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The Babes in the Wood
Randolph Caldecott (1846-1886) was one of the most important British illustrators. He transformed the world of decorated children's books in the Victorian era. In 1877, he was asked by Edmund Evans, the colour printer and talented engraver, to illustrate two children's books. These books were an immediate success and he went on to produce two books every Christmas until he died. Caldecott chose all the stories and rhymes he illustrated and occasionally wrote and added to the stories himself. His delightful style and humour can still be enjoyed by young and old alike. This story, The Babes in the Wood, was originally published in 1879.
Many of the earliest children's books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Pook Press are working to republish these classic works in affordable, high quality, colour editions, using the original text and artwork so these works can delight another generation of children.
Many of the earliest children's books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Pook Press are working to republish these classic works in affordable, high quality, colour editions, using the original text and artwork so these works can delight another generation of children.
24 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1879
About the author
Randolph Caldecott
338 books11 followersKnown chiefly for his book illustrations, Caldecott was a gifted artist respected by his contemporaries. The Caldecott Medal which is given out each year for the most distinguished children's picture book is named for him.
In 1877, Edmund Evans, who was a leading colour printer asked Caldecott for illustrations for two Christmas books. The results were The House that Jack Built and The Diverting History of John Gilpin, published in 1878.
It was Caldecott's health among other things which prompted his many winter trips to the Mediterranean and other warm climates. It was on such a tour in 1886 that he was taken ill again and died in St. Augustine, Florida, just before his 40th birthday.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randolph...
Sometimes his name is transcribed as Ralph Caldecott, for example on the book "The Babes in the Wood & The Elegy of the Mad Dog."
In 1877, Edmund Evans, who was a leading colour printer asked Caldecott for illustrations for two Christmas books. The results were The House that Jack Built and The Diverting History of John Gilpin, published in 1878.
It was Caldecott's health among other things which prompted his many winter trips to the Mediterranean and other warm climates. It was on such a tour in 1886 that he was taken ill again and died in St. Augustine, Florida, just before his 40th birthday.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randolph...
Sometimes his name is transcribed as Ralph Caldecott, for example on the book "The Babes in the Wood & The Elegy of the Mad Dog."
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 13, 2022
Fairytale realism. Who says there should be a happy ending? Promises are made and broken, often to fatal effect.
February 20, 2016
Utterly morbid. I know stories for children in earlier times spoke more freely about subjects like death, but this was just awful. And then after turning the final page I read this promo for Caldecott's books - “The humour of Randolph Caldecott’s drawings is simply irresistible, no healthy-minded man, woman, or child could look at them without laughing.” Well only a nutter would laugh at this.
October 14, 2015
This is definitely not a book for children - do not let the title deceive you. It is about a greedy uncle who sends his children to die in the forest. In the end, the children die and the villain doesn't die. Of course, this could be directed at caretakers or parents as well warning people to be aware of who they leave their children with.
June 3, 2015
This is just the saddest story ever. :(
But, it's also based on a real incident, and to this day, it is believed that the ghosts of the two little ones haunt the Wayland Wood.
I don't know why I give it 5 stars. :(
But, it's also based on a real incident, and to this day, it is believed that the ghosts of the two little ones haunt the Wayland Wood.
I don't know why I give it 5 stars. :(
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 21, 2019
This is an updated version of Randolph Caldecott’s 1879 illustrated children’s book. I looked up the original book on line at Project Gutenberg, and not all of Caldecott’s illustrations are included in this edition. More notably, the original was written in an old fashioned language and poetic verse, while this text is a modern narrative, essentially a modern translation, written by James Riordan.
I’ve heard the phrase “ like a babe in the wood” meaning helpless, but I didn’t know the story. And it is possibly the most disturbingly depressing children’s story I’ve ever come across. I imagine this was one of those old stories written for adults, but adapted for children, but really, the only reason to think this might be for children is there are two children in it. So what makes it so disturbing? Death. Lots of death, in all forms—illness, murder, exposure, drowning, and hanging. [spoilers ahead, but seriously, if you haven’t read this book already, are you really going to track it down?]
The story begins with two children, a 3-year-old boy and 2-year-old girl, whose parents are gravely ill. On their beds, they call their children to them and tell them of the money they’re leaving them in their will, kiss them goodbye, and die. Death count: 2. The children go to live with their uncle, who has two sons. But, the uncle knows that if the children die, he gets their inheritance. So he hires a couple of thugs to take his nephew and niece out into the woods and kill them. Very Snow White/Hansel and Gretel.
