F is for Frederick, by Leo Lionni. Many of the posts I've read this week have taken me back to my childhood days, and while I was mulling over a topic for F..... Frederick suddenly came to me. It was read to us at school, it was read to us by the public librarian, it became a 6th grade fad, I read it to my children, I took my children to see the play.
A fad? Back in the day, Fletcher's Newsstand was an icon in our small town, as mentioned in another post, this store had a bit of everything, one of those things, in a box, on a shelf, just below waist height of a 6th grader, halfway down the main aisle in front of the cash register; were multiple stuffed mice, they were soft, and each one a different color. They had sweet little ears, whiskers and a tail and fit comfortably in your hand. We all had to have one. Unlike today, no one's parents sprung for multiples. We took them everywhere, but we especially liked to bring them to the public library for reading time.
Gosh, for thinking I had nothing to say, I could go on about Fletcher's (my Gram worked there for years), or the public library, or the content of the book itself -- but I'll spare you & tuck those away for another day.
If you haven't ever read it, or haven't in many years - I urge you to.
A simple, yet profound work.
Enjoy.
I grew up in Queens NY certainly not a small town but we had our corner candy store that sold papers and books and magazines. You could also get a mean egg cream there which may only be a NY thing.
ReplyDeleteCame by from Tales of the Reborn Crafter
http://talesofthereborncrafter.blogspot.com/
I've never heard of it but your post has certainly piqued my interest.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of it either. But it must be something memorable for it to stick with you so much for so long. Will have to keep an eye out.
ReplyDeleteSpunky's Soldier, A-Z Challenge Writer’s Mark
Seems vaguely familiar--and I do believe I had a stuffed mouse that may have been inspired by Frederick. There's nothing better than childhood memories in all their rosey glory.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to check it out. For some odd reason I LOVE stories with mice in them. The cover looks so cute!
ReplyDeleteI loved Frederick as a kid. And I'd almost forgotten him until you reminded me. I must go to my mother's and see if she still has my copy....
ReplyDeleteI had an old book that was passed down to me, about a wind up mouse. The illustrations looked a lot like the pic you posted above- sort of like crazy collage art. Now I have to go figure out if this was the same book, or by the same author.
ReplyDeleteHappy blogging!
Kaye Draper at Write Me
In answer to my own question- yes! Same author. Mine was Alexander and the Wind up Mouse. Such a beautiful story and unique art. If you have kids you should check it out!!
Deletehttp://www.amazon.com/Alexander-Wind-Up-Mouse-Leo-Lionni/dp/0394829115
What a cute story, happy A to Z.
ReplyDeleteI never heard of Frederick, have to check it out!
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard of this book, but I love things that trigger a trip down memory lane. I grew up in a very small town in South Dakota that sounds very similar to this. A trip to the dime store was an adventure in those days. A quarter bought enough candy to much on for a week, and with a dollar you were rich indeed!
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