Thumbelina by Hans Christian Andersen

As a youth, I was captivated by the fanciful fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen. The thick, hardcover book took me to magical places and I read it until the cover was worn and the pages tattered. It has been 205 years since his birth, and still, Andersen's tales are timeless. Suffering from a life of sadness, dyslexia and unrequited love, Andersen crafted some of the most endearing fairy tales ever written.

Thumbelina, written in 1835 and one of his early works, tells the tale of a tiny girl who emerges from a flower and travels through perilous adventures to end up meeting her flower fairy prince and living happily ever after. Does it get any better than this?

This version of Thumbelina is a Little Golden Book illustrated by Gustaf Tenggren, the chief illustrator for the Walt Disney Company in the 1930s. Every page is filled with his bright and fanciful visions and carries you off to that perfect place of make believe.

A Child's Geography of the World V M Hillyer 1951

From the reader of Vintage Books found.

V M Hillyer was the first headmaster of the Calvert School in Baltimore, Ohio. He authored three volumes for the homeschooling community, this being one. I was captivated by this book. Hillyer makes geography fun and interesting for children and, I dare say, adults too. Lots of sketches and maps throughout this work by Mary Sherwood Wright Jones.

Originally written in 1921, many details have changed since then but many remain the same. It is interesting to compare and contrast. For instance, Hillyer's pronouncement that "maybe one day man might go to the moon."

What a ride since then!

Check it out at: CinfulOldies on Etsy