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112th out of 189 books
—
35 voters
Rootabaga Stories
Welcome to Rootabaga Country--where the railroad tracks go from straight to zigzag, where the pigs wear bibs, and where the Village of Cream Puffs floats in the wind. You'll meet baby balloon pickers, flummywisters, corn fairies, and blue foxes--and if you're not careful, you may never find your way back home!
These beautiful new editions retain the original illustrations...more
These beautiful new editions retain the original illustrations...more
Paperback, 192 pages
Published
April 1st 2003
by Sandpiper
(first published 1922)
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AMERICAN FAIRY TALES
Carl Sandburg, winner of Pulitzer Prizes both for his biography of Abraham Lincoln and for his COMPLETE POEMS, explores another genre in ROOTABAGA STORIES, fairy tales that he wrote for his daughters. When asked how he wrote the stories, Sandburg replied, "The children asked questions, and I answered them."
The ROOTABAGA STORIES are unconventional in almost every way. Unlike traditional fairy tales, they have no perfect princesses and evil witches. They are American fairy tal...more
Carl Sandburg, winner of Pulitzer Prizes both for his biography of Abraham Lincoln and for his COMPLETE POEMS, explores another genre in ROOTABAGA STORIES, fairy tales that he wrote for his daughters. When asked how he wrote the stories, Sandburg replied, "The children asked questions, and I answered them."
The ROOTABAGA STORIES are unconventional in almost every way. Unlike traditional fairy tales, they have no perfect princesses and evil witches. They are American fairy tal...more
An acquired taste, this is a collection of utterly bizarre and very imaginative short stories set in rural America. The poetic language is evocative of a prairie farmer of 1900, which is to say it is a completely different rhythm and chock full of repeated expressions. Depending on your perspective, either the prose is unreadable and the plots are mostly non-existent; or the prose is melodic and stretches the language, coloring an astounding variety of sketches. I lean toward the latter. Read al...more
It's better than Sandburg's poetry. It's a little weird though. It's like, well, like Woody Guthrie or some other folk singer of that era made up nonsense tales.
There were lots of truly odd names of characters like Gimme the Ax and Eeta Peeca Pie. Lots of made up words, too. And yet, it sort of works, and moves along, so you slide over the weirdness.
There were lots of truly odd names of characters like Gimme the Ax and Eeta Peeca Pie. Lots of made up words, too. And yet, it sort of works, and moves along, so you slide over the weirdness.
I can't remember whether or not I finished this book. I'm pretty sure that I did, but months have passed. I just found the stories really boring. I know that a lot of people go on about this book about how imaginative it is, but I could never get past how silly the stories were. Didn't find this amusing at all.
Poet and collector of folk tales Carl Sandburg's own turn at then newly-created (1922) American tales, with a distinctly Midwest flavor. The stories all have the belief-building cadence of a tale from a real world, even while the reader suspends disbelief, although some are more satisfying as modern myth than others.
This is a set of stories that belongs on every "read aloud" shelf, right next to all the Dr. Suess books and the Brothers Grimm and all those Little Golden Book collections. Sandburg's prose begs to be heard - reading it to yourself is loses the rhythm and alliteration and all those other poetry tricks that he was a master of. Sandberg wrote these for his children, wanting them to have fairy tales that related to their very American upbringing, and these stories do ring with commerce and expansi...more
Here I am in my 60s, an English major in college, and I don't recall ever having heard of the Rootabaga Stories by Carl Sandburg. As with most of my children's books I am sharing this one with a 7 1/2 year old. She is most enthusiastic about this book. Maybe I will understand why by the time we get to the end. It is clearly a book that must be read out loud. I would say it makes no sense but then there is probably a lot in life like that for a youngster.
My dad used to read this book to us when we were little-he would be so animated when he read it that we really could picture all of the crazy things in this book as if they were reality.
I found it in my hope chest the other day and had almost forgotten about its existence.
I found it in my hope chest the other day and had almost forgotten about its existence.
The formatting on this book was very poor. This book is a series of stories that Carl Sandburg told his children. I am afraid that because of changing times, children now might not think these stories were as enchanting as they once were.
Благодарение прекрасния превод на Петко Бочаров я имаме и на български.
