What We're Reading: Tracy

Weird & Wonderful: Discoveries from the Mysterious World of Forgotten Children's Books, by Welleran Poltarnees.

The subtitle of this little book gives an idea of the intriguing contents within: "Including But Not Limited to Zany Pictures, Baffling Visions, Weird Thoughts, Puzzling Situations, and Things That Are Truly Bizarre." As the author states in his introduction, "Children's books excel in the wonderfully unexpected. It is a realm where dream and imagination can run riot, and it attracts creators with riotous fancy," like Lewis Carroll, creator of Alice in Wonderland's mad adventures. The passage of time adds another layer of potential weirdness to children's books, as historical images lose their reference points, becoming unintelligible or unpalatable to today's readers. Struwwelpeter (Shaggy Peter), an early German "cautionary" book for children detailing good behavior (and the horrific consequences of bad), is an example of such an old classic that modern tastes find grotesque.
Lusciously illustrated with images from the author's archival collection and annotated throughout with dryly humorous comments, Weird & Wonderful is a bibliophile's treat. Take a peek inside and discover such odd kiddie lit characters as a "Hippopotamustard;" explore a "rendering of the emotions of a family of blackberries;" and read a poem about "Obliging Mr. Hammer." Today's children's books will seem dull by comparison with these strange bits of publishing history.