Sunday 1 October 2017

Nursery Nonsense or Kiddie Kut Books Revisited

I shared a couple of Kiddie Kut books back in December 2011, and didn’t expect to be revisiting them anytime soon, but that was before I found this Lucie Attwell Kiddy's Cutlery set. 

Lucie Attwell Kiddy's cutlery set featuring a cute child holding a spoon and food pusher.

The artwork on the box was the thing that attracted me while the spoon and food pusher are a bonus. Does anyone remember food pushers? I can’t say I do but there are lots online, so they must be fairly common. I may even have used one once, but if so the memories are lost in the mists of time!

The use of Kiddy’s in the title reminded me of the Kiddie Kut books on my shelves. No matter how many times I look at them, there is always something new to see, something I’ve missed previously or simply forgotten. I loved them when I was a small child, and I still do.

Kiddie Kut Books Molly B. Thomson Nursery Nonsense
The first page of Nursery Nonsense and two further pages glimpsed through the cut out shapes.

It wasn't easy to take the photographs, especially as I wanted to hold the pages slightly open so you could peep through the windows and doors. After a lot of experimentation, I got a few that sort of work.  I hope you enjoy them. 

Kiddie Kut Books Molly B. Thomson Nursery Nonsense
Nursery Nonsense: I like the star and snow showing through one window and the moon and house through the other. 

Kiddie Kut Books Molly B. Thomson Hansel and Gretel
Hansel and Gretel: Can you see the witch peeping out through the door?  She is on the next page, but the clever design makes it looks as though she is on this page. 

Kiddie Kut Books Molly B. Thomson Hansel and Gretel
Hansel and Gretel

Kiddie Kut Books Molly B. Thomson The Bells of London Town
The Bells of London Town:  I like the glimpse of river and bridge through the open window.

Kiddie Kut Books Molly B. Thomson The Bells of London Town
 The Bells of London Town

Kiddie Kut Books Molly B. Thomson The Bells of London Town
The Bells of London Town

Kiddie Kut Books Molly B. Thomson The Water Babies
The Water Babies

Kiddie Kut Books Molly B. Thomson The Water Babies
The Water Babies

Kiddie Kut Books Molly B. Thomson The Three Little Pigs
The Three Little Pigs

Kiddie Kut Books Molly B. Thomson The Three Little Pigs
The Three Little Pigs

Kiddie Kut Books Molly B. Thomson The House that Jack Built
The House that Jack Built

Kiddie Kut Books Molly B. Thomson The House that Jack Built
The House that Jack Built

The Lucie Attwell Kiddy's Cutlery and a collection of Kiddie Kut Books Illustrated by Molly B. Thomson.
Kiddy's Cutlery with artwork by Mabel Lucie Attwell and my collection of Kiddie Kut Books Illustrated by Molly B. Thomson.

Previous Kiddie Kut post here

52 comments:

  1. I had a book very similar to that one. I remember it so well, then one day it went missing, think mum thought I got too old for it!

    Julie xxxxxx

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    1. Oh no, that’s so sad! My son is well into his forties, but I still think of him as a ‘boy’, and he likes nothing better than going through his boyhood things, which are stored in our loft. He lives in Australia now so the only time he sees them is one he comes back for a holiday. I’ve also got boxes for up there for each of our grandsons. they are in their twenties now, but they still like to look through them. There are so many memories stored in those boxes! Hugs Barbara xx

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  2. I love all those books, so beautiful. My Mum threw most books away, I managed to hide some - like all the Beatrix Potter ones, and the Little Grey Men, but most just disappeared. Have a great week, hugs, Valerie

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    1. Hi Valerie, it’s nice you still have some of them. Most of mine disappeared over the years, but I’m gradually replacing them. I love The Little Grey Men, and just about anything else by Denys Watkins-Pitchford. Hugs Barbara

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  3. Oh dearest Barbara, HELLO! I have never even heard of a food pusher, but I guess they are out there! But these illustrations, that Tower of London cottage, my goodness that is a dream house! THIS is what we strive for in our home décor, the timbering and the quaint and lovely gardens. Darling memories of childhood once again. Thank you my friend.

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    1. They certainly are Anita. I found several on eBay and one or two elsewhere. I’m sure I must have used one once, but I have no recollection of it.
      You have a beautiful home as I know well from your photographs.
      Happy October sweet friend.

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  4. Oh what fun.
    My inner child is large and loves revisiting places she enjoyed. (And her slightly more adult self still loves childrens books.)

