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Poor Cecco
The author of The Velveteen Rabbit returns to the secret life of toys with "the wonderful story of a wonderful wooden dog who was the jolliest toy in the house until he went out to explore the world." Rich in imaginative charm, this rollicking tale features seven full-color and several black-and-white illustrations by Arthur Rackham.
168 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1925
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About the author
Margery Williams Bianco
189 books793 followersMargery Williams Bianco was an English-American author, primarily of popular children's books. A professional writer since the age of nineteen, she achieved lasting fame at forty-one with the 1922 publication of the classic that is her best-known work, The Velveteen Rabbit.
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January 13, 2023
Who doesn't love "Toy Story", with its world peopled by toys, all with their own hopes and fears, happiness and tragedy — and all secret from humans. But this idea did not originate with "Toy Story".
Children's books where animals are anthropomorphised are very popular, even classic works such as "The Wind in the Willows", or all Beatrix Potter's stories about animals of the countryside. And there are quite a few classic children's books where it is toys who have been animated. One is the favourite "Winnie the Pooh", where Christopher Robin's gang of friends are actually his toys. In others, such as Russell Hoban's "The Mouse and his Child", the toys have a secret life of their own, with no humans necessary. There are also books which have both talking animals, and talking animated toys. Poor Cecco is one of these. Quite importantly, it has no humans. Even the night-watchman at the beginning is a toad. And here we see the humour, included so that adults can enjoy this tale as much as children, as the toad says he has too much to look after, and that it keeps him "on the hop" the whole time.
Poor Cecco: The Wonderful Story of a Wonderful Wooden Dog Who Was the Jolliest Toy in the House Until He Went Out to Explore the World, to give it its full name, is by Margery Williams Bianco. The author's name may be familiar to you, as the author of "The Velveteen Rabbit", in 1922. Poor Cecco, a less well known children's book, came a little later, in 1925. Some of the themes are similar, and it is clear that these toys are all vulnerable, sometimes damaged, and all have what we think of as human attributes — and human foibles.
The writing feels English, but the setting is American, with American sweets (candies), for example, and American wildlife such as skunks and woodchucks. The reason for this is that Margery Williams Bianco was born in London, but her father died when she was seven years old, and the family went to America to live just two years later. She actually became a professional writer at 19, but she only started writing for children much later, when her own children had grown up.
Margery Williams Bianco had strong memories of her own early childhood, and of her father, who was a barrister and also a distinguished classical scholar. She remembered him as a deeply loving and caring parent, who had encouraged both her and her older sister to read and use their imaginations. Many years later, she was to recall the way her father described characters from various books to catch her imagination, and tempt her with an amazing world of knowledge and adventure which were to be read about in books. Her strong desire to read soon developed into a need to write, and she now realised these were both lifelong legacies from her father.
She thus became dissatisfied with the writing she was doing, and memories of the toys which had been such an important part of her life came to the fore. She wrote "The Velveteen Rabbit", at the age of 41, realising that children's lives are enriched by toys whose personalities they have created while playing with them.
Like all good stories, Poor Cecco: The Wonderful Story of a Wonderful Wooden Dog Who Was the Jolliest Toy in the House Until He Went Out to Explore the World starts with a threat. And one of the biggest threats to a group of nursery toys in various states of disrepair, is a pet cat. "Murrum" by name, he was a typical cat — a hunter, a watcher — and the toys knew he was malicious but lazy. Nevertheless they were wary, knowing he was not to be trusted. And at the beginning of the story, Murrum shuts them up in the toy-cupboard, because they were interfering with his mousing.
