A Treasury of Kate Greenaway

by Kate Greenaway

During the 1870 s, three artists emerged changing the face of children s picture books forever. The artists Walter Crane, Randolph Caldecott and Kate Greenaway were noteworthy because their books were designed for children. Though Crane and Caldecott are still remembered, the illustrations of Kate Greenaway have endured the test of time and still have a place in today s nursery.The essence of Victorian childhood is exhibited in the idealized children of Greenaway s work. Her dreamy little figures seem almost melancholy as they prance through the English countryside unaware of time or place. Their outfits of frilly smocks, mob caps and sunbonnets seem Regency in appearance but are none-the-less the figments of Miss Greenaway s girlish imagination. They are an outcome of her unwillingness to leave childhood behind.In "A Treasury of Kate Greenaway Stories" her wonderful illustrations are brought back to life with such children's favorites Apple PieBook of GamesMother GooseThe Pied Piper of HamelinUnder the WindowBirthday Book (with records section)Book of Tunes

Genres: Childrens, Picture Books, Art

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1967

About the author

Kate Greenaway (Catherine Greenaway) (1846-1901) was a children's book illustrator and writer. Her first book, Under the Window (1879), a collection of simple, perfectly idyllic verses concerning children who endlessly gathered posies, untouched by the Industrial Revolution, was a best-seller. The Kate Greenaway Medal, established in her honour in 1955, is awarded annually by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in the UK to an illustrator of children's books. New techniques of photolithography enabled her delicate watercolors to be reproduced. Through the 1880s and 90s, in popularity her only rivals in the field of children's book illustration were Walter Crane and Randolph Caldecott, himself also the eponym of a highly-regarded prize medal. Amongst her other works are: A Day in a Child's Life (1881), Mother Goose; or, The Old Nursery Rhymes (1881), Little Ann (with Ann Taylor & Jane Taylor) (1883), Marigold Garden (1885), A Apple Pie (1886), Pied Piper of Hamelin (1888) and Kate Greenaway's Book of Games (1889).

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Treasury of Kate Greenaway (I have the originally published title "The Kate Greenaway Treasury") is full of her glorious illustrations and a pleasant variety of of her work including, A Apple Pie (a charming alphabet book I read some years ago as a stand-alone title that would, I think, be a great introduction to her work for children today).

Among others included are a "Painting Book" (with outlines to paint)
"The Language of Flowers" (really not a storybook, but simply a list of flowers and their meanings with some accompanying general illustrations--not every flower is illustrated).
a Birthday Book,
a standard Alphabet book (with children sitting on each letter of the alphabet)
and the Kate Greenaway Book of Games (in which we are taught how to play certain games, like marbles, or make other fun things, for example, "Soap Bubbles: Make a lather of soap and warm water, into which dip a clay pipe; blow through it, a bubble then issues from out of the bowl -- a wonderful transparent globe, glorious with iridescent colours".)

Also included are a biographical sketch of Greenaway, a selection from Greenaway's Letters to and from John Ruskin, an an excerpt from "A Century of Kate Greenaway" by Anne Carroll Moore. I haven't yet read all of these but it's a wonderful collection!

[Cheryl]

Carefully chose The KG Treasury edition to review here, as the reproductions of the artwork are not always flawless and they might be better in editions named A Treasury of KG. One page in particular has one girl with paper white skin and the others with cheeks so red they look ill.

I must say, too, that a little of this artwork goes a long way, imo. The best of her pieces are worthy of frames, but this many, in one library loan period, feels *to me* like eating a whole bag of marshmallows.

Lots of extra matter included. Lots of samples of her books, but few are complete. I do see evidence that she gained more skill as she gained experience... not surprising as she was a friend of John Ruskin. I especially appreciate that her later books had more honest verses, instead of the dissonant mix of twee and bloodthirsty I saw in her earlier ones.

I think my favorite is A Apple Pie because Katie did not modernize that old rhyme, that was created before "I" was a letter in our alphabet: her illustrations go from "H had it" to "J jumped it" tyvm.

I would like to read more than this sample of The Queen of the Pirate Isle. The illustrations are, unfortunately, naively racist, but I can forgive her that.

I finally learned what the famous game "Blind Man's Buff" is, and have to say it doesn't seem fun to me. "It" is blindfolded, then spun three times to disorient, other children try to evade her reaching hands (presumably while staying within bounds), the one she catches is the next "It."

I did not read all the biographical or related matter. I do note that many works listed on her timeline were not included even my a single page of a sample. I do not recommend this to anyone who is not already a devoted fan. I would like to see a few of her best works freshened and reprinted in child-size chapbooks.

[Be · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love when they were able to capture the vibe of their time, beautiful

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The "1001 Children's Books you should read before you grow up" recommended a couple of books by Kate Greenaway. So fun! Specifically Marigold Garden and Mother Goose. The books were not at the library, but this collections of Kate's work was. Ms. Greenaway was born in 1846 in England. So imagine women trying to get a foot in the door in the publishing world, not to mention, books for children were still a novelty at this time. So I spent a delightful afternoon reading and looking at this collection. Wow. A contemporary of Caldecott, and a wonderful illustrator. When you look at hger pictures, it is likely you'll say, "Oh I remember these pictures". Sweet romantic children dressed in victorian gowns and multitudes of flowers. They would be fun to cut out and frame for a childs room.

[Wetdryvac Wetdryvac · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mostly a picture book. Generally covered by the actual books referenced.