Author creates a marvelous world for children
If you go to a child’s birthday party and bring a book as a present, you may not win the most popular present award.
Having been invited to the party of a little girl I know, who was six turning seven, I decided to forego the popularity part and I headed to my local bookstore.
Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville has a cozy, well-lit, well-organized, well-stocked room for children’s books, and I spent a leisurely half-hour there, my idea of a good time. I looked at all the new and lovely picture books, took my time, enjoyed them, then let them be and chose an old favorite of mine, a Mr. Putter book.
Mr. Putter has his own series, and I am glad for that. He is a man worth knowing. He is the creation of Cynthia Rylant, who grew up in rural West Virginia, and I would guess that Appalachian storytelling helped form her writing soul. She has written over a hundred children’s books and won many awards, including the Newbery Award for her 1993 novel “Missing May” and two Caldecott Awards.
Mr. Putter in this series lives up to his name. He is an old man who takes pleasure in ordinary things, like sitting on the front porch of his big old house, tending his roses, taking naps, and listening to opera. In all of these activities, his companion is his fine old orange cat, Tabby. They are two of a kind. Next door lives his best friend Mrs. Teaberry, also old but much more adventurous. Mr. Putter is always nervous when Mrs. Teaberry calls. What is she going to suggest? Joining a band? Running a race? He is never nervous, however, when she bakes him something special, which she does in almost every book. The special things may be odd, like banana crunchies, but they are always tasty.
The comedian of the group is Mrs. Teaberry’s bulldog Zeke, whose enthusiasm causes all kinds of trouble. It’s a fun and funny foursome in a sometimes funny but always friendly world. I once knew a four-year-old who wanted to be Mrs. Teaberry. Her beloved Papa, she said, would be Mr. Putter.
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“Mr. Putter and Tabby Pick the Pears,” (Harcourt Brace, 1995, 40 pp), is one of my many favorites in the series. Though picking pears does not always bring up exciting images, excitement comes because Mr. Putter, who loves pear jelly, discovers he can no longer pick his pears in his old way. He can no longer climb the ladder. His legs are too “cranky.” He comes up with an alternate plan because he wants those pears. The plan goes one way and then another, and seems to be a failure, but then success comes in an unexpected fashion. The book ends with a marvelous two-page picture of Mrs. Teaberry’s house and yard, and bulldog Zeke alone at one window, watching pears arc through the air to land on the grass, watching with a look that combines wonderment and perplexity.
This series of picture books is that rarity where the pictures are every bit as good as the story. They tell their own story. They are varied, expressive, unique and amusing. They entertain the adults. Illustrator Arthur Howard is as much a master as Cynthia Rylant, and the two blend seamlessly.
When asked to name their favorite Mr. Putter, a small set of aficionados that I know, with ages ranging from four to 75, named “Paint the Porch,” “Walk the Dog,” and ”Turn the Page.” The last one listed, “Mr. Putter and Tabby Turn the Page,” was the very book I’d chosen from my local bookstore for the birthday present.
At the party, I was happy to observe that my present was opened with a fervor equal to that for all the other presents (it was a conspicuously book-like present). Once opened, the book was greeted with a quick positive exclamation, then put aside without much of a pause (on to the next!), the exact same way every present was treated. Two days later, the now seven-year-old asked me to read it to her, and when I’d finished she asked me to read it again. Later in the day, I heard her older brother, age 10, laughing. What was he laughing at? He had picked up her new book and was laughing at Zeke’s antics.
In a recent editorial I read about technology and children, the editor stated how important it was that the natural innocence of children be protected. I couldn’t agree more. I know this series, set in a kind but lively world, will do just that.
Blue Ridge Books usually has some Mr. Putter books on the shelf, and they will order any in the series. I’m sure other book stores would as well. These would be great holiday presents. Maybe my faith is too big, but I believe there’s a book out there for everybody, for every adult and every child, and any bookstore staff I’ve ever met would be happy to help a customer find the one. Go for a book, and shop local. Happy December, everybody! Along with Mr. Putter, Tabby, Mrs. Teaberry and Zeke, I wish you plenty of good company, some quiet reading time, some good treats to eat, adventure, and maybe a nap or two.
(Anne Bevilacqua is a book lover who lives in Haywood County. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..)
