Thursday 12 November 2015

The Adventures of Be-Wee the Gnome A Guest Post by Julie Drew

I have got to let you know that my long-awaited and sought after treasure,'The Adventures of Be-Wee the Gnome' arrived earlier this week! Monday to be more precise, so I have been enjoying it immensely with its entire complement of 20 full-page colour plates by Lilian Govey! She and Anne Anderson did a great deal of works which had similarities in many areas, and I guess this is why I just am so besotted with them both as illustrators! Their Black and White drawings are just as gorgeous as their colour illustrations, which I do find to be such a real talent. Charles Robinson and his brother W. Heath Robinson also had this extraordinary talent with their illustrating skills! I never cease to feel extremely fortunate to have so many amazing treasures in my extensive library of old children's books!

Be-Wee,though,is just SOOOOO cutesy and adorable, even if, or maybe even because, he has a very cheeky streak to his personality! I actually just added all the photos from the listing where I managed to purchase him from, to my Pinterest page "In Books I Own!!!' as I recently decided to start a couple of pages after it was suggested by so many folk I have come to know through buying on-line from all over the world!   I must say that I do cheat by googling most of my beloved subjects and Pinning from there as the photos are usually so good!  The problem with Pinterest though, is that you can so very easily lose an hour or several every time you go into it!! It certainly has opened my eyes very wide to just how many precious and extremely special books I DO have, and I feel very humbled indeed to know that I am able to pluck any one of these off my shelves whenever I feel like!

Be-Wee The Gnome

Again I do thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing my snippets with your blog readers, Barbara. I have been so thrilled to read such kind and genuine comments left by many of these people who I have never met! We do share so many common interests with others all over the world, and being able to link up this way is almost like magic in its own way! I am not the most computer literate human being on the planet, so if you would like to add my Pinterest page's Be-Wee pics to your site so that they may be shared and enjoyed by your book loving community, I think that you will also fall in love with this timeless little fellow! And maybe it will encourage more of us to hunt down and read about Agnes Grozier Herbertson’s Fairy Folk from so long ago!!! Even as an adult, I am always finding and enjoying lots of the now lesser known authors' works which were a staple in the huge Annuals of days gone by!  In fact, it was in one such volume that I first met Be-Wee and his friends from the Happy Common, and other similarly named places! I now also have the gorgeous 'Hurrah for The O-Pom-Pom’, Cap O'Yellow' and 'Bob-along, The Brownie Man' in very early
editions and featuring similar characters to my adored little Be-Wee!!

A later edition of Bob-along-the brownie-man by Agnes Grozier Herbertson

Loving the way this author wrote, with her additions of sweet little rhymes throughout, I then went on to discover more of A.G.H's books such as 'Lucy-Mary (or The Cobweb Cloak)' as well as 'Teddy and Trots in Wonderland' both of which are delicious and original fairy tales with delightful illustrations. The latter was originally published chapter by individual chapter in the Ward Lock & Co 'Wonder Story Books’, during the late 1800's, and then finally all were re-published as a complete book of those adventures and illustrated by Thomas Maybank who also did the fabulous endpapers to the afore-mentioned annuals well into the 20th century .He also was the initial illustrator of Oojah, that wonderful elephant who had his own very appealing annuals in the 20th century! My copy of Teddy and Trots is from the 1920's, and is in extremely well-read condition, but I still could never part with it! Lucy Mary is illustrated by Margaret Tarrant, so to see her early colour plates is a real treat and I often look through it again, even if not re-reading the book! And of course, I simply love going through my numerous large old annuals and being delighted to re-discover the stories and poems by this favourite author about her little gnomes and pixies as they get up to mischief!  I never get tired of seeing the various characters, especially when accompanied by their very own Lilian Govey pictures!

Teddy-and-Trots in-Wonderland by Agnes Grozier Herbertson

I am blessed, truly I am, to have gotten to know such wonderful stories, even in my adult years. The more of these old children's books I discover, the more I find life still has to offer!! And being able to enjoy and then share, makes the experience all the richer!

Until the next time I am able to share my thoughts with you all, which shall be after Barbara has spent a well-deserved and long, most enjoyable break with her family, I thank you for reading and enjoying my little ramblings from Australia; and I wish you a truly special Festive Season doing your favourite things with your favourite people.......

Many warm smiles always, Julie and the Fur Babies here in Oz.    xoxo  'Wu-u-uff!!!'

https://www.pinterest.com/browndogsfriend/

**All images Pinterest

Thank you so much Julie, I look forward to ‘chatting’ with you again in the New Year. Barbara xx


Thanks to everyone who takes the time to call in – you are all wonderful! Barbara xx

24 comments:

  1. Such a wonderful post Julie, I'm loving these books and especially Teddy and Trots In Wonderland.

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    1. Thanks for commenting Tracy, I know Julie will enjoy hearing from you. Barbara.

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  2. Good morning dearest Barbara! Another perfect moment to relax, enjoy the happier side of life and to remember what it's like to be young and carefree. Much love to you, and thank you for the uplifting shares.

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    1. Thank you Anita, you do say the sweetest things. Hugs Barbara.

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  3. Hi Barbara,

    I love everything vintage and these are so lovely!