So who are these toys? Well there's Cecco of the title, who is a wooden dog, and the cleverest of all the toys. His great friend is Bulka, the rag puppy. There's also Tubby, another rag dog a bit bigger than Bulka. She's a cry-baby, always crying at the least little thing. There are wooden dolls, Virginia May and Gladys, and a Harlequin all covered over in spangles, who is always saying, “Hey Presto!” There's a wooden engine, an Easter chicken and a Lion. There's an express-wagon, and a piggy-bank, referred to as a “Money-Pig”. And Anna, a woolly lamb with a bell around her neck, who stands on her little meadow: a small patch of grass fastened under her feet. And last of all there's “Ida”. She can't get up until all the others move, because she is is flat and square, dressed in pink satin with a silk cord all around. Her last name is “Down”, and she is very kind and comfortable.
They go on various adventures, some as separate stories such as "The treasure hunt" at the beginning, and a very sad little tale called "How poor Cecco Lost his Tail". Then the stories become linked and it begins to feel like a novel. Bulka and Poor Cecco decide to set out and see the world:
"The road stretched out, like a great ribbon reaching to the ends of the world. The sun shone down, and all the grass blades had gleaming tips. It was a fine day to set out for adventures."
The two of them have lots of adventures, including being teased and laughed at by ducks, meeting and helping a little black dog who took care of a blind man (whom we never actually meet), and surviving a storm. Then they meet Jensina, "an industrious little person" who has set herself up very comfortably in a rubbish patch. She is very bright, and tells them her life story. Of course, she is destined to become part of the toy tribe.
There are many adventures to come when Jensina meets everybody else. There are accidents, and toys get hurt, but there is kindness and friendship. Bulka has some loose stitches neatly repaired by a kindly neighbour mother cat who keeps a needle and thread in the useful little pocket that all cats wear in their ears. (A nice touch, this. Just look for one and you will see it!) There are exciting times with real treasure, and a vicious army of rats who want it returned. There are passions and jealousies. There is tragedy, when far more than a heart gets broken. There are parties, feasts, dancing, and even a wedding! But Cecco, poor Cecco, has lost his tail irretrievably; life is full of sadness.
These undercurrents of sadness, and the themes of death and loss, are present in all her children's books. Margery Bianco Williams always maintained that we grow and learn greater humanity through pain and adversity. She believed that life is a process of constant change. Just as in real life, in her stories there are departures for some and arrivals for others. This process teaches us to grow and to persevere through our lives.
But why "Cecco"? It does not sound like an English name, nor an American one. Sure enough the name has a special significance for the author.
After her early emigration to the United States, Margery lived in a rural Pennsylvania farming community until she was nineteen. She then returned to London, to try to sell some of her work. Some of it was published, but none was very successful. While visiting her publisher, Margery Williams met Francesco Bianco, who was employed as the manager of one of the book departments. He was an Italian living in London. The two were married, and had two children: a son, "Cecco" and a daughter, "Pamela". Much later Pamela was to illustrate some of her mother's books, although the many line drawings in this edition are by Antony Maitland in 1973, in a persuasive 1920's style.
"Poor Cecco", then, is named after the author's son.
Margery Williams Bianco, along with her husband and son, did not stay on London. They travelled through Europe for the next three years, eventually settling in Turin, Italy. But in August 1914 came the First World War, and Francesco Bianco joined the Italian Army. At this time, a time of horror, Margery Williams Bianco wrote a horror novel, called "The Thing in the Woods", about a werewolf in the Pennsylvania region. This was later republished in the United States under "Harper Williams", using a pseudonym for her name. Some critics believe "The Thing in the Woods" to have been the inspiration for H.P. Lovecraft's "The Dunwich Horror".
By the end of 1918 the War had ended, and the family returned to the United States. This is when Margery Williams Bianco began to turn her mind towards children's stories, of which she was to write many. She viewed the poet Walter de la Mare as her "spiritual mentor", saying that his works inspired her and gave her hope. She loved his magic and mysticism, and felt that he truly understood the minds of children.
Margery Williams Bianco's own writing is unique, combining the innocence, playfulness and imaginative ability of children, with her trademark undercurrents of sentimentality and sadness. Invariably her books end on an inspirational uplifting note. Perhaps it is this which made her so immediately successful.