Жалко, че все още нямаме преведена поезията на Сандбърг.
Жалко, че все още нямаме преведена поезията на Сандбърг.
This is one of my very favorite pieces of children's lit. Sandburg's language is magical, and if you have any connection to American prairie country, it's guaranteed to make you homesick. One for the ages.
These stories remind me of Gertrude Stein... which is never a good thing. The only thing that kept me enjoying the stories was the fact that I didn't have to analyze them too deeply. I could just read them for face value.
Dec 21, 2011
James Govednik
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy-sci-fi
Interesting as an example of children's literture of the 1920s. A couple of my favorites: The Story of Jason Squiff and The White Cloud Girl and the Blue Horse Boy.
one of my all time favorite books from childhood and on. i love reading it now with my own almost six year old daughter. this has been a formative influence for me...
If I was in charge, I would make everyone read these stories. Since I am not in charge, I can only suggest that everyone read them :-)
Some of the best out-loud reading I've done in a long time. Great for kids with whimsical & fertile imaginations.
I can understand why this didn't grab me when I was a child but all I have to say now is 'was he on acid, or what?'
Way funnier than I expected. I might actually go back and read the parts that weren't assigned.
these are supposed to be great but I guess I didn't get it---too silly
Some things translate well over time and generations, some things don't.
I've never forgotten the drawings and stories in this book. The characters were so perfectly absurd; they made sense to me as a child. I was thrilled to find a copy at a book sale.
When a Pulitzer Prize winner personally recommends that you read a book, you'd better heed it.
Fantastical, lyrical, and poetic. I wish I had read these as a child.
Fantastical, lyrical, and poetic. I wish I had read these as a child.
My wife Aundreta suggested it to me - a favorite of hers. Synchronizing what I like in my pleasure reading with what I like in my study. Fanciful and imaginative, it is making for a good journey so far. (15 Jun 2011)
Jul 31, 2011
Emily
added it
I read these as a child and remembered them yesterday as I was writing my May newsletter with an article about teachers' favorite summer reading books. I have such good memories. I want to go back...
Jan 10, 2009
Claire S
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
explored-skimmed,
fiction,
form_complexia,
meaning-life-etc,
ever-young,
earthly,
language,
on-writing,
philosophy,
play
I just love these. Actually heard them more then read them - grew up listening to an album my parents gave me of him reading his stories. So imaginative and rich. Very luscious!
Jun 28, 2007
Joseph
added it
I honestly can't describe this book. Except that it's a children's book by great american poet, and that one of the character's names is "Gimme the Axe"....
The foxes and flongboos making their train jump the tracks at the horseshoe curve in Altoona might just be my favorite moment in literature.
I tried to read this, thought it was boring, and couldn't finish it as a child. I might change my mind if I picked it up again now.
One of the best children's series of all time, now in public domain. You can listen to a free audiobook of this at Librivox.org
I'm reading it for my literature class, so im only reading a selection of stories from it. They are pretty off beat and interesting.
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Carl August Sandburg was an American writer and editor, best known for his poetry. He won two Pulitzer Prizes, one for his poetry and another for a biography of Abraham Lincoln. H. L. Mencken called Carl Sandburg "indubitably an American in every pulse-beat".
For more info see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_San...
More about Carl Sandburg...
For more info see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_San...
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1 trivia question
More quizzes & trivia...
“Didn't you tie the mittens on her feet (Wednesday Evening's) extra special nice?
Yes--she is an extra special nice pigeon. She cries for pity when she wants pity. And she shuts her eyes when she doesn't want to look at you. And if you look deep in her eyes when her eyes are open you will see lights there exactly like the lights on the pastures and the meadows when the mist is drifting on a Wednesday evening just between the twilight and gloaming.”
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8 people liked it
Yes--she is an extra special nice pigeon. She cries for pity when she wants pity. And she shuts her eyes when she doesn't want to look at you. And if you look deep in her eyes when her eyes are open you will see lights there exactly like the lights on the pastures and the meadows when the mist is drifting on a Wednesday evening just between the twilight and gloaming.”
“Ако нямаш как, краката са не по-лоши от крилата.”
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3 people liked it
More quotes…
Dec 10, 2011 07:47am