Walter Crane (1845–1915)

What a delightful book! It reminded me of J. R. R. Tolkien or C. S. Lewis at their most piquant, reaching back to the old calendar to people a mythology with the days of the year. The story is simple; it's a party. The New Year comes into his father's estate by Calendar Law, "as soon as the breath is out of the old man's body," at which point "nothing would serve the young spark but that he must give a dinner upon the occasion, to which all the Days in the year were invited" (1). Thus begins show more a deliciously clever imagining of how all the days of the year would interact if they were people.

In Walter Crane's hands, the days of the year provide a cast as varied as humanity itself. There is the old incendiary, the Fifth of November, who is banished to the cellar for being a firebrand. There is Valentine's Day making love to May — and of course, April Fool, who makes several appearances. We even get some good old English politics in the 12th of August, a "zealous old Whig gentlewoman," and the Twenty-Third of April, "a newfangled lady of the Tory stamp," who argue over the right to give the toast (23). Lady Day appears, though she "kept a little aloof and seemed somewhat scornful" (7–8). And there is Christmas Day plying Ash Wednesday with the Wassail bowl, and the Last of Lent "spunging Shrove-tide's pancakes," and all manner of other Days feasting (or not, in the case of the Fasts) right merrily.

That has probably given you a taste of the clever fun of the story, and there's plenty more:

"Pay Day came late, as he always does; and Doomsday sent word—he might be expected" (12).

Or the way the table was set:

"Covers were provided for three hundred and sixty-five guests at the principal table; with an occasional knife and fork at the sideboard for the Twenty-Ninth of February" (4).

:)

I must also say a word about the wonderful illustrations. Colorful, humorous, and imaginative, Crane's work is a delight and perfectly complements the quirky fun of the narrative. The attention to detail is very rewarding to the reader; each character is lovingly rendered in attitudes and dress entirely in accordance with his or her description. I especially like the long, flowing dresses of the elegant women.

I sometimes fall into the chronological snobbery of assuming that people in previous centuries didn't have nearly the sense of the comedic that we have nowadays. But the more I read their books, the more I am inclined to think it's the other way around, that they had the real humor and all we have is a pale imitation in coarse buffoonery. If you tend to think of 1901 as a stuffy time inhabited by stuffy people, you should attend the New Year's feast too and meet some of his guests for yourself. I enjoyed the festivities very much! show less

Although Grimm Brothers’ ‘Fairy Tales’ often give one a moral lesson, such as “beware of strangers bearing gifts”, they too often portray that unless a woman is young and beautiful, she is doomed to a life of woe and drudgery.
These particular stories are harmful to girls’ self-esteem. To think that you don’t deserve to be rich and/or powerful unless you’re good-looking in the beginning immediately cancels out any ambition to strive for a better life, for most girls.
For show more example, in THE GOOSE GIRL, “The Prince was glad at heart when he saw her beauty.” In THE TWELVE BROTHERS, “…the King…saw the beautiful Princess…and he was so charmed with her beauty that he prayed her to become his wife.” In THE BROTHER AND SISTER, “…the King went in, and there stood a maiden more beautiful than any he had seen before…”Will you go with me to my castle, and be my wife?” Over and over this stereotype is presented within the Grimm stories.
If a woman isn’t beautiful, she is most often cast as an evil step-mother or step-sister. “our step-mother beats us every day” say THE BROTHER AND SISTER. “But the wicked mother-in-law was very unhappy, and died miserably” in THE TWELVE BROTHERS, and “she was jealous because her step-daughter was pleasant and pretty, and her own daughter was ugly and hateful” in THE THREE LITTLE MEN IN THE WOOD.
I would love to see a collection of the stories that do NOT contain the above mentioned. Then I would gladly read them to the children I know.
Face it, people in general are plain, or even ugly, through no fault of their own. They shouldn’t be merited on their looks but on their other strengths. show less

The Old Year has died; the New Year is giving a dinner, a masque, to mark the occassion and all the Days of the year are invited!

A masque was an elaborate and festive courtly ball in the 16th and 17th centuries, in which costumes were worn and an allegory theatrically presented. In this masque, the 365 Days (and their meanings) are presented to the reader, who is in turns amused and educated by their appearance. The reader encounters the familiar: Rainy Days with their dripping wet show more stockings, and Wedding Day and April Fools Day; and the unfamiliar (to this modern American, anyway): Lord Mayor's Day. And regular old 12th of August and May 29th. And June 21st (a beautiful lady) and December 22nd (an old man).

These Days are delightfully imagined and illustrated, both brightly and delicately by the eminent children's book illustrator, Walter Crane. While I was familiar with Crane, I wasn't with this particular book, nor with Pook Press, a publisher that is republishing classic children's books. There are definitely several ways to read this slender book. You can read it in a casual and light way, reading the text and looking at the pretty pictures, or, stop on every page, where you can delve deeper into history and derive an education; who exactly are these Days? What do some of these terms, which are not encountered very often today, mean? What did they mean then, and what do they mean now? Think about all the Paydays, the Rainy Days, the Christmas Days of your life; what did they mean to you?

A child reading this today might appreciate a parent or teacher who could be on hand to help explain some of these unfamiliar terms and words that will be encountered. I'm an adult, and some of this went right over my head; I know that I would derive a deeper appreciation of it if I did a little research. Reading this book could be a good educational experience, but also a fun one--it's fun to imagine all the Days of the Year being invited to a fancy dinner party at the beginning of a New Year; how would they dress, and what would they eat and how would they act?

The text is a little difficult to read, because of Crane's calligraphy style (he often cuts off words in an odd fashion; I get the feeling he didn't really plan out how he would start writing the words, he just started, and if they got cut off, so be it). But it's readable, and enjoyable, and his illustrations are lovely.

This book was designed and printed beautifully too. I think it's a print-on-demand book, from the self-publisher Lulu. It's wonderful that Pook Press is publishing these hard to find (and very expensive in their original editions) books. show less

The New Year (who comes of age, "by calendar law, as soon as the breath is out of the old [year]'s body") determines to give a party to which all the days are invited. The fun and chaos of having all the days of the year, plus a few more (sunny days, rainy days, Wedding Day), in one place at one time are fully realized by author and illustrator. This book was a delight to read and look at. The text is witty and the illustrations very apt. A knowledge of the liturgical year might help the show more reader understand some details (the Vigils with lanterns, Candlemas, Twelfth Day, Septuagesima) and others need a little historical knowledge (January 30, that sour puritanical character, is the anniversary of King Charles I's execution). Highly recommended to enthusiasts of Victoriana and early children's literature. show less