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Marc Simont's Many Moons
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From: Megan Schliesman <Schliesman>
Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2001 10:07:54 -0500
A message from Anne Hoppe of HarperCollins:
I follow the CCBC in digest format and so only received Linda Pavonetti's comments this morning--I won't know until tomorrow if someone has already addressed them today, and if I repeat something already said, I apologize in advance.
In case anyone is unfamiliar with the two picture book editions of James Thurber's MANY MOONS, let me give some brief background. MANY MOONS was originally published by Harcourt Brace in 1943, and, as noted, Louis Slodbokin's illustrations for it won the Caldecott Medal 1944. Nearly half a century later, in 1990, Harcourt published a new edition of the picture book with illustrations by Marc. I do not know what went into their decision to offer a new interpretation of the story, and I do not presume to speak for my colleagues at Harcourt. But I believe I can readily understand their decision to approach Marc for the project. In addition to being Caldecott winner himself, Marc was a long-time Connecticut neighbor to, and friend of, James Thurber, and his illustrations had been associated with Thurber's children's books for over 30 years.
In her forward to the new edition of MANY MOONS, Thurber's daughter, Rosemary Thurber, discusses her own ambivalence about issuing a new version of the book, but goes on to say, "When Marc Simont agreed to be the
'reinterpreter,' any anxiety I had left disappeared. Marc is family. He knows my father's works and has illustrated two of them [THE 13 CLOCKS and THE WONDERFUL O]. He knew my father personally...We [the Thurber family] are delighted to have Marc's illustrations. His paint jars are full of color and wit and, when it's needed, just the right amount of sweetness." As to the critical response, I must again defer to Harcourt for an in?pth discussion, but I can say that in a starred review the HORN BOOK said
"this new version is a remarkable accomplishment," and that the book was a HORN BOOK Fanfare Selection. BOOKLIST called it, "a bright, refreshing interpretation," and PUBLISHERS WEEKLY said, "Reillustrating a classic is a dicey proposition...but in this case, the verdict is unequivocal: success."
Certainly the critics were aware of both editions. And Marc is certainly respectful of the Slodbodkin original. At one stage, a listing of the books Marc has illustrated that was meant for the back flap of his new book, THE STRAY DOG, had included MANY MOONS. Marc asked for THE 13 CLOCKS to be substituted instead. He feels THE 13 CLOCKS is "really" his (since he had created the original illustrations) in a way that MANY MOONS is not. But just as individual readers may find their own meaning in text, so too do individual artist discover and explore different aspects of a story to bring out in illustrations--as the recent CCBC discussion of the many editions of ALICE IN WONDERLAND amply demonstrates.
Personally, while I admire and enjoy both editions of the picture book, when I first fell in love in MANY MOONS, it was in a thick storybook compilation with no illustrations at all!
Anne Hoppe Sr. Editor HarperCollins Children's Books
Received on Thu 05 Apr 2001 10:07:54 AM CDT
Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2001 10:07:54 -0500
A message from Anne Hoppe of HarperCollins:
I follow the CCBC in digest format and so only received Linda Pavonetti's comments this morning--I won't know until tomorrow if someone has already addressed them today, and if I repeat something already said, I apologize in advance.
In case anyone is unfamiliar with the two picture book editions of James Thurber's MANY MOONS, let me give some brief background. MANY MOONS was originally published by Harcourt Brace in 1943, and, as noted, Louis Slodbokin's illustrations for it won the Caldecott Medal 1944. Nearly half a century later, in 1990, Harcourt published a new edition of the picture book with illustrations by Marc. I do not know what went into their decision to offer a new interpretation of the story, and I do not presume to speak for my colleagues at Harcourt. But I believe I can readily understand their decision to approach Marc for the project. In addition to being Caldecott winner himself, Marc was a long-time Connecticut neighbor to, and friend of, James Thurber, and his illustrations had been associated with Thurber's children's books for over 30 years.
In her forward to the new edition of MANY MOONS, Thurber's daughter, Rosemary Thurber, discusses her own ambivalence about issuing a new version of the book, but goes on to say, "When Marc Simont agreed to be the
'reinterpreter,' any anxiety I had left disappeared. Marc is family. He knows my father's works and has illustrated two of them [THE 13 CLOCKS and THE WONDERFUL O]. He knew my father personally...We [the Thurber family] are delighted to have Marc's illustrations. His paint jars are full of color and wit and, when it's needed, just the right amount of sweetness." As to the critical response, I must again defer to Harcourt for an in?pth discussion, but I can say that in a starred review the HORN BOOK said
"this new version is a remarkable accomplishment," and that the book was a HORN BOOK Fanfare Selection. BOOKLIST called it, "a bright, refreshing interpretation," and PUBLISHERS WEEKLY said, "Reillustrating a classic is a dicey proposition...but in this case, the verdict is unequivocal: success."
Certainly the critics were aware of both editions. And Marc is certainly respectful of the Slodbodkin original. At one stage, a listing of the books Marc has illustrated that was meant for the back flap of his new book, THE STRAY DOG, had included MANY MOONS. Marc asked for THE 13 CLOCKS to be substituted instead. He feels THE 13 CLOCKS is "really" his (since he had created the original illustrations) in a way that MANY MOONS is not. But just as individual readers may find their own meaning in text, so too do individual artist discover and explore different aspects of a story to bring out in illustrations--as the recent CCBC discussion of the many editions of ALICE IN WONDERLAND amply demonstrates.
Personally, while I admire and enjoy both editions of the picture book, when I first fell in love in MANY MOONS, it was in a thick storybook compilation with no illustrations at all!
Anne Hoppe Sr. Editor HarperCollins Children's Books
Received on Thu 05 Apr 2001 10:07:54 AM CDT
