Harry Devlin (1918–2001)

When valuable antiques begin to go missing in Cranberryport, Maggie and her friend Mr. Whiskers are keen to investigate and catch the thief. Dismissed by the mayor and the sheriff, the pair decide to look into it on their own after Annabelle, Mr. Whisker's beloved carved figurehead, is taken. Their search leads them to Sailmaker's Island, just off the coast of Cranberryport, where they discover the thieves' lair, but are imprisoned in an old shack. Escaping out of a window, Maggie must use show more Annabelle to paddle across the bay to town, where she can raise the alarm and get help...

Published in 1978, Cranberry Mystery is the third of Wende and Harry Devlin's fifteen-volume Cranberryport series, and the seventh that I have read. In the normal course of events, I would read a series in publication order, even if the events chronicled are not sequential, as I like to see how the creators have built the story and setting, over time. Somehow, with these books, I have not done this, reading what has been available to me, over the years. In any case, I found this one an immensely enjoyable entry in the series. The story itself is engrossing, and sure to please young readers and listeners who enjoy mysteries and adventure stories, and the artwork is appealing, with a vivid style that grabs the eye. The scene where Maggie paddles across the bay on Annabelle is particularly memorable. Like all of the books in this series, there is a recipe in the back, in this case, for Cranberry Pudding. Recommended to fans of the series, and to picture-book readers who either enjoy vintage fare or are looking for stories set in New England. show less

When Nicky and his mother buy a dilapidated old home in a small New England village, intending to renovate it and turn it into a tearoom, they are unprepared for the original inhabitant: a sooty, snarly Old Black Witch with a penchant for getting into trouble. Soon coming to an arrangement with this cantankerous creature - Nicky's mother offers her a room in the attic, which, with all its cobwebs and dirt, suits her just fine - mother and son manage to make their tearoom a success, even show more involving the Old Witch, who makes a mean blueberry pancake, in their efforts. When a pair of burglars target the tearoom, the Old Witch is pleased at first - wickedness being something she approves of - until she considers the idea that, as partial proprietress, they are stealing from her as well...

Originally published in 1963, this first of three witchy picture-books from Harry and Wende Devlin - a husband-and-wife team who were also the creators of the "Cranberry" series, featuring holiday celebrations in a small New England town (Cranberry Christmas, Cranberry Thanksgiving, etc.) - was reprinted in 2012 by Purple House Press, a small Kentucky publisher dedicated to "rescuing" older children's books that have gone out of print, but deserve (in their view) a return to circulation. I would certainly agree that Old Black Witch falls into that category, and am immensely glad that the good people at Purple House Press decided to reprint it, as my library has only the third book devoted to the Old Witch's adventures, Old Witch Rescues Halloween!, and I have been wanting to read the first. I enjoyed the humor in this story, and appreciated the ways in which the Old Black Witch was converted into a friend, without fully domesticating her, or making her too sweet. The artwork has plenty of vintage details - the 60s clothing! - and perfectly captures the madcap sense of fun in the story. Recommended to children (or adults!) who enjoy witch stories! show less

Grandmother and Maggie live on the edge of a cranberry bog in New England in this delightful Thanksgiving classic, first published in 1971. The creator of the finest cranberry bread in the country, Grandmother guards her recipe zealously, intending to pass it down to Maggie one day. When Thanksgiving dinner arrives, the two invited guests - the lavender-smelling, gold-cane-walking Mr. Horace, and the scruffy, bearded sea captain Mr. Whiskers (real name: Uriah Peabody) - couldn't present more show more of a contrast. Grandmother prefers Mr. Horace to the smelly Mr. Whiskers, whom she had never trusted, but appearances aren't everything, as she soon learns...

I have read and enjoyed all three of Wende and Harry Devlin's picture-books about the Old Black Witch - Old Black Witch, Old Witch and the Polka-Dot Ribbon, and Old Witch Rescues Halloween - but although I have long been aware of their Cranberry series, I have never gotten around to picking any of them up. How glad I am that I now have, as I found Cranberry Thanksgiving absolutely charming, enjoying both the story and the artwork. The illustrations here have a vintage cartoon-like style reminiscent of many of the books I read as a young girl, in the early 1980s. Recommended to anyone who appreciates vintage picture-books, or who is looking for fun Thanksgiving stories for the picture-book set! show less

Maggie, Grandmother and Mr. Whiskers return in this ninth picture-book about their adventures in Cranberryport, a small New England town on the edge of a cranberry bog. Autumn had come, and soon Maggie would return to school. She needed new school clothing, and Grandmother needed a new coat for the season, leading that inventive and frugal New Englander to come up with the idea of an antique sale to raise money. Soon the idea had spread to the entire town. Unfortunately, Mr. Whiskers had show more nothing worth selling, which had him rather gloomy, until he managed to step in on the day of the sale, foiling the miserly Mr. Grape and raising lots of money for Grandmother...

I usually try to read picture-book series in order, but the Cranberryport books from husband and wife team Wende and Harry Devlin can be somewhat difficult to track down, and before Cranberry Autumn I'd only managed to read two others: the initial Cranberry Thanksgiving, and Cranberry Valentine. Like these other two, this one was absolutely charming, pairing an engaging story with cute, cartoon-style illustrations. I liked the central idea of trying to raise money for necessaries by having an antique sale, and I loved the characters, particularly old sea captain Mr. Whispers, whose exclamations of "Suffering codfish!" never failed to win a chuckle. There's a recipe for cranberry squares included at the rear that looks appealing, and which I intend to try out. All in all, a lovely little autumn picture-book, one which I would recommend to those seeking children's stories set in this season, as well as to fans of the Cranberryport books. For my part, I will have to try a little harder to track down more of these! show less