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Sleepy-Time Tales
The Tale of Benny Badger
Arthur Scott Bailey (1877-1949) was author of more than forty children's books. Bailey attended St. Albans Academy and graduated in 1896, in a class of only eleven other students. He then went on to the University of Vermont in Burlington, Vermont, where he became involved in a fraternal organization, Sigma Phi. However, he left UVM in 1901 and transferred to Harvard, where he earned his bachelor's degree. In 1904 he travelled to New York City and became an editor for various publishers. Which publishers these were is unknown, with the exception of the Macaulay Company, where he was working in early 1915. Among his most famous works are: Sleepy-Time Tales: The Tale of Frisky Squirrel (1915), Sleepy-Time Tales: The Tale of Peter Mink (1916), Tuck-me-in Tales: The Tale of Jasper Jay (1917), Tuck-me-in Tales: The Tale of Buster Bumblebee (1918), Slumber-Town Tales: The Tale of Henrietta Hen (1921) and Slumber-Town Tales: The Tale of Turkey Proudfoot (1921).
53 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1919
About the author
Arthur Scott Bailey
118 books14 followersArthur Scott Bailey (1877 – 1949) was an American writer. He was the author of more than forty children's books. He was born on November 15, 1877, in St. Albans, Vermont, United States, the second child of Winfield Scott Bailey and Harriet Sarah Goodhue (a girl, Ellen was born in 1876). Winfield Bailey owned a dry goods shop that was stated to be "one of the most reputable of St. Albans mercantile concerns" and specialized in furs; namely ladies' fur coats, muffs and scarves. Bailey attended St. Albans Academy and graduated in 1896, in a class of only eleven other students. He then went on to the University of Vermont in Burlington, Vermont, where he became involved in a fraternal organization, Sigma Phi (with which he was very active through at least 1915; he joined the organization's Catalogue Committee in 1914 as a vice chairman, after the resignation of Dr. Alexander Duane).
However, he left UVM in 1901 and transferred to Harvard, where he earned his bachelor's degree. After graduating Harvard in 1902, Bailey traveled to Chicago and put his knowledge of growing up in his father's store to good use, becoming a wholesale grocery merchant. This lasted until 1904, when Bailey travelled to New York City and became an editor for various publishers. Which publishers these were is unknown, with the exception of the Macaulay Company, where he was working in early 1915. He was married around this time (on September 14, 1913) to Estella W. Goodspeed, a St. Albans woman; the wedding was held in his hometown. Estella Goodspeed, whose maiden name had been Crampton, had been married once before to an unknown Mr. Nelson Allen Goodspeed, and had a son, Allen Wright Goodspeed and daughter, Estella Joanne Goodspeed. Allen Goodspeed was born on August 5, 1906, and would have been nine when the first Sleepy-Time Tales were written (Estella was born in 1908.) As Bailey did not write prior to his marriage to Estella, it can be surmised that he first started crafting his stories for Allen and Estella, whom he treated as his own children. Estella Joanne later married a Mr. Lennox Stuart and moved to Shaker Heights, Ohio.
Bailey's writing has been thus described by the Newark Evening News: "Mr. Bailey centered all his plots in the animal, bird and insect worlds, weaving natural history into the stories in a way that won educator's approval without arousing the suspicions of his young readers. He made it a habit to never 'write down' to children and frequently used words beyond the average juvenile vocabulary, believing that youngsters respond to the stimulus of the unfamiliar."
His work also includes the comic strip Animal Whys, which was syndicated in 1937.
Bailey was also known for being an intellectual, and was a member of the Salamagundi Club of New York. When it came to religion, Bailey was a Unitarian (who have long had a presence in St. Albans) and politically, he was a Republican of the old school.
Bailey died on October 17, 1949, at 71 years of age.
However, he left UVM in 1901 and transferred to Harvard, where he earned his bachelor's degree. After graduating Harvard in 1902, Bailey traveled to Chicago and put his knowledge of growing up in his father's store to good use, becoming a wholesale grocery merchant. This lasted until 1904, when Bailey travelled to New York City and became an editor for various publishers. Which publishers these were is unknown, with the exception of the Macaulay Company, where he was working in early 1915. He was married around this time (on September 14, 1913) to Estella W. Goodspeed, a St. Albans woman; the wedding was held in his hometown. Estella Goodspeed, whose maiden name had been Crampton, had been married once before to an unknown Mr. Nelson Allen Goodspeed, and had a son, Allen Wright Goodspeed and daughter, Estella Joanne Goodspeed. Allen Goodspeed was born on August 5, 1906, and would have been nine when the first Sleepy-Time Tales were written (Estella was born in 1908.) As Bailey did not write prior to his marriage to Estella, it can be surmised that he first started crafting his stories for Allen and Estella, whom he treated as his own children. Estella Joanne later married a Mr. Lennox Stuart and moved to Shaker Heights, Ohio.
Bailey's writing has been thus described by the Newark Evening News: "Mr. Bailey centered all his plots in the animal, bird and insect worlds, weaving natural history into the stories in a way that won educator's approval without arousing the suspicions of his young readers. He made it a habit to never 'write down' to children and frequently used words beyond the average juvenile vocabulary, believing that youngsters respond to the stimulus of the unfamiliar."
His work also includes the comic strip Animal Whys, which was syndicated in 1937.
Bailey was also known for being an intellectual, and was a member of the Salamagundi Club of New York. When it came to religion, Bailey was a Unitarian (who have long had a presence in St. Albans) and politically, he was a Republican of the old school.
Bailey died on October 17, 1949, at 71 years of age.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 14, 2012
We finished this yesterday. It was a part of "nature study". We did learn quite a bit about badgers, but it was in a slow, gentle way. The boys really enjoyed the book at first and then seemed to get a little bored and wanted to be done with it. The last few chapters picked up again and they didn't complain as much. You would definitely want to look at pictures of real badgers though. We also looked up some of the other animals Benny came in contact with.
One of my boys had decided that badgers are his favorite animal in the whole world, thus we chose this book. Then he changed his mind about them which may be why it lost favor.
Overall a nice little read. Perhaps for children a bit younger than my 11-yr-olds though. We read it free from Project Gutenberg.
One of my boys had decided that badgers are his favorite animal in the whole world, thus we chose this book. Then he changed his mind about them which may be why it lost favor.
Overall a nice little read. Perhaps for children a bit younger than my 11-yr-olds though. We read it free from Project Gutenberg.
December 6, 2016
This was rather boring and the only reason I persisted with it was the Librivox edition put me to sleep without fail.
The main character of the book, Benny the Badger, spends most of the story digging holes and scheming to eat the local gophers and prairie dogs. This doesn't seem to me to be an attractive plot for young readers/listeners.
The main character of the book, Benny the Badger, spends most of the story digging holes and scheming to eat the local gophers and prairie dogs. This doesn't seem to me to be an attractive plot for young readers/listeners.
October 20, 2011
Copyright 1919.
Benny suffers from OCD.
Benny suffers from OCD.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews