Friday 24 December 2010

Vintage book: The Wise Robin

Hi, hi, hi ... or should that be Ho, ho, ho?

Either way, welcome in, come and get warm in front of the fire and I'll show you my latest second-hand treasure, found in a charity shop last weekend:

Finding a Ladybird book with original 1950s illustrations for 50p is good deal any day of the year ... but to discover this amazing, festive title only one a week before Christmas?It was such a rare treat it had me grinning and clutching it to my chest from the moment I spotted it's battered torn matt paper spine [the newer books with their shiny coated covers just don't have the same charm do they?].

You probably don't need to have been a longstanding reader of my blog to be able to identify a few of the reasons this was a perfect book to have found its way to me ... let's just say there's something rather magical in the combination of:

1. the 1950s illustrations;2. the birdy-ness of it all! [especially as my Mam's always told me how robins remind her of me ... her story to tell, not mine]. And ...

3. ... did you spot it in the photo for #1? I didn't! Not until I took these photos anyway ... OK, how about now?:My old friend the zebra even managed to sneak in there! Such a nice surprise!

Anyway ... the book tells the tale of a Mrs. Robin who has her eye on the tinsel on the Christmas tree and basically emotionally blackmails Mr. Robin to go fetch it:
Then he gets captured by the family: Bur - have no fear - he does manage to escape:

And after Christmas, when the tree is thrown away, Mrs. Robin gets her beak on the bling anyway:It was ever thus ... no? Watch out chaps, those ladyfolk and their interior design desires will get you locked up if you're not careful ...


Errm, no perhaps not. Maybe I like the drawings an awful lot more than the gender politics of it all ... I'll probably just look at the pictures from now on!

So, Merry Christmas to you. I wish you everything you wish for yourself ...

... just be careful of chasing that shiny tinsel. Take a leaf from Mrs. Robin's book ... wait until after Christmas when you can get it for next to nothing in the sale! OK?


Thanks for reading me. Have a wonderful time and I'll see you as soon as soon.

Julie x

5 comments:

  1. Seeing as though I'm a 50s child I loved reading about those adorable Ladybird books. How I wish that I'd kept mine.
    Merry Christmas Julie

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  2. How wonderful! We had loads of Ladybird books, in our playroom and at school. I really loved them. I also wish I had kept them - we only have a few now.
    I remember that Robin story - I think it was in the school library.
    Happy reading - and Happy Christmas!

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  3. I remember this one! How lovely to see those pictures again - thank-you! What a lot of memories they brought back... Wishing you a happy Christmas, alexa

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  4. I still have my copy hiding away in a book case somewhere in the house, I must track it down an reaquaint myself with the illustrations.
    Hope you had a super Christmas, valerie

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  5. Book love & blog love all in one - what a great find! I found a couple of old ones recently myself, more in the stitching line, but this one was clearly meant for you - you'll have to have your Mum as a guest blogger so we can hear the robin story.

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