For the remaining two decades of her life, she wrote many more books and short stories for children, all with similar themes. She latterly interspersed children's books with novels for young adults. In a similar way, these all featured young people who were in one way or another isolated or alienated from mainstream society. They were only able to look on sadly, at their successful and happy peers. Also, in 1939, towards the end of her life, she began to be concerned with World War Two, and to include references to European history in her works. Her final book in 1944 "Forward Commandos!" included a black soldier as one of its characters, which was a brave acknowledgment for the time. The story was an inspirational story of wartime heroism, but sadly, Margery Williams Bianco died just as it went on sale.
Margery Williams Bianco is mostly remembered now for "The Velveteen Rabbit" which has become a much-loved classic. But there are many of her children's books which deserve a look. I think had I read Poor Cecco as a child, I may have loved it enough to give it a much higher star rating. All such stories acquire a sort of magic through the child's direct experience, and their subsequent nostalgia. For an adult's first impression now, the stories are poignant, and a little melancholy. Most of them display her preoccupation with toys coming to life and the ability of inanimate objects and animals to express human emotions and feelings. There is always sadness, but in the end the reader always ends feeling uplifted.
And maybe that is not such a bad thing after all.
Children's books where animals are anthropomorphised are very popular, even classic works such as "The Wind in the Willows", or all Beatrix Potter's stories about animals of the countryside. And there are quite a few classic children's books where it is toys who have been animated. One is the favourite "Winnie the Pooh", where Christopher Robin's gang of friends are actually his toys. In others, such as Russell Hoban's "The Mouse and his Child", the toys have a secret life of their own, with no humans necessary. There are also books which have both talking animals, and talking animated toys. Poor Cecco is one of these. Quite importantly, it has no humans. Even the night-watchman at the beginning is a toad. And here we see the humour, included so that adults can enjoy this tale as much as children, as the toad says he has too much to look after, and that it keeps him "on the hop" the whole time.
Poor Cecco: The Wonderful Story of a Wonderful Wooden Dog Who Was the Jolliest Toy in the House Until He Went Out to Explore the World, to give it its full name, is by Margery Williams Bianco. The author's name may be familiar to you, as the author of "The Velveteen Rabbit", in 1922. Poor Cecco, a less well known children's book, came a little later, in 1925. Some of the themes are similar, and it is clear that these toys are all vulnerable, sometimes damaged, and all have what we think of as human attributes — and human foibles.
The writing feels English, but the setting is American, with American sweets (candies), for example, and American wildlife such as skunks and woodchucks. The reason for this is that Margery Williams Bianco was born in London, but her father died when she was seven years old, and the family went to America to live just two years later. She actually became a professional writer at 19, but she only started writing for children much later, when her own children had grown up.
Margery Williams Bianco had strong memories of her own early childhood, and of her father, who was a barrister and also a distinguished classical scholar. She remembered him as a deeply loving and caring parent, who had encouraged both her and her older sister to read and use their imaginations. Many years later, she was to recall the way her father described characters from various books to catch her imagination, and tempt her with an amazing world of knowledge and adventure which were to be read about in books. Her strong desire to read soon developed into a need to write, and she now realised these were both lifelong legacies from her father.
She thus became dissatisfied with the writing she was doing, and memories of the toys which had been such an important part of her life came to the fore. She wrote "The Velveteen Rabbit", at the age of 41, realising that children's lives are enriched by toys whose personalities they have created while playing with them.
Like all good stories, Poor Cecco: The Wonderful Story of a Wonderful Wooden Dog Who Was the Jolliest Toy in the House Until He Went Out to Explore the World starts with a threat. And one of the biggest threats to a group of nursery toys in various states of disrepair, is a pet cat. "Murrum" by name, he was a typical cat — a hunter, a watcher — and the toys knew he was malicious but lazy. Nevertheless they were wary, knowing he was not to be trusted. And at the beginning of the story, Murrum shuts them up in the toy-cupboard, because they were interfering with his mousing.
