Randolph Caldecott's Picture Books Book

This lovely book - a beautifully produced hardcover with substantial paper stock and an appealing earth-tone palette - reproduces eight of Randolph Caldecott's classic picture books, taken from the collection of the Huntington Library in San Marino, California. A late nineteenth-century English artist, Caldecott belonged - like his contemporaries Walter Crane and Kate Greenaway - to what is often called the "Golden Age" of children's book illustration. American readers will undoubtedly recognize his name, which the American Library Association chose for its annual Caldecott Medal - awarded to the best-illustrated children's book of the year.

The texts Caldecott chose for his picture books includes such classic nursery rhymes as The House That Jack Built, Sing a Song of Sixpence, The Queen of Hearts, and Hey Diddle Diddle, as well as songs like The Milkmaid, The Farmer's Boy, and The Three Jovial Huntsmen. William Cowper's poem, The Diverting History of John Gilpin, also makes an appearance. I'm not sure that today's children will find these books especially appealing, as stories, but the artwork is simply gorgeous! Alternating between color plates and simple drawings, they have a distinctly Victorian aesthetic, while also being sprightly and humorous.

I savored this book, delighting in the illustrations (particularly those for The Queen of Hearts), and am grateful to my friend Kathryn for recommending this one. Anyone with an interest in the history of children's literature, and its accompanying illustrations, would do well to familiarize themselves with Caldecott's work. This handy volume is a step in that direction!