Cautionary Tales for Children [Hardcover]

Hilaire Belloc (Author), Edward Gorey (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: 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. 

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 The previously unpublished illustrations meticulously convey texture, such as the clothing of the myriad physicians called in to help poor Henry King who swallowed string, and the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.

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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: 9.5 x 7.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #155,173 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Non Better a Belloc: Cautionary Tales for Children reviewed, November 1, 2002

By 

Glen Emil (www.goreyography.com) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Cautionary Tales for Children (Hardcover)

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...

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amusing lessons in life and death, April 2, 2005

By 

D. Hadley (The Inmost Dens) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cautionary Tales for Children (Hardcover)

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.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Completing the Edward Gorey library, January 26, 2006

By 

Itamar Katz (Ramat-Gan, Israel) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cautionary Tales for Children (Hardcover)

JIM, who ran away from his nurse and was eaten by a lion.

It's small wonder that Edward Gorey chose to illustrate Belloc's verses, written nearly a century ago - in fact, they were such a clear and strong influence on his work, it's hard to believe he didn't write them himself. 'Cautionary Tales' is a literary work that was years ahead of its time, parodying the overtly-strict educational children's verses of the time with tales of children whose punishment is wholly disproportioned to their crime. Gorey's illustrations, published only after his death in 2000, complete the ghoulish verses with his trademark naïve and refined black and white crosshatching. Already in his seventies, Gorey has lost none of his charm and style and these illustrations are as nasty and sarcastic as anything he's done, perfectly complimenting the ironic text.

'Cautionary Tales' is the first work of Gorey's published after his death, and it's a perfect conclusion to his illustrious career, and one of his finest works. It's an essential to any fan of this great artist.