Once in the woods, however, one of the thugs can’t bring himself to kill the kids, and gets in a “fierce and bloody fight in front of the children” with his more callous partner which ends with the partner dead in a murky pool. Death count: 3. You’d think this would be good news for the children, but no. The thug forces them to walk deep into the woods where he abandons them. They survive for a brief while on a few nuts and berries they find, but soon succumb to hunger and cold and die. Death count: 5. Lest you think the uncle got the benefit of their inheritance, we next learn that all his cattle die, as does the wheat in his fields, and his barn burns down. Worse, his sons drown while on a voyage. Having lost everything, the uncle lands in debtors’ prison, where he too dies. Death count: 8 (not counting cows and wheat). And what of the remaining thug? He’s arrested, confesses his crime, and is hung. Death count: 9. Incidentally, there are only ten characters in the story. The aunt, mentioned once in passing, presumably survives, though she’s lost everything.
Caldecott’s illustrations, as always, are beautiful. He sets the tale around the Elizabethan era judging by the clothes. Appropriate, as the tale reads like one of Shakespeare’s tragedies. Beyond the drawing, Caldecott has a wonderful sense of color.
I don’t know that I can bring myself to shelve this with my children’s books. If I keep it, it might need to go with the art books instead. The illustrations are the main reason I bought it.
I’ve heard the phrase “ like a babe in the wood” meaning helpless, but I didn’t know the story. And it is possibly the most disturbingly depressing children’s story I’ve ever come across. I imagine this was one of those old stories written for adults, but adapted for children, but really, the only reason to think this might be for children is there are two children in it. So what makes it so disturbing? Death. Lots of death, in all forms—illness, murder, exposure, drowning, and hanging. [spoilers ahead, but seriously, if you haven’t read this book already, are you really going to track it down?]
The story begins with two children, a 3-year-old boy and 2-year-old girl, whose parents are gravely ill. On their beds, they call their children to them and tell them of the money they’re leaving them in their will, kiss them goodbye, and die. Death count: 2. The children go to live with their uncle, who has two sons. But, the uncle knows that if the children die, he gets their inheritance. So he hires a couple of thugs to take his nephew and niece out into the woods and kill them. Very Snow White/Hansel and Gretel.
Once in the woods, however, one of the thugs can’t bring himself to kill the kids, and gets in a “fierce and bloody fight in front of the children” with his more callous partner which ends with the partner dead in a murky pool. Death count: 3. You’d think this would be good news for the children, but no. The thug forces them to walk deep into the woods where he abandons them. They survive for a brief while on a few nuts and berries they find, but soon succumb to hunger and cold and die. Death count: 5. Lest you think the uncle got the benefit of their inheritance, we next learn that all his cattle die, as does the wheat in his fields, and his barn burns down. Worse, his sons drown while on a voyage. Having lost everything, the uncle lands in debtors’ prison, where he too dies. Death count: 8 (not counting cows and wheat). And what of the remaining thug? He’s arrested, confesses his crime, and is hung. Death count: 9. Incidentally, there are only ten characters in the story. The aunt, mentioned once in passing, presumably survives, though she’s lost everything.
Caldecott’s illustrations, as always, are beautiful. He sets the tale around the Elizabethan era judging by the clothes. Appropriate, as the tale reads like one of Shakespeare’s tragedies. Beyond the drawing, Caldecott has a wonderful sense of color.
I don’t know that I can bring myself to shelve this with my children’s books. If I keep it, it might need to go with the art books instead. The illustrations are the main reason I bought it.
February 15, 2019
I had this book as a kid. It fascinated me, having grown up in a loving home with my adoptive parents, how anyone could treat two wee children like that. It also deeply upset me, the children's fate... to this day when this book pops into my head for some reason, I can feel the emotions I felt as a child when I would read it. If Caldecott was going for leaving a lasting impression, he certainly succeeded.
May 18, 2017
Heartbreaking end!
October 28, 2017
What a sad story.
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February 21, 2020An amazing book, Randolf Caldecott is an amazing author, three cheers for the babes in the wood
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August 21, 2009sad ending :(
February 17, 2011
Nice illustrations, terrible story. Unless, of course, you want your kid to cry his or her eyes out. All tragedy: things end badly for all, and worst for the innocent.
November 13, 2020
Wow. That did NOT end like I thought it was going to.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews