Friday, June 6, 2008

More Animals




Friday is Book Recommendation Day, and I want to mention to you a favorite author of mine, Hilaire Belloc (1870-1953). His Bad Child's Book of Beasts and the other one, More Beasts for Worse Children, are delightful. I first discovered them in my 20s and even ventured to imitate him with my own series of poems, "The Bad Child's Book of Automobiles" (unpublished, thank goodness).

Here is a link to more of the droll poems and drawings http://www.michaelspornanimation.com/splog/?cat=8
scroll down about 1/5th of the way to find Belloc.

And some more http://www.mainlesson.com/display.php?author=belloc&book=beasts&story=_contents





7 comments:

Cheryl said...

When I was checking out that page suddenly a memory popped into my mind...Shel Silverstein's books. My kids loved them (A Light in the Attic & Where the Sidewalk Ends in particular), I did too. I don't know what happened to the copies we had, but I remember them as being filled with whimsical poems & drawings. Wonderful books :)

I've never encountered Belloc before, I see how he would capture your imagination. Would you consider posting any of your poems here?

When I was a youngster at one point I was seized with the poetry bug ~I was going to be a poet when I grew up! I half smile half cringe when I read my juvenile attempts...I would have been better suited as a hot air balloon. Ah well...

Priscilla said...

You are too modest, Cheryl. (balloon or balloonist?)

It would take an awful lot of arm-twisting to get me to post my youthful light verse, and the cars in 1965 were different.

Belloc is probably in your public library, or they could get his works via interlibrary loan for you.

I'll have to check out Shel Silverstein.

Biddie said...

I am certainly glad that you decided to start a blog - you keep introducing me to the most fascinating books that otherwise I'd never come across ....

Biddie said...

P.S. I see by the above comment that Cheryl must have gotton her ISP connections back ....

Biddie said...

oops! I just noticed the time stamp on Cheryl's comment above - that was before she lost her connection ....

Cheryl said...

Twist twist...
I'll put one of mine up (mind you..these are from those angst filled, overly dramatic teenage years)
if you put one of yours up...

Priscilla said...

Oh my, a challenge!

Let's see if I can remember one, cuz I do want to hear Cheryl's angst-filled, overly dramatic teenage effusions.

(Thinking ...)