headless stories for kids



After reading the review of The Man Who Lost His Head, (Claire H. Bishop, illus. Robert McCloskey) I had to read it. (Of course I had to order it from a bigger library than ours, it’s an old book and one which I can’t imagine many kids read anymore--however my 1962 copy was the 10th reprinting of the book which originally came out in 1942). Reading this book makes you wonder what Americans of the 1940s saw in it--what made it so popular? Is it the ridiculous illustrations? Maybe it's the almost-wasteful usage of food: pumpkins and turnips as heads, this post depression America; this now war-immersed U.S. trying to find something to take their children's minds off troubles in Europe. Who knows? 
The story is a little too long, the words a little tough, the pictures creepy, but it made me laugh. Would I ever recommend it? No. 
Anyway, the creepiness lead me to this. All this lead me to this.

Comments

Brett Minor said…
I would have checked that one out as soon as I saw it.
February 10, 2012 at 12:58 PM
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