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    1. I couldn’t have put it better myself! My inner child often comes out to play. :)

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  5. I absolutely love all the illustrations, Barbara! How delightful!

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    1. I’m so happy to know that Linda. Thanks for coming over to take a look.

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  6. I used to sell food pushers in the store I managed in the 70s. They just about always came as a set with a child's spoon and made a perfect baby gift. They were very popular at that time. Love the books with all the detail.

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    1. That’s interesting Darlene! I had assumed they were from my era but not so. My son was born in the 70s, and I don’t remember them from then either so they must just have passed me by.

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  7. What treasures my mum through out when we were children and moved house. I seem to recall the Food Pushers but as she never read to us it was up to us to do it ourselves and we usually ended up with Beanos.

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    1. I just can’t remember them at all Roger, and yet I feel I should. Not that it matters of course it’s just annoying because my husband is always accusing me of being forgetful, and I think perhaps he’s right. (Something I don't like admitting!) :-)

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  8. How fun! I'm just wild about these fabulous illustrations. They're so colorful and so darned much fun. Love it!

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    1. I’m glad you think so Jeanie because I think so too.

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  9. Well...here we are..back in the land of the living..!
    Though with nursery rhymes..l'm not so sure! :).
    Having raised my daughter for 14yrs, l was the one to
    read to her, and teach her popular nursery rhymes!
    So these were the ones l started with...
    "Georgy Porgy, pudd'in pie, kissed the girls and made
    them cry..when the boys came out to play, he kissed them
    as well..he was funny that way".

    "Little Miss Muffet she sat on her tuffet, eating her
    Curds and Whey.. Along came a spider who sat down
    beside her..and said..Hey girl, what's in the bowl".

    "Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall..Humpty Dumpty had a
    big fall, all the kings horses and all the kings men,
    had scrambled eggs for breakfast".

    When she repeated them at school..the English teacher
    phoned me, and made me stand in the corner! :).
    But as we know...
    A nursery rhyme is a traditional poem or song for
    children, in Britain and many other countries, but
    usage of the term only dates from the late 18th/early
    19th century....

    Three years ago, l was asked if l'd be interested in doing
    Snow White as a pantomime at Christmas...So, we sat down
    and talked about it for while...HeHe! There was'nt much cash
    available at the time, and were there suggestions of reducing
    the costs..Yours truly came up with suggestion, "Lets call it
    Snow White and the Four Dwarfs". Needless to say..It never
    happened. They in fact went on and did 'Guys and Dolls'.
    ME! I stayed home..in the warm..! :0).

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    1. Hello Willie, I’ve just been over to visit Sue at her Extrawurst blog, and I see you were there before me. I love Allen the Peregrine Falcon and how cleaver to make him out of Allen Keys.

      I’m very happy to see you are back in the land of the living! Your version of the nursery rhymes is brilliant, and I bet the other kids at school loved them! I remember getting into a great deal of trouble for singing We three kings of Orient are, one in a taxi, one in a car. One on a scooter bipping his hooter, following yonder star. O-oh star of wonder, star of light. It didn’t help as I was in the choir, and we had a load of dignitaries visiting the school! 100 lines and a visit to the headmaster for a good telling off were the results of that prank.

      I’m sure you were far better of staying at home in the warm while the rest of the cast learnt their lines etc., but I bet Snow White and the Four Dwarfs would have been more fun than Guys and Dolls!

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  10. I have absolutely NO idea what a food pusher is, but I certainly love those interactive books. So cleverly constructed and designed, they certainly impressed me. Even though I'd never heard of this author or seen these books before, as an adult I can appreciate the detail behind each of these books, possibly a lot more than a child could. These are absolutely fabulous.

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    1. I’m not exactly sure, but my guess is you use it to push the food onto the spoon. It’s a very odd-looking thing, a bit like an upside-down snow shovel!
      The books are wonderful, especially when you consider they were published in the 1950s. The colours are still so bright they could have been published yesterday.

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  11. Oh, Barb. These are amazing. Simply wondrous. I don't know if I could pick a favorite but I lean toward Hey Diddle Diddle:)
    You have a wondrous day.

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    1. They are pretty special aren’t they Sandra. So happy you are blogging again, I missed you while you were away.

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    2. Oh, thank you, Barbara. How kind of you to say. I missed y'all too.
      These little books are so sweet. You can just lose yourself in them, can't you?

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    3. I can and often do lose myself in them Sandra. :)

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  12. Hmm! my friend collects antique/vintage children's cutlery but I can't seem to remember me seeing/ her telling me of a food pusher. I'll have to ask her.