So who are these toys? Well there's Cecco of the title, who is a wooden dog, and the cleverest of all the toys. His great friend is Bulka, the rag puppy. There's also Tubby, another rag dog a bit bigger than Bulka. She's a cry-baby, always crying at the least little thing. There are wooden dolls, Virginia May and Gladys, and a Harlequin all covered over in spangles, who is always saying, “Hey Presto!” There's a wooden engine, an Easter chicken and a Lion. There's an express-wagon, and a piggy-bank, referred to as a “Money-Pig”. And Anna, a woolly lamb with a bell around her neck, who stands on her little meadow: a small patch of grass fastened under her feet. And last of all there's “Ida”. She can't get up until all the others move, because she is is flat and square, dressed in pink satin with a silk cord all around. Her last name is “Down”, and she is very kind and comfortable.
They go on various adventures, some as separate stories such as "The treasure hunt" at the beginning, and a very sad little tale called "How poor Cecco Lost his Tail". Then the stories become linked and it begins to feel like a novel. Bulka and Poor Cecco decide to set out and see the world:
"The road stretched out, like a great ribbon reaching to the ends of the world. The sun shone down, and all the grass blades had gleaming tips. It was a fine day to set out for adventures."
The two of them have lots of adventures, including being teased and laughed at by ducks, meeting and helping a little black dog who took care of a blind man (whom we never actually meet), and surviving a storm. Then they meet Jensina, "an industrious little person" who has set herself up very comfortably in a rubbish patch. She is very bright, and tells them her life story. Of course, she is destined to become part of the toy tribe.
There are many adventures to come when Jensina meets everybody else. There are accidents, and toys get hurt, but there is kindness and friendship. Bulka has some loose stitches neatly repaired by a kindly neighbour mother cat who keeps a needle and thread in the useful little pocket that all cats wear in their ears. (A nice touch, this. Just look for one and you will see it!) There are exciting times with real treasure, and a vicious army of rats who want it returned. There are passions and jealousies. There is tragedy, when far more than a heart gets broken. There are parties, feasts, dancing, and even a wedding! But Cecco, poor Cecco, has lost his tail irretrievably; life is full of sadness.
These undercurrents of sadness, and the themes of death and loss, are present in all her children's books. Margery Bianco Williams always maintained that we grow and learn greater humanity through pain and adversity. She believed that life is a process of constant change. Just as in real life, in her stories there are departures for some and arrivals for others. This process teaches us to grow and to persevere through our lives.
But why "Cecco"? It does not sound like an English name, nor an American one. Sure enough the name has a special significance for the author.
After her early emigration to the United States, Margery lived in a rural Pennsylvania farming community until she was nineteen. She then returned to London, to try to sell some of her work. Some of it was published, but none was very successful. While visiting her publisher, Margery Williams met Francesco Bianco, who was employed as the manager of one of the book departments. He was an Italian living in London. The two were married, and had two children: a son, "Cecco" and a daughter, "Pamela". Much later Pamela was to illustrate some of her mother's books, although the many line drawings in this edition are by Antony Maitland in 1973, in a persuasive 1920's style.
"Poor Cecco", then, is named after the author's son.
Margery Williams Bianco, along with her husband and son, did not stay on London. They travelled through Europe for the next three years, eventually settling in Turin, Italy. But in August 1914 came the First World War, and Francesco Bianco joined the Italian Army. At this time, a time of horror, Margery Williams Bianco wrote a horror novel, called "The Thing in the Woods", about a werewolf in the Pennsylvania region. This was later republished in the United States under "Harper Williams", using a pseudonym for her name. Some critics believe "The Thing in the Woods" to have been the inspiration for H.P. Lovecraft's "The Dunwich Horror".
