The Green and Burning Tree

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The Green and Burning Tree: On the Writing and Enjoyment of Children's Books, by Eleanor Cameron

Eleanor Cameron was the author of The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet and other Mr. Bass stories, as well as some other books too.  This is a collection of essays and speeches from the mid 1960s about children's literature--writing it, reading it, and enjoying it.  She talks about a lot of my favorites and mentions a few I think I would like to read. 

At time she gets a little too misty-eyed about myth and children and all, but mostly it's some quite good stuff if you're interested in children's literature.  I especially liked the last two essays, which were about Wanda Gag and Eleanor Farjeon.  They were fun.  But the whole thing was quite worth reading.



Comments

  1. FaithApril 18, 2014 at 6:14 AM

    This sounds wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousApril 18, 2014 at 6:53 AM

    I remain furious with myself that I've never read Eleanor Farjeon. Happily, I have just discovered that my university library has hordes of her books, so I can at least make a start at correcting this oversight.

    ReplyDelete
  3. JeanApril 18, 2014 at 8:11 AM

    Oh, I'm so glad you have access to her books! They are really hard to come by these days. Besides the Little Bookroom, which I grew up on, the Martin Pippin books are fun, and Kaleidoscope, and I have a couple of old novels too. There is a lot I have never read because I would have to buy it. Oh, and there is one little story called "Elsie Piddock Skips in Her Sleep" that has been published separately, don't miss that one.

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