Clothing

Clothing

Piero Ventura 1993

We have a great selection of reference books about the history of clothing.  They've come in very handy as a vintage clothing collector/seller myself and for various school or art projects.  In this one Piero Ventura's illustrations are fun to look at as he walks us through the timeline of humans creating coverings for themselves.  (Just an FYI there is some historical nudity in some of the drawings.) 

Some of our other books and vintage materials relating to clothing...

Watership Down

Watership Down

Richard Adams

adapted and illustrated by James Sturm and Joe Sutphin 2023

Full disclosure, I've actually never read the novel Watership Down by Richard Adams.  But I was pleased to find this beautiful graphic version adapted by James Sturm.  Appropriate for older children (there is some violence and blood, but nothing too gory),  I think it's a great introduction for young readers who might want to go on and read the full sized novel someday.  It has kept the thought provoking themes of loyalty, freedom, oppression, and bravery.  Joe Sutphin does a particularly wonderful job with the illustrations.  (We've already loved his rendering of animal characters in Little Pilgrim's Progress.)

The Happy Forest

 Oh my goodness how beautiful are these 1968 illustrations by Susan Aspey?!  All pastel blues and pinks and browns.  The stories about the animal characters take place in the Happy Forest, a place where "you just can't help feeling happy while you are there."  There's Tommy the Toad with his pipe, and Chatter the Squirrel who can't seem to keep a secret, and Billie the Beaver who has no inclination to be busy.  Each story even comes with a song!

The Happy Forest

Eric Winstone

illustrated by Susan Aspey 1968

The Sunflower Garden

The Sunflower Garden

Janice May Udry

illustrated by Beatrice Darwin 1969

 Beatrice Darwin's prints accompany this story about a "Algonkian" girl named Pipsa who not only saves her little brother from a snake, but also brings sunflowers to her village.  While Pipsa works hard taking care of her baby brother and helping her mother, her father doesn't seem to notice her.  It's not until she kills a dangerous snake that her father comes to see what has happened and notices the incredible field of sunflowers she has been planting and tending.  Not only does her father tell her he's proud of her, but the whole village praises her for bringing a "new plant and new ideas to her people."

Doctor Squash the Doll Doctor

Recently I went to the Allentown Paper and Book Show which was a treasure trove!  I picked up a few things, one of which was this adorable book.  I had no idea just how cute it was until I got home and read it cover to cover.

Doctor Squash

The Doll Doctor

Margaret Wise Brown

illustrated by J.P. Miller 1952

The dedication makes me think that it was some little girl, who in her playtime with her dolls, came up with Dr. Squash, the doll doctor.  And the story reads very much like the way a child would play.

The dolls have all sorts of ailments,  (the teddy bear gets a nose bleed, the fireman doll needs a splint, the Indian doll fell off his horse into poison ivy, and the poor clown doll has 4 contagious diseases!).   Each time he's called, Doctor Squash comes running and gives them the appropriate treatment.  Then when Doctor Squash himself falls ill, the dolls all do their best to take care of him.

We just love sweet and winsome books like this!  (No surprise it's by Margaret Wise Brown).  If J.P. Miller's illustrations look familiar, it's because he worked for Disney and illustrated many Little Golden Books.  Here's a really interesting bit about him!