouse?  Jumbo marshmallows or mini marshmallows?  You get my point.  So when I learned about the World’s Smallest Postal Service (WSPS) I knew I had to share it with you.

“Lea Redmond is the Postmaster, setting up her tiny mobile office in cafes and shops where passers-by can write a letter and have it turned into a “world’s smallest letter.” The letter is transcribed on a miniature desk in the tiniest of script, sealed with a minuscule wax seal with the sender’s initial pressed into it, packaged up with a magnifying glass in a glassine envelope, and finished off with a large wax seal (see above). It is a double delight: for both the sender and the recipient, and the WSPS is very happy to provide this important service to the world.”

I love this idea and can’t imagine any kid that wouldn’t be thrilled to receive an itty bitty letter. Quite frankly, I want one.  If you’re in the Bay Area, you can check Lea’s calender of appearances where she’ll transcribe you letter by hand or order one online where the letters are typed in a font three times tinier than Lea’s handwriting and printed on stationary measuring 1 1/2″ x 1″ - this is where the magnifying glass comes in handy!  A brilliant gift for only $8.  And her talents aren’t limited to letter writing…there are Matchbox Theaters, the Tiny Wonder Cabinet and all manner of little curiosities in her shop.

It seems befitting the Halloween season that we give a nod to the brilliant and wee bit dark (an understatement to some) writing and illustration of Edward Gorey.  His special brand of kiddie macabre is filled with twisted humor, but he is famously quoted as saying “To take my work seriously would be the height of folly.”  The following is from his alphabet book The Gashlycrumb Tinies first published in 1963.

By Edward Gorey

A is for Amy who fell down the stairs.

C is for Clara who wasted away.
D is for Desmond thrown out of a sleigh.
E is for Ernest who choked on a peach.

G is for George smothered under a rug.
H is for Hector done in by a thug.
I is for Ida who drowned in a lake.
J is for James who took lye by mistake.
K is for Kate who was struck with an axe.
L is for Leo who swallowed some tacks.
M is for Maud who was swept out to sea.

O is for Olive run through with an awl.
P is for Prue trampled flat in a brawl.
Q is for Quentin who sank in a mire.
R is for Rhoda consumed by a fire.
S is for Sue who perished of fits.
T is for Titus who flew into bits.

V is for Victor squised under a train.
W is for Winnie imbedded in ice.
X is for Xerxes devoured by mice.
Y is for Yorick whose head was knocked in.

Following Edward Gorey’s death in 2000, his friend and former student Kevin McDermott photographed the contents of his home. McDermott’s gorgeous images are compiled in the book Elephant House: Or, The Home of Edward Gorey published in 2003 with an introduction by John Updike.  Captured are rare views into the author’s home filled with books and object collections, lending a rich context to his dark and humorous writing.

Gorey’s house in Yarmouthport, Massachusetts is now a museum dedicated to the celebration and preservation of his life and work. The House also honors Gorey’s passion and concern for animals, raising awareness about local and national animal welfare issues.  He was a well-known cat lover and they often appeared in his work including the illustrations he created for  T.S. Elliott’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats (the musical adaptation of which became the long-running Broadway hit Cats). Learn more at EdwardGoreyHouse.org.

I’m pleased as a pumpkin to share that our ever industrious pal (and Junior Society member!) S.britt has illustrated his first children’s book! Creatures who might typically give us goosebumps live Over in the Hollow where their family adventures will alleviate any fears and have you rhyming and counting right along with them.  Author Rebecca Dickinson puts a spooky spin on her retelling of the Appalachian poem Over in the Meadow written by Olive A. Wadsworth in the 1800s.  And as you might expect, Mr. Britt’s images are packed with fantastic characters, color and humor. Find your copy here.

At long last, my very first children’s book is now available in a bookstore or cut-out bin near you! Written by Rebecca Dickinson and published by Chronicle Books, this book is just perfect for anyone who loves monsters, and has the vocabulary and attention span of a 9-year-old. Or as the book flap puts it:

“Who else lives over in the hollow? A papa mummy and his little mummies two, a mama owl and her little owlets three…and more! And they all have something to say, whether it’s to hoot, to howl, to hiss, or to yowl. Inspired by Olive E. Wadsworth’s classic counting rhyme, ‘Over in the Meadow,’ this spooky take on the popular Appalachian poem is a wonderful read-aloud, with its playful rhyme and repetition. It’s perfect for readers of all ages who enjoy a fun-not scary-approach to the world of ghosts, werewolves, and their kind.”

Don’t just stand there! Go and pick up your copy today, so that I may afford to doodle another day!

In keeping with the cute and creepy theme, the following frame-worthy S.britt prints can be found in his Etsy shop!

Ghouls Night Out

Little Red Rotten Hood

Otto, Ramses and Wolfgang

Very few words in today’s post, but a whole lot of letters. Sharing images from some special vintage alphabet books. To see a complete set of larger images for each book, click on the respective titles.

A Railway ABC by Jack Townsend, not dated

The Alphabet of Old Friends by Walter Crane, not dated

A Child’s Alphabet by Grace Gabler, circa 1945

One of the funniest, albeit unintentionally so, vintage books I have in my library is a little tome entitled A Treasury of Play Ideas for Tiny Tots by Caroline Horowitz. Perhaps in 1947 activities like ‘Button in My Box’ (Place a button in a matchbox: “It will rattle around very gratifyingly and he will keep opening and closing the box to make sure that his treasure is still there.”) would entertain a kid for hours on end, but in 2009 it seems questionable.

