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Bagthorpes and Bootsy Barker
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From: Kathleen Horning <horning>
Date: Wed, 13 May 1998 10:01:12 -0500
Thanks, Karen, for reminding us all of the Bagthorpes series by Helen Cresswell. I think they're about the funniest children's books I've ever read, but am not sure they ever quite caught on in the U.S.
Another British author who's written some extremely funny children's books is Leon Garfield. His humor develops through story-line and plot twists, character development, and writing style. I'll never forget the line in one of his books about a night that was so dark a pick-pocket picked his own pocket and paid his debts before he realized his mistake.
For younger children, the James Stevenson picture books about Grandpa have rollicking good humor based on a writing style that uses hyperbole and understatement, as well as wild storylines.
Speaking of picture books, have we talked at all about humor in illustrations? I think that's probably a bit harder to analyze than humor in language, but there are several illustrators who come to mind
-- James Stevenson, William Steig, Keiko Kasza and Peggy Rathmann, to name a few. In fact, I think most of the humor in "Bootsy Barker Bites" comes from Rathmann's illustrations. The way she has drawn Bootsy wearing a frilly dress, fancy hat, cowboy boots -- and a monster grin -never fails to crack me up. She's also captured, with just a few lines, the contrast between the way Bootsy is viewed by adults and by other children.
Kathleen T. Horning
Kathleen T. Horning (khorning at facstaff.wisc.edu) Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education University of Wisconsin-Madison 4290 Helen C. White Hall 600 North Park St. Madison, WI 53706
(608)&3930
Let's not any of us forget the Bagthorpes. Written by Helen Cresswell a decade or so ago, that series still stands out in my mind as the first time I laughed so hard I couldn't see while reading a children's book. I'm not even sure they are still in print. This discussion makes me want to read them all over again. And, have we mentioned the Blossom family by Betsy Byars? Crack me up.
Karen Breen New Visions for Public Schools karenbreen at compuserve.com
Received on Wed 13 May 1998 10:01:12 AM CDT
Date: Wed, 13 May 1998 10:01:12 -0500
Thanks, Karen, for reminding us all of the Bagthorpes series by Helen Cresswell. I think they're about the funniest children's books I've ever read, but am not sure they ever quite caught on in the U.S.
Another British author who's written some extremely funny children's books is Leon Garfield. His humor develops through story-line and plot twists, character development, and writing style. I'll never forget the line in one of his books about a night that was so dark a pick-pocket picked his own pocket and paid his debts before he realized his mistake.
For younger children, the James Stevenson picture books about Grandpa have rollicking good humor based on a writing style that uses hyperbole and understatement, as well as wild storylines.
Speaking of picture books, have we talked at all about humor in illustrations? I think that's probably a bit harder to analyze than humor in language, but there are several illustrators who come to mind
-- James Stevenson, William Steig, Keiko Kasza and Peggy Rathmann, to name a few. In fact, I think most of the humor in "Bootsy Barker Bites" comes from Rathmann's illustrations. The way she has drawn Bootsy wearing a frilly dress, fancy hat, cowboy boots -- and a monster grin -never fails to crack me up. She's also captured, with just a few lines, the contrast between the way Bootsy is viewed by adults and by other children.
Kathleen T. Horning
Kathleen T. Horning (khorning at facstaff.wisc.edu) Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education University of Wisconsin-Madison 4290 Helen C. White Hall 600 North Park St. Madison, WI 53706
(608)&3930
Let's not any of us forget the Bagthorpes. Written by Helen Cresswell a decade or so ago, that series still stands out in my mind as the first time I laughed so hard I couldn't see while reading a children's book. I'm not even sure they are still in print. This discussion makes me want to read them all over again. And, have we mentioned the Blossom family by Betsy Byars? Crack me up.
Karen Breen New Visions for Public Schools karenbreen at compuserve.com
Received on Wed 13 May 1998 10:01:12 AM CDT
