Sunday, March 22, 2015

Tammy and Pepper


Tammy and Pepper
Kathryn Hitte ~ Mel Crawford ~ Golden Press, 1964

I don't know about you kids, but we are in full-on spring mode here, just minutes away from the Texas summer. I know lots of you are still suffering in the grips of mother winter, so here's a ray of sunshine to help light the darkness. Nothing can get you jazzed about the upcoming season than Tammy and her little sister Pepper's wild island adventures, Big Golden Book-style.



Tammy and her family went to an island to spend the summer. There were miles of warm, sandy beaches on the island. There were cool pine forests, and a pretty little old-fashioned town. There was lots to do--swimming, and tennis-playing, and bicycling, and sailing in the harbor. For rainy days, there was a cozy library and an interesting museum to visit. Tammy was delighted. A whole summer on this beautiful island! What fun it was going to be!



What fun, indeed! Sunken ships and light houses, cute boys and seashells, and a scary set of circumstances that gets redeemed through Morse Code. Complete with an International Morse Code key in the back. Imagine! Like Nancy Drew just with more beach and double the blond.



Love these Mel Crawford drawings...




Also by:

Story of Harmony Lane
I'm Mommy, I'm Daddy
The Chuckle Book
Sesame Street 1, 2, 3 Storybook
Tommy's Camping Adventure
Boy Was I Mad

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Wednesday, March 18, 2015

RIP Roy McKie

A few days ago I received a very thoughtful e-mail from Roy McKie's son about this father's passing. In 2011, I was lucky enough to interview Roy about his life and work.. 

As I said then about him and the interview... 

"I might not have gotten all the facts here perfectly, but I've tried to convey a short history of an artist I admire so that his legacy can live on a bit longer. However, what I will set in stone about the man is this. Life is short. It's a beautiful thing to have used this life to create something that will live on longer than you. Something that brings joy to other people. We all make mistakes. We all make choices that lead us in one direction or another. But if nothing else, know and remember that Roy McKie was, and is, a kind man. 

There is no way that someone could so beautifully visualize a world full of happy children and smiling dogs and be anything but."

RIP Roy.