The title of the book is pretty self-explanatory, but reading through the ‘play ideas’ one begins to wonder if Ms. Horowitz has actually spent any extended time with children…especially when you begin to count up the number of noise-making activities.

Of course at the end of day filled with kicking rattles, banging pots and shouting through ‘loud voice megaphones’ moms and dads might need to take beat the stuffing out of the ‘biff-bang bag’ (or bury their head underneath it.)

Heads up! I’m happy to pass along info on Chronicle Book’s BIG Friends & Family Sale that starts today and runs through August 5th. A whopping 35% off all purchases and free shipping! Click on the link at the bottom of the post for more information and to obtain the promotional code.

I’ve taken the liberty of listing a few favorites including work by illustrators and designers I admire. The quoted little book synopses are from Chronicle’s site.

A new book illustrated by the incredibly talented Jen Corace (whose work I love so much I had her illustrate my shop!)

“From the creators of Little Pea and Little Hoot comes this tidy tale of a decidedly different pig. Little Oink is a neat little fellow. Clean, clean, clean, that’s all he wants to do. But Mama and Papa won’t have it! They say in order to be a proper pig, he has to learn to make a proper mess. “Don’t come out until your room is a pigsty,” says Papa Pig. Readers who hate to clean up will love this humorous twist on a universal dilemma.”

“Beloved designer Lotta Jansdotter shows how easy it is to make cheerful gifts for little cherubs. A new mother herself, she’s created 24 projects that match her simple style with practicality, resulting in sweet, yet durable, essentials for any rumble-tumble baby. She includes baby hats, bibs, a diaper bag built for the back of a stroller, a ribbon-tag blankie perfect for teething, and many more pint-sized projects.”

This is one in a series of beautiful board books illustrated by the lovely Lorena Siminovich of Petit Collage.

“Children are sure to love this delightful finger puppet book. Layered die-cut pages allow a peek at all the colorful things that make up each animal’s home, and an adorable folk-art style finger puppet make this book that is filled with reading and playtime fun.”

I can’t get enough of the great design that eminates from Sukie’s studio, including these adorable notecards!

“From bunnies to bears to elephants, this delightful die-cut notecard set features 16 animal-shaped cards perfect for thank yous, invites, birthdays, or quick hellos.”

Click on the link below for complete details and to obtain the promotional code for 35% off your purchases and free shipping through August 5th.

The heavens cracked open spilling blinding white sunbeams around my feet. Accompanied by a chorus of unearthly song a copy of Pictorial Webster’s: A Visual Dictionary of Curiosities descended from on high, floating on a pillow of cumulus clouds.

This is what happened* when I saw this book at the Chronicle Books Renegade Fair booth on Saturday.

*(This bit of movie drama is brought to you by my overactive imagination and happened entirely in my head. Had this heavenly vision actually occurred I would have made a very unholy mess right where I was standing. Thankfully, this did not happen.)

Pictorial Webster’s features over 1,500 engravings that originally graced the pages of Webster’s dictionaries in the 19th century. Printer, bookbinder, and artist John M. Carrera meticulously cleaned and restored the images and compiled this volume of “alphabetically arranged archetypes and curiosities” that “create enigmatic juxtapositions and illustrate the items deemed important to the Victorian mind.” Bookish kids and adults are bound to find hours of inspiration within its pages.

In the summer of 1995, while poking around his grandmother’s stone farmhouse, John M. Carrera discovered a tattered 1898 Webster’s International Dictionary under his grandfather’s favorite reading chair. The loose pages revealed an eighty-page section devoted entirely to the illustrations of the dictionary: a stunning array of odd and wonderful elements printed by category. The fantastic variety of subjects was matched only by the detail and variety of engraving techniques.

“That fall I contacted the Merriam-Webster Company and discovered that the engravings still existed,” says Carrera. “I found out that they had been given to Yale University. This book is the culmination of a long odyssey to put the engravings back into print and make a book designed to educate, inspire, and entertain. It’s a record of all the wonderful natural discoveries and innovations of the time of the Industrial Revolution.”

In addition, Carrera published a fine press edition of the book featuring engraved covers and letterpressed interiors (see above) created in a edition of 26, lettered A-Z. Chronicle Books is giving away a copy (fingers crossed!) to celebrate the book’s release - enter to win here.

In 1999, renown graphic designer Roberto de Vicq de Cumptich created Bembo’s Zoo as a Christmas gift for his daughter Viva. This high concept picture book features a menagerie of animals made from Bembo type characters - also known as calligrams. While the subsequently published book is no longer in print, de Vicq collaborated on an amazing animated website that illustrates how each animal is formed by the letters of its own name.

Hip, hip, hooray! And a warm congratulations to our pal and JrSoc member Helen Dardik on the release of her new book this month. Embroidery for Little Miss Crafty: Projects and patterns to create and embellish features 12 projects for the first time embroiderer or crafty parents to tackle with their kids.

I also wanted to direct you to Helen’s Etsy shop Monkey Powered filled with limited edition prints of her art. As with most things she creates, there is allot of good cheer and happiness to be found in her joyful lines and color palette.