The Penguin Book of Classic Children's Characters

by Leonard S. Marcus (Editor)

The children's-book imprints that make up the Penguin family have been the proud publishers of some of the finest in children's literature. Now, for the first time, the very best character-based children's fiction is collected in one deluxe, large-format edition. With its wide range of material, this elegantly designed book has something to offer children at every stage of reading ability--curious toddlers, early learners, and independent readers alike. From the reassuring story of Corduroy and his discovery in a department store, to the innocent charm of Winnie-the-Pooh, to the devilish antics of Roald Dahl's Matilda, the beloved children's characters that grace the rich Dutton, Viking, and Warne backlists have been favorites of children--and adults--for generations. Here, too, are Ferdinand the Bull, Peter Rabbit, Madeline, Miss Rumphius, David McPhail's Pig Pig, Pippi Longstocking, Encyclopedia Brown, Homer Price, Judy Blume's Fudge, Jean Craighead George's Sam Gribley, and Lloyd Alexander's Sebastian. It isn't often that a single book has so much to offer so many. This handsome volume encompasses the witty, whimsical, wise--even wicked!--in great literature for the young. It is truly a gift book to savor and treasure.

375 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1988

About the author

Leonard S. Marcus is one of the world's leading writers about children's books and their illustrations. His many books include The Wand in the Word: Conversations with Writers of Fantasy; Funny Business: Conversations with Writers of Comedy; Dear Genius; and others. His essays, interviews, and reviews appear in the New York Times Book Review, among other publications. Leonard S. Marcus lives in Brooklyn.

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Readers are introduced to a variety of children's characters in this omnibus. Some are familiar and some are new to me. I appreciated a forward to each new book so I could read about the author and/or illustrator for the featured story.

Some of the illustrations were gorgeous and pause-worthy. Robert Lawson's illustrations for The Story of Ferdinand, for example, were ones I could pour over all day. And of course, anyone familiar with Robert McCloskey (Blueberries for Sal, anyone?) will recognize his signature illustrations in Homer Price.

What was confusing to me, however, was that this book was a mix of complete stories and single chapters from a book. I don't know rationale behind why the editor decided to mix stories this way. I guess the single chapters act as a preview to the real thing. If you like a chapter you may be more likely to go borrow or purchase that book.

Overall, this was an okay collection but not a memorable one.

[JayD · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books I should love to give a full five stars to because it is so beautifully produced; it's the kind of book that makes a wonderful present for a favorite small relative. The illustrations are exquisite, and the text varies in difficulty from stories with a few words per page to those with full pages of text.

We'd all pick a different set of thirteen characters if we had to choose, but these seemed mostly sensible, although hardly the best known and loved characters in children's literature. I've never heard of Sam Gribley and there were several characters I barely knew. (Check out the book's description above for the complete list.)

The loss of a star came from the surprisingly sloppy (for Penguin) proof-reading. For example, the word 'recipe' was spelled 'receipt' in three separate places, and there was a mix of British (doughnut) and American (ax) spellings. This wasn't because the spellings fit the nationality of the characters. It seemed random.