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Cautionary Tales for Children [Hardcover]

Hilaire Belloc , Edward Gorey
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)

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Book Description

December 1, 2002
For readers of any age, a witty and strikingly irreverent collection of moral guidance
 
Most notable among prolific English satirist Hilaire Belloc's writings are the sharp and clever admonishments he composed for children. Collected here and illustrated to wonderful haunting effect by Edward Gorey, these short, funny pieces offer moral instruction for all types of mischief makers—from a certain young Jim, "who ran away from his nurse and was eaten by a lion," to the tale of Matilda, "who told lies and was burned to death”—and add up to a delightful read for any fan of Roald Dahl or Shel Silverstein. 

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Cautionary Tales for Children + The Gashlycrumb Tinies + The Evil Garden
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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School-Tales is written in the style of a picture book, with sprightly little rhymes that speak of the foibles of children and the horrible consequences thereof. First penned nearly a century ago, the sort of story that Belloc parodies continues to be written today and read to youngsters, but readers who are more sophisticated will better appreciate these tales of disproportionate punishment. Children are whimsically eaten by lions or consigned to life as a bootblack for their sins-or, by contrast, a boy who fires a loaded gun at his sister is reprimanded sternly. Gorey's artfully antiquated style exactly fits Belloc's writing and brings this edition to life-a single pen-and-ink line shows the sister's satisfaction at hearing her brother called to task. The previously unpublished illustrations meticulously convey texture, such as the clothing of the myriad physicians called in to help poor Henry King who swallowed string, and the expressions of the self-satisfied adults seem so earnestly and seriously drawn as to make the whole that much more humorous. The art is refined and genteel-never gory. Teenagers will enjoy this quick and cathartic read.
Paul Brink, Fairfax County Public Library System, VA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Gorey didn't just illustrate these tales by major English literatus Belloc; he is credited with rediscovering them.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 72 pages
  • Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; 1 edition (December 1, 2002)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0151007152
  • ISBN-13: 978-0151007158
  • Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 0.4 x 9.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #319,788 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

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(20)
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
43 of 45 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Edward Gorey's first major posthumous publication is like a newly forged work, with freshness and originality. Published several times since 1907, Harcourt's reprint of "Cautionary Tales for Children" contains sixty-one new illustrations enfolding the 95-year old verse, and the result is very satisfying.

Gorey created these illustrations several years ago, but for some reason, chose not publish them while he was alive. Gorey's Victorian style is a delightful fit for Belloc's verse. In fact, those already familiar with Belloc's Cautionary Tales or Cautionary Verses series may very well conclude that they were strong influences for Gorey's "The Beastly Baby", "The Gashlycrumb Tines", "The Epipleptic Bicycle" and others. Certainly, many of the verses in Cautionary Tales feel like they could have been written by Gorey: "Jim, Who ran away from his Nurse, and was eaten by a Lion", "Henry King, Who chewed on bits of String, and was early cut off in Dreadful Agonies", "Matilda, Who told Lies, and was Burned to Death", and so on. Unlike the original cartoonish illustrations by Blackwood, Gorey's illustrations simply set the stage - the big moment is then played out in the imagination. It is Edward Gorey's delightful magic, at work.

Glen Emil...

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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Amusing lessons in life and death April 2, 2005
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Edward Gorey brings an obscure children's text into the light of modern times with all new illustrations. Sure to teach your child valuable lessons in a most unconventional manner, CTFC contains short stories, in poetry form, of children being eaten by lions, dying of stomach illness, and burning to death (to name a few) because they didn't follow the sound instructions of their parents. In the same vein as The Gashlycrumb Tinies, this one is fun for children and the adult with an unusual sense of humor.
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars Kindle edition is awful July 23, 2010
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a brilliant book, of course, which has been utterly destroyed by the Kindle edition. All the lines of verse have been lost and instead the text is wrapped to solid justification, which makes it terrible to read. Formatting is nonexistent; instead of italics, it uses _underscores around phrases_, which is annoying. I strongly recommend avoiding this issue.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars Okay, not the best
It was an okay story. Only read it once then resold because it was just gathering dust on my bookshelf.
Published 2 months ago by A. Brothag
1.0 out of 5 stars A bit boring
The first two where a bit humorous but toward the end the stories dragged on and simply lost their point, you can see by the lack of effort in the last few poems/stories that even... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Alyssa Huizar
5.0 out of 5 stars Really enjoyable.
I loved the language and use of words. I loved the ironic didatic tone and the morals and its mock seriousness.
Published 4 months ago by Clement
5.0 out of 5 stars Cautionary Tales for children
Enjoyed reading this to my daughter and grand child. Although the stories are old they are still useful and enjoyable for kids today. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Lildi
3.0 out of 5 stars Building up my library so no time to read-then-review but looks good...
Building up my library so no time to read-then-review but looks good at first glance. Sorry I can't be of more help but it will be a while before I do. The title caught my eye!
Published 5 months ago by K. E. Hawes
4.0 out of 5 stars This Free Kindle Download Has The Original Text But Not The...
Hillaire Belloc's Cautionary Tales For Children, originally published in 1907, is a collection of tongue in cheek poems that would likely send today's political correctness... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Mark Anderson
1.0 out of 5 stars do not buy!
I was expecting a nice simple edition that included Edward Goreys illustrations as the review of the book stated. Read more
Published on April 22, 2011 by M. Mccalla
5.0 out of 5 stars Best Children's Book EVER!
A witty collection of morbid tales with a moral. Perfect for children who need to grow a backbone (or to stop being ornery.)
Published on December 8, 2010 by Paige
4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and fast
A very cute book of rhyming poems about naughty children. I wish it had Edward Gorey's illustrations were included.
Published on November 5, 2010 by jesmy
5.0 out of 5 stars Witty and wonderful even if you get the free out-of-copyright version
Most of the reviews here are for the Edward Gorey version of Cautionary Tales. That's a really fun book, but readers should know that Belloc's little poems are a delight even... Read more
Published on April 9, 2010 by Robin
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