    Ah happy days, the nonsense rhyme. One of the first verses I can ever remember my nana learning me was 'One fine day in the Middle of the night'.

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    1. Hi Tracy, I’m glad I’m not the only one – they completely passed me by! Oddly enough I went to an awful lot of Christenings in the 70s (and bought an awful lot of presents), but food pushers didn’t feature in any of them.
      A lovely memory of your nana, thanks for sharing it.

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  13. Oh Barbara - I just loved seeing these special books. Such details and artistry crafted in each of these. Thanks for sharing. Have a great week. Hugs!

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    1. My pleasure Debbie, you have a great week too. Hugs Barbara

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  14. These books are amazing! Wow! How special! Something is lost these days! I truly love them all! Big Hugs!

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    1. I agree with you Stacy, there is something magical about them.
      Have a lovely week.

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  15. Those Kiddie Kut books are adorable, so bright and cheery. I've never heard of a food pusher before, but it seems rather useful. Fun post, Barbara!

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    1. Hello Marcia, they are bright and cheery if a little old-fashioned – which is just the way I like them! :)
      I can see the sense of food pushers, but I don’t think they are produced now so maybe they weren’t very popular.

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  16. How amazing. So bright and cheery. A haven for kids right there.

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    1. I agree with you Nasreen, and I feel sure kids of today would enjoy them too. It’s just a shame they are no longer made.

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  17. These are just adorable Barbara! I love the illustrations, they are right so cute! I've only come across a few cutout type books, but never anything this fabulous! I appreciate the extraordinary artwork now much more than I did as a child. I loved the picture then, but now I understand the skill these artists have!

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    1. I had a feeling you would like them Diane simply because they are so cute! As I typed the previous sentence, I realised I might not have known the meaning of ‘cute’ back in the 1950s. Actually thinking about it, I may have heard it in connection with Shirley Temple but that would have been about all. I’ve just been looking on Google and found an interesting article called The birth of cute it’s here if you would like to read it https://www.thehairpin.com/2012/07/the-birth-of-cute/

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  18. What a treasure trove you have Barbara!. I love the beautiful pictures. Thank you for sharing some of those lovely pictures

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    1. I don’t think it’s fair to keep them all to myself sharing them makes me happy, and if you enjoy them so much the better.

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  19. LOVE the Kiddie Kut books- especially The Water Babies! What lovely, fun little books. So happy we have never outgrown children's picture books ( as well as other childhood pleasures). Thank you for so many enchanting pictures, Barbara!

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    1. Hello Colleen, The Water Babies is a very special book, and I feel lucky to have it. I hope we never lose the joy in childhood things – if we do we will merely grow old! Thanks for visiting it is always a pleasure to hear from you.

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  20. These look so wonderful and bring back wonderful memories. You have such great treasures! Hugs...RO

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    1. Thanks RO, I think of them as treasures, and it’s nice to know others think of them the same way.

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  21. Hi Barbara,

    Such a book and those wondrous, magical illustrations, transport me back to when I was but a little boy living in London.

    "And the little dog laughed...." "Isn't that right, Penny the Jack Russell dog and modest internet superstar?" "Arf!" 🐶😀

    Thank you for sharing the magic, Barbara.

    Penny's human dad,

    Gary

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    1. Thank you for taking time to share the magic Gary, and you are quite right about the little dog Penny; he did laugh, but then I would too if I saw a cow jumping over the moon. :-)

      Sending good wishes to you Gary and a great big woof to Miss Penny

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  22. These are absolutely beautiful. I love the colors, style and details. So many things to look at. I appreciate the time you took photographing everything so that we could peek in windows and doors. I wonder if I could have read the Hansel and Gretel one as a child- as i looks so familiar to me.

    I have never heard of food pushers.

    Thanks for sharing! :)

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    1. Hi Stephanie, I hadn't heard of food pushers either but I can see the sense of them and wonder why they went out of style.
      Hansel and Gretel is very memorable so I'm guessing you have read it.
      Thanks for coming over, Barbara

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  23. What wonderful books :) I've not heard of food pushers before!

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  24. So lovely to see all of these gorgeous illustrations. My favourite, and one I clearly recall, is the Water Babies - all the underwater fantasy, so lovely :D)

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    1. Hi Sue, The Water Babies is proving very popular with readers of my blog, and I must say I love it to.

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  25. Such beautiful and most colourful books.

    All the best Jan

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I really appreciate your comment. Thank you!
Barbara xx