Welleran Poltarnees

Today marks the third time I've read this lovely small book that contains such beauty and poignancy it remains one of my favorites. It was sent to me by a very special LT friend.

When reading the beautiful messages that accompany wonderful illustrations, this is a book wherein both words and illustrations go hand in hand, and one would not be the same without the other. Unfortunately, I was not able to access illustrations from this book.

At the beginning of the book, the author states "The show more Kindness Book is blatantly moral. It says "The right thing to do is to be kind." I think few will be offended by it, for its purpose is clear, its method direct, and the result is straightforward." by Welleran Poltarnees

This is a very personal message to me. I had a difficult childhood, but the trite message about learning from the past and becoming a better person for it, is one I embrace wholeheartedly.

Consequently, there were a few times when I was told "No one is as nice as you. You must be phony." I admit when this happens I am at a loss for words. I do not express what I feel when this occurs. But, I wonder why being nice (and I am NOT always nice,) illiicits such negativity.

One of my grand daughter's friends who visits our house often, told her that "Your grammy is such a sweet, lovely, kind old lady, but if you make her really made, watch out!"

I like this book because it is chock full of quotes, illustrations and then the author's feelings about kindness.

I will write some of the messages the author includes in this book
that personally speak to me.

1) "In order to be truly kind, we need to think and feel as others do. Once we understand that, we will know how best to give of our kindness."

2) "Kindness should be a frame of mind in which we are alert to chances to do, to give, to cheer."

3) This quote added in the lovely book is attributed to -- Mary Webb:

"If you stop to be kind, you must swerve often from your path." show less

This is illustration gone totally wrong. There is a reason these books are lost and forgotten - they should never have seen the light of day. As Poltarnees says in the introduction:
"One reason that so many bizarre things occur in old children's books is that editorial discrimination was minimal during the 19th and early 20th centuries. There was an endless demand for new children's books and magazines and publishers were, for the most part easygoing. Many strange and original things got by show more which later would have been rejected as too eccentric."

They are fascinating though. And this book at least gives the full accreditation information for each page, so that one can follow up with further research.

The author Tom Robbins is quoted on the back cover: "Thanks to Weird & Wonderful, I now know what one book I would take with me to a desert island."

Truly weird. I'm not sure about the wonderful part. Dancing automobile parts, mother and child playing up in the telephone wires, food of all sorts doing things that food shouldn't do... show less

This is a great compilation of antique illustrations showing children with books and parents reading to children. Some short personal experiences and remarks by Poltarnees are nice, as he almost never inserts himself into his books. A few pertinent quotes from others are included, as well. Full picture credits are a great resource too.

This book is interesting for only those people into book covers. It has scant, but informative, narratives of the decades between 1850 and 1950 describing the influences on book cover design. It has a lot of photos of book covers, primarily from the authors personal library. While they are interesting, I'm not sure they are the best examples of what he was trying to convey.