By the end of 1918 the War had ended, and the family returned to the United States. This is when Margery Williams Bianco began to turn her mind towards children's stories, of which she was to write many. She viewed the poet Walter de la Mare as her "spiritual mentor", saying that his works inspired her and gave her hope. She loved his magic and mysticism, and felt that he truly understood the minds of children.
Margery Williams Bianco's own writing is unique, combining the innocence, playfulness and imaginative ability of children, with her trademark undercurrents of sentimentality and sadness. Invariably her books end on an inspirational uplifting note. Perhaps it is this which made her so immediately successful.
For the remaining two decades of her life, she wrote many more books and short stories for children, all with similar themes. She latterly interspersed children's books with novels for young adults. In a similar way, these all featured young people who were in one way or another isolated or alienated from mainstream society. They were only able to look on sadly, at their successful and happy peers. Also, in 1939, towards the end of her life, she began to be concerned with World War Two, and to include references to European history in her works. Her final book in 1944 "Forward Commandos!" included a black soldier as one of its characters, which was a brave acknowledgment for the time. The story was an inspirational story of wartime heroism, but sadly, Margery Williams Bianco died just as it went on sale.
Margery Williams Bianco is mostly remembered now for "The Velveteen Rabbit" which has become a much-loved classic. But there are many of her children's books which deserve a look. I think had I read Poor Cecco as a child, I may have loved it enough to give it a much higher star rating. All such stories acquire a sort of magic through the child's direct experience, and their subsequent nostalgia. For an adult's first impression now, the stories are poignant, and a little melancholy. Most of them display her preoccupation with toys coming to life and the ability of inanimate objects and animals to express human emotions and feelings. There is always sadness, but in the end the reader always ends feeling uplifted.
And maybe that is not such a bad thing after all.
October 28, 2022
Toys that get hungry. Ducks that get toothaches. Dolls that want to get married, others that want their independence. Crying to the tune of five-finger exercises. Humans, some of whom can talk with the toys, some of whom can't, and it doesn't depend on age (nothing about the magic of childhood trope here!). What a funny story this is so far... I hope intentionally so but I'm not sure yet.
I do wish that I had it in paper. I find ebooks hard to read, even after reading hundreds of them. If this were paper I'd be done by now... as is I'm finding it almost tedious. Why do you suppose that is?
---
Ok done. Sweet story that I might have loved as a child. I do like some of the details, as for example even the cats are individual, one being wicked and the other kind. And gypsies are portrayed as hard-working and kindly.
And I find this note so sweet: " I love you more than the sky and more than the blue and when you come back I will make you a cake with orange icing and ammons [sic, for almonds] and silver balls...."
But imo it just doesn't have the power of the author's The Velveteen Rabbit, especially in the abridgement I read years ago, and also this has been on my to-read list for so long that I had built up expectations, so I can't help but rate this lower.
But I finally found it as an ebook at my library, so if you want to see for yourself, maybe you can read it too. I hope that, if you do, you love it.
I do wish that I had it in paper. I find ebooks hard to read, even after reading hundreds of them. If this were paper I'd be done by now... as is I'm finding it almost tedious. Why do you suppose that is?
---
Ok done. Sweet story that I might have loved as a child. I do like some of the details, as for example even the cats are individual, one being wicked and the other kind. And gypsies are portrayed as hard-working and kindly.
And I find this note so sweet: " I love you more than the sky and more than the blue and when you come back I will make you a cake with orange icing and ammons [sic, for almonds] and silver balls...."
But imo it just doesn't have the power of the author's The Velveteen Rabbit, especially in the abridgement I read years ago, and also this has been on my to-read list for so long that I had built up expectations, so I can't help but rate this lower.
But I finally found it as an ebook at my library, so if you want to see for yourself, maybe you can read it too. I hope that, if you do, you love it.
June 15, 2019
What's not to love here? Arthur Rackham's illustrations are, as always, enchanting, and Margery Williams, better than anyone else, can fill a toy with life and feeling.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews