Ladybird books

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Anita Bensoussane
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Re: Ladybird books

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Nice finds, Katharine. I've got Warwick the Kingmaker and quite a few other 'Adventure from History' titles and I still learn a few things from them when I read them! My children enjoyed them too - they used several of my Ladybird books to help them with projects at school. I don't think any of mine have dust-jackets but they look nice anyway as they have a picture on the cover.

What is the book about the history of Ladybird? Is that the big volume that was published a few years ago (Boys and Girls, A Ladybird Book of Childhood) or is there a more recent one?
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Re: Ladybird books

Post by Katharine »

It was this book Anita:-

https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-la ... 0712357289" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I haven't seen the other one, I'll try and find out more about it and see if it's the same sort of thing.
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Anita Bensoussane
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Re: Ladybird books

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Thanks - I hadn't heard of that book before.

This is the other one:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Boys-Girls-Lady ... 0723259712" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


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Re: Ladybird books

Post by pete9012S »

Ladybird Books: The strange things we learned

I enjoyed this BBC article showing how much times have changed:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-le ... e-30709937" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
" A kind heart always brings its own reward," said Mrs. Lee.
- The Christmas Tree Aeroplane -

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Re: Ladybird books

Post by Courtenay »

I enjoyed that too, Pete - thanks! :D
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Anita Bensoussane
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Re: Ladybird books

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Very interesting, Pete. One of the reasons I like Ladybird books is that opening some of them is like opening a time capsule.
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


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Re: Ladybird books

Post by Moonraker »

Fancy putting a straw into a lemon and sucking the juice! Would that really work? They are indeed a time capsule, the pictures and typeset bring back so many memories.
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Anita Bensoussane
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Re: Ladybird books

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Moonraker wrote:Fancy putting a straw into a lemon and sucking the juice! Would that really work?
That picture comes from Magnets, Bulbs and Batteries, Nigel. The boy has attached wire to a strip of zinc and stuck it into a lemon, together with a carbon rod with a brass cap. The action of the acid in the lemon has created an electric current, and he can feel a slight tickling on his tongue as it conducts electricity.
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


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Re: Ladybird books

Post by Moonraker »

Oh, I see! Thanks for explaining!
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Re: Ladybird books

Post by Courtenay »

I seem to recall we made lemon batteries in school science class, but I don't think we stuck our tongues on them! :wink:
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Re: Ladybird books

Post by Stephen »

Regarding the updated pictures, I had the Ladybird book of Trains from the 'Leaders' series in the late 70s. One illustration showed a crowded London Underground station with one of those gleaming 'silver' Tubes emerging from the tunnel. A few years later, I got a second hand copy of an earlier book of trains (I think it was this one), and it showed the same picture of the London Underground station with the same people, but the Tube emerging from the tunnel was one of the older, red ones.
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Re: Ladybird books

Post by Katharine »

One of the things I found interesting about the article was that the books were updated over the years because they were racist and sexist. So it's not just Enid Blyton that's had a make-over.
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Anita Bensoussane
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Re: Ladybird books

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

The Ladybird by Design Exhibition which was on at the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill earlier this year is now at the House of Illustration in Granary Square, King's Cross, London. The building is a stone's throw from the canal and it's lovely to walk beside the water and see the boats and watch the birds - although at the moment there is renovation work going on along that stretch of the canal, which is a pity. Tony and I were invited to a preview of the exhibition last Thursday so I went along, though unfortunately the Tube strike and one or two other things meant that poor Tony was unable to attend at the last minute.

I enjoyed the exhibition as there was a fair amount of artwork by Ladybird illustrators I've admired for many years - Harry Wingfield, Eric Winter, Robert Lumley, C. F. Tunnicliffe, Robert Ayton, Martin Aitchison, John Kenney, etc. It was brilliant to see the original paintings of pictures which have become so widely known and loved. There were lots of paintings from Shopping With Mother and Tootles the Taxi, both of which are fabulous books. Tootles the Taxi was one of my son's favourites when he was a toddler, though his edition was the later one with updated vehicles and illustrations by James Hodgson rather than John Kenney. In a glass case were Douglas Keen's prototypes for the first factual Ladybird title, British Birds and Their Nests, and on the wall was an "uncut" Peter and Jane book from the 1970s, showing how a whole book was printed on one sheet of paper before being cut, folded and bound.

Someone from the House of Illustration (if he gave his name I'm afraid I didn't catch it) gave a short speech about the setting up of the exhibition. He mentioned that he had been flicking through Tootles the Taxi that morning, feeling rather despondent because of the Tube strike, and had noticed that the Underground didn't feature in the book even though it covered numerous forms of transport. He quoted with approval the opening lines of the verse about Oompus the omnibus:

I'm Oompus the omnibus;
I never shirk
Taking my passengers
Home from their work.


We were then introduced to Lawrence Zeegen, who told us about his book Ladybird by Design (it was his book which inspired the original exhibition at the De La Warr Pavilion). He said it had been a challenge dealing with so much material, but one that was worth taking on.

It's marvellous to see such iconic artwork and worth a visit if you're in the area. The small shop at the venue sells second-hand Ladybird books as well as new ones. It also sells facsimiles of some of the 1960s-70s books, though the colours of the illustrations are lamentably wishy-washy and not as rich and vibrant as they were originally. The exhibition is due to run until 27th September 2015. I think there's an entry charge though, whereas admission was free at Bexhill.
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


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Re: Ladybird books

Post by Courtenay »

Oh, thanks for that info, Anita - I had been hoping to get to the Ladybird exhibition when it was in Bexhill and didn't make it. Now I know I can go to it in London instead, which is closer for me than Sussex (if less picturesque!). :D

I was thinking of resurrecting this thread too, just to say I recently bought a special facsimile edition of King John and Magna Carta (a Ladybird "Adventure from History" Book), first published in 1969 and reprinted for the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta this year. I haven't had time to read the entire story, but the pictures in this one look like they're reproduced very well - at least, they certainly look as colourful and vibrant as I'd expect from a Ladybird book (we had plenty of 1960s and '70s ones when I was little). I've recently been participating in Magna Carta celebrations in Egham, the town nearest to Runnymede itself, so I'm quite delighted to have this reproduction Ladybird book as well!
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Re: Ladybird books

Post by pete9012S »

Image

Anyone remember this one?
More pics here:

http://share.pho.to/9ejie" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Illustrated by M.Aitchison,who drew lovely illustrations,(in my opinion).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Aitchison" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I wondered whether he was in our cave.A direct search did not find him,but a little more digging revealed this:

5. 1979 Beaver, illustrations by Gareth Flloyd, cover by Martin Aitchison

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/book ... php?id=313" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
" A kind heart always brings its own reward," said Mrs. Lee.
- The Christmas Tree Aeroplane -

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