CCBC-Net Archives
[CCBC-Net] Minders of Make-Believe: Taste Makers
- Contemporary messages sorted: [ by date ] [ by subject ] [ by author ]
From: leonardsma at aol.com <leonardsma>
Date: Fri, 18 Jul 2008 19:41:46 -0400
The Reys were German Jews who fled Nazi-occupied Paris, and were politically progressive; perhaps their political views found oblique expression in their books through the irreverent spirit of George their hero and the message it sent children about deference to authority. Another, perhaps more clear cut example would be that of Tibor Gergeley, a Hungarian Jew who fled Europe at the start of the war and became a major illustrator of Golden Books. In Europe, Gergeley was a member of a circle of communist intellectuals.? As a Golden Books artist, he made a specialty of illustrating books that celebrated the common working man--THE HAPPY MAN AND HIS DUMP TRUCK, FIVE LITTLE FIREMEN, SEVEN LITTLE POSTMEN, etc. But not all of emigres were progressive, or political, and some simply did their best to blend in--for instance Gustaf Tenggren, who worked at Disney for a few years before going east to make picture books for Golden and others. Even before his stint at Disney, Tenggen had
worked hard to Americanize his style, learning among other things to put a sunny smile of a character's face (his best-known creation is the Poky Little Puppy), and to shed his original Scandinavian darkness (not all, but much of it...) So--the traffic in cultural influences among emigres to the US in the 1930s and early 40s went both ways.
Leonard S. Marcus
54 Willow Street, #2A
Brooklyn, New York 11201
tel 718 596-1897
e-mail leonardsma at aol.com
web www.leonardmarcus.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Mary Ann Gilpatrick <MGilpatrick at ci.walla-walla.wa.us>
To: leonardsma at aol.com; M.Santangelo at BrooklynPublicLibrary.org; mayra.negron at gmail.com; ayg at comcast.net
Cc: ccbc-net at lists.education.wisc.edu
Sent: Fri, 18 Jul 2008 7:08 pm
Subject: RE: [CCBC-Net] Minders of Make-Believe: Taste Makers
Didn't the influx of authors and illustrators between the wars have a huge impact? Wanda Gag, the Reys, ... Mary Ann Gilpatrick Young People's Librarian Walla Walla Public Library 238 E. Alder Walla Walla WA 99362 509-524-4435 mgilpatrick at ci.walla-walla.wa.us ... and is another sign of the opening up at that time in US history to cultural influences from beyond our borders.
Received on Fri 18 Jul 2008 06:41:46 PM CDT
Date: Fri, 18 Jul 2008 19:41:46 -0400
The Reys were German Jews who fled Nazi-occupied Paris, and were politically progressive; perhaps their political views found oblique expression in their books through the irreverent spirit of George their hero and the message it sent children about deference to authority. Another, perhaps more clear cut example would be that of Tibor Gergeley, a Hungarian Jew who fled Europe at the start of the war and became a major illustrator of Golden Books. In Europe, Gergeley was a member of a circle of communist intellectuals.? As a Golden Books artist, he made a specialty of illustrating books that celebrated the common working man--THE HAPPY MAN AND HIS DUMP TRUCK, FIVE LITTLE FIREMEN, SEVEN LITTLE POSTMEN, etc. But not all of emigres were progressive, or political, and some simply did their best to blend in--for instance Gustaf Tenggren, who worked at Disney for a few years before going east to make picture books for Golden and others. Even before his stint at Disney, Tenggen had
worked hard to Americanize his style, learning among other things to put a sunny smile of a character's face (his best-known creation is the Poky Little Puppy), and to shed his original Scandinavian darkness (not all, but much of it...) So--the traffic in cultural influences among emigres to the US in the 1930s and early 40s went both ways.
Leonard S. Marcus
54 Willow Street, #2A
Brooklyn, New York 11201
tel 718 596-1897
e-mail leonardsma at aol.com
web www.leonardmarcus.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Mary Ann Gilpatrick <MGilpatrick at ci.walla-walla.wa.us>
To: leonardsma at aol.com; M.Santangelo at BrooklynPublicLibrary.org; mayra.negron at gmail.com; ayg at comcast.net
Cc: ccbc-net at lists.education.wisc.edu
Sent: Fri, 18 Jul 2008 7:08 pm
Subject: RE: [CCBC-Net] Minders of Make-Believe: Taste Makers
Didn't the influx of authors and illustrators between the wars have a huge impact? Wanda Gag, the Reys, ... Mary Ann Gilpatrick Young People's Librarian Walla Walla Public Library 238 E. Alder Walla Walla WA 99362 509-524-4435 mgilpatrick at ci.walla-walla.wa.us ... and is another sign of the opening up at that time in US history to cultural influences from beyond our borders.
Received on Fri 18 Jul 2008 06:41:46 PM CDT