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  4. Cute pictures and I'm sure the stories are wonderful. I have all these questions about Bee-Wee. Is he a bee or a gnome or both? And the Brownie man looks tired. So cute. Love the pictures but I don't like Pinterest.

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    1. Be Wee is a lazy,but adorable little gnome who,as far as I can tell, DRESSES as a Bee!! He usually carries his pink umbrella most places he goes,and he has a good friend in the Nimble Mouse! I first read his stories in an old annual from the 20's and apparently a regional newspaper here in Australia published one of his stories in 4 weekly parts,back in 1926!!I downloaded those 4 pages as soon as I found them,because it was a story I had not come across in all of my very extensive collection of old and antique illustrated children's books!!! Be Wee lives under the Punker Tree which is sometimes a tree and sometimes a bird! He takes special care of Be Wee and his delightful neighbours,the Tinker Man and the Creepie Man.. THIS truly special book has in fact also been published as 'The Creepie Man and other Stories' with all of the same adorable Lilian A Govey illustrations. The Creepie Man is not Creepy with a 'y', but with an 'ie';he creeps along and does things very quietly.An altogether lovely little fellow!
      Bob-along the brownie is still available in its very early editions,but it IS delightful to know that the copy pictured along with Pip Pip's Exciting Day,are readily available in much newer editions! Bob-along features illustrations by Doris Burton who illustrated many of A.G.Herbertson's older stories about her gnomes and pixies.I just finally received my copy of Green Elf,Golden Elf,which I had to wait ages for as it travelled from Canada to Oz by Surface (Snail!) Mail! It too contains many,many tales about various characters I had up till now met only a very few of!! It is also illustrated by Doris Burton as well as other artists from the 20's!
      It became somewhat of a quest for me to find and purchase works by this talented Scottish author,after enjoying her short stories in the aforementioned annuals.Teddy and Trots was a total surprise as I bouyght that from an Aussie dealer when I first discovered Ebay! I had no idea of what it was about ,or who the author was ,at the time of purchase,but I am a very quick learner!
      I am not a huge Pinterest 'pinner' myself.I only really add items such as my books,my own photos,and very special things which have truly appealed to me!
      Again,I must thank dearest Barbara for allowing me to share these little snippets. It is such a treat for me to do so.

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    2. Hi Julie, thanks so much for all the extra information, Be-Wee sounds wonderful. Barbara.

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    3. I agree with Barbara that Bee-Wee and also the aforementioned Creepie Man sound wonderful. Thank you for the detailed explanation. These illustrators from the '20's had so much imagination and sensitivity. Thank you for sharing a part of your collection.

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  5. Not books I've heard of before but they look and sound wonderful :)

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    1. I couldn't agree more Nikki-ann. I feel incredibly blessed to have met Julie and to be learning about all her wonderful books. Barbara

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  6. I hope Barbara is having a wonderful time on her break! So nice to hear from you, Julie, and to see the treats you shared. Such great books- I can't even decide which is my favorite. Thanks for sharing the pictures too! :)

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    1. Hi Stephanie, I'm still around at the moment but will be taking my break very soon. Thanks very much for calling in I'm so glad you are enjoying Julie's posts. Barbara

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  7. Hi Barbara and Julie,

    Such wonderful shared snippets and thank you for that. Magical books from a magical time. The wee folks who live with me have read this enchanting post.

    Thank you for this.

    Gary :) x

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    1. Hi Gary, so glad you and the wee folks enjoyed Julie’s magical post.
      Hope you are keeping well.
      Barbara x

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  8. I haven't seen these books before but the covers here bring me back to a most wonderful time. Thanks for sharing these books with us, Julie. It's very nice reading your post! I'm on Pinterest ... um everyday, so I'll check out your link. Cheers to you and Barbara!

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    1. Thank you Claudine for your lovely comments.I do hope that you shall enjoy my books on Pinterest.I have literally thousands to still 'pin', but as you know,it is one of those sites that once you enter,it is a very long visit,every time! It is so darned simple to become totally sidetracked!! I am blessed ,to say the very least,in having custody of so many extremely beautiful and also special books from days gone by.I feel certain that some of the ones so far on my page will entice you to find some of them so that you will know the characters who are making my spare time so enjoyably entertaining!

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    2. Julie, I sure do know how distracting Pinterest is! I've followed you and look forward to browsing through the drool-worthy covers.

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  9. IHi and huge warm wishes to all of you who have already made comments about my little Be Wee post!! I would genuinely like to individually reply to you all,but having already only done a couple of these,I could end up being here well into the New Year!!
    SO...... I just want to let you know that this entire experience of writing guest spots for my lovely friend Barbara,has quickly become one of the most enjoyable and rewarding exercises undertaken in a very long while! Your kind comments about my writing,my photos and just my snippets in general are all extremely humbling,so THANK YOU ALL from the very tips of my toes! I do hope that I can continue to share with you,the things which mean such a great deal to me,and also that you do not become bored by my ramblings.
    Barbara,you have truly been a massive inspiration to me,and I shall be forever grateful to you......

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  10. I always love learning about these new-to-me (but very old) titles, such a quaintness to them. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Glad you are enjoying them Marcia, thanks for leaving a comment Barbara

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  11. What a lovely post. These books look like absolute treasures.

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    1. They certainly do Shashi. I am very envious of Julie’s collection.

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I really appreciate your comment. Thank you!
Barbara xx