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Cautionary Tales for Children (Hardcover)

by Edward Gorey (Author), Hilaire Belloc (Author) "There was a Boy whose name was Jim;..." (more)
Key Phrases: Loaded Gun

4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)

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 The previously unpublished illustrations meticulously convey texture, such as the clothing of the myriad physicians called in to help poor Henry King who swallowed string, and the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

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Product Details

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 72 pages
Publisher: Harcourt; 1 edition (December 1, 2002)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0151007152
ISBN-13: 978-0151007158
Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 0.7 inches
Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #55,244 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

#1 in	Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( B ) > Belloc, Hilaire
#1 in	Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( G ) > Gorey, Edward
#2 in	Books > Literature & Fiction > Authors, A-Z > ( B ) > Belloc, Hilaire

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Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
There was a Boy whose name was Jim; Read the first page

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Loaded Gun

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Citations (learn more)

This book cites 8 books:

The Unstrung Harp by Edward Gorey in Front Matter
Amphigorey Also by Edward Gorey in Front Matter
The Haunted Tea-Cosy: A Dispirited and Distasteful Diversion for Christmas by Edward Gorey in Front Matter
The Curious Sofa: A Pornographic Work by Ogdred Weary by Ogdred Weary in Front Matter
The Epiplectic Bicycle by Edward Gorey in Front Matter

See all 8 books this book cites

18 books cite this book:

Alice To the Lighthouse: Children's Books and Radical Experiments in Art by Juliet Dusinberre in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
Medically Speaking: A Dictionary of Quotations on Dentistry, Medicine and Nursing by C.C. Gaither on page 89, and Back Matter
The Seuss, the Whole Seuss and Nothing But the Seuss: A Visual Biography of Theodor Seuss Geisel by Charles D. Cohen on page 16, and page 17
What Our High Schools Could Be...: A Teacher's Reflections from the 60's to the 90's (Our Schools Series) by Bob Davis on page 183
Classic Poems to Read Aloud (Classic Collections) by James Berry in Back Matter

See all 18 books citing this book

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	62% buy the item featured on this page: Cautionary Tales for Children 4.8 out of 5 stars (8) $10.88
	17% buy The Gashlycrumb Tinies 4.8 out of 5 stars (92) $9.00
	10% buy Amphigorey 4.7 out of 5 stars (42) $12.89
	6% buy The Epiplectic Bicycle 4.9 out of 5 stars (20) $8.00

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Customer Reviews

8 Reviews

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Average Customer Review

4.8 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 38 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 (REAL NAME)

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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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)

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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12 of 12 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

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 na�ve 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.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Revisiting CAutionary Tales
This was one of the loved books of my childhood in the original edition, of course.

I hadn't seen it for a very long time and was anxious to haev a copy for my... Read more

Published on May 17, 2007 by L. M. Greig

5.0 out of 5 stars Dark humor and delightful drawings
I got this to read to my nephews, and it did not disappoint when the time came to pick a story to read. Read more

Published on May 7, 2007 by William C. Adamson

5.0 out of 5 stars What you do comes back
I just gave this to a friends' one year old for her birthday. In the inscription I wrote that she ought to read and learn, as whatever she does in life will come back to haunt... Read more

Published on May 2, 2006 by Ben

4.0 out of 5 stars Deliciously twisted
One can imagine Edward Gorey mulling over these "Cautionary Tales",subsequently creating succinct Goreyesque illustrations for them. Read more

Published on November 18, 2005 by Nancy L. Middleton

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific and disturbingly real...
There's a sense of time gone by, a lot of these deaths were real for kids and the author's intentions are interesting to ponder. He was/is a great artist.

Published on January 6, 2003 by D.N.

› See all 8 customer reviews...

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