There are lots of classics of children's literature that I love, and re-read, over and over again. I know I've mentioned Betsy-Tacy multiple times already. (At the moment, I'm supposed to be preparing a presentation on the autobiographical nature of the series. Ranting about the cover designs, though, is even more fun.)
Other favorites include the Little House Series (which grow in my estimation every time a Dutch friend of mine acts bored at the slightest mention of the books - how can anybody hate them so?), Little Women, and the Lois Lenski books (although I haven't re-read many of those) among others.
When the new Betsy-Tacy editions came out in 2000, I was very disappointed with the covers. The Diane Goode ones were so cute and perfect, continuing the tradition that Lenski and Vera Neville began, with lovely, vague illustrations that allowed the reader to hold onto their unique mental image of the characters. The new covers were anything but vague, and the only possible improvement can be to the last two books, which were never done by Goode. They have that fake-photograph type of illustration that is rarely any good.
But I must admit, the fake-photograph is better than the actual
photograph. I recently saw the newer Little House books and shuddered. On the cover of These Happy Golden Years, Almanzo looks like a gothic 15-year-old (he should be 27 or so), and Laura like his flirtatious girlfriend. Can you imagine her latching onto him like that on one of their evening buggy rides? I don't think so.To whom are they marketing these editions? Is this the way the publishing houses try to catch the attention of a generation that was raised on television?
Does that mean illustrations are on the way out, too?
I'm looking forward to the new Betsy-Tacy editions, however. I don't love the idea of the last six books being released in paired bindings - Heaven to Betsy and Betsy in Spite of Herself in one volume, etc - but the covers are more old-fashioned and sweet again, and they're in affordable, long-lasting hardback, which makes it all so much nicer. And I need hardback - my copy of Betsy and Joe is about to fall to pieces.
I'm such a traditionalist. I sometimes wonder how I can ever be expected to fit in in this era...
3 comments:
Ack! You ought to warn a person more before they innocently scroll through your blog and come upon that hideous cover to 'These Happy Golden Years'. What were they thinking?? Did they ever read the book? Who are those people?
And I fear that people who are drawn to that cover are being misled about the book.
So I went to look at more of those covers--incredible. I was especially surprised by the cover for 'The Long Winter'. It makes it look as if the book is about a cheery, warm winter spent toasting s'mores and drinking cocoa. Sheesh.
I KNOW!! It's terrible, isn't it? Did you at least look at the new B-T books? That might cheer you up a tad... at least it's not ALL going down the drain. Your use of "misleading" is possibly the best choice of word to describe it... right along with "Ack!" "Sheesh", and "Awful".
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