Thursday, January 1, 2009

Author Review: Carolyn Haywood

Carolyn Haywood (January 3, 1898 - January 11, 1990) was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on January 3, 1898. She loved drawing and painting even as a little girl. After she graduated from Philadelphia Normal School in 1922, she won a scholarship to the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and studied drawing and painting there.

She also studied in Europe and with three pupils of Howard Pyle. They convinced her to illustrate her own books, as he had, so she planned a picture book with lots of illustrations and very little text. While meeting with editors one suggested that she "write about American children doing the kind of things American boys and girls like to do." "B" Is for Betsy was the result.

Although writing and illustrating books took up a good deal of her time, Ms. Haywood still found time to paint children's portraits. This was an enjoyable time for her as she would tell them stories and listen to tales of their families, pets, and schools as she painted.

Ms. Haywood was also well-known for painting murals. Several can be found in banks and schools in the Philadelphia area.

Ms. Haywood's books have been published in many languages, including German, Japanese, French, Swedish, and Norwegian.

"My books are naturally intended for children from 4 to 11 and are written with the idea of supplying the beginning reader with books that are more developed than picture books."
--Carolyn Haywood

I appreciate the fact that most of these books have large print. That made a big difference when my girls were first reading. They had a much harder time reading books with small print. Some of these I haven't seen and don't have summaries for. If you've read one of these, please send a short description and I'll add it to my page. Thanks!

List of titles by Carolyn Haywood: (Many of these are available now in paperback at Amazon. Used & new hardbacks are also available.)

A Christmas Fantasy (1972) -- Follow Santa through his childhood years and learn how he got into the toy-giving business.
A Valentine Fantasy (1976) -- A tale of how Valentine's Day came into existance and how the heart became its symbol.
Annie Pat and Eddie
Away Went the Balloons
"B" Is for Betsy (1939) -- Betsy experiences an interesting first year in school and looks forward to summer vacation at her grandfather's farm.
Back to School With Betsy (1943) -- Third-grader Betsy and her friend Billy seem to be always getting into scrapes both inside and outside of school.
Betsy and Billy
Betsy and Mr. Kilpatrick
Betsy and the Boys (1945) -- Betsy and her fourth-grade friends discover football.
Betsy and the Circus
Betsy's Busy Summer
Betsy's Little Star (1950) -- Meet Betsy's little sister Star as she starts kindergarten.
Betsy's Play School (1977) -- Betsy organizes a summer play school for six neighborhood children.
Betsy's Winterhouse (1958) -- Betsy's father builds a winterhouse for her and her friends to play in during the winter.
"C" Is for Cupcake (1974) -- Join Christie in the adventures she shares with her rabbit Cupcake and the other members of her first grade class.
Eddie and Gardenia (1951) -- From the front flap, "This, beyond any doubt, is the best book Miss Haywood has ever written. It is an on-the-spot picture of an authentic Texas ranch." Eddie's goat, Gardenia, begins the story by eating a hole in the top of his father's new convertible.
Eddie and His Big Deals
Eddie and Louella (1959) -- Eddie loans his pet parrot from Texas to liven up the pal-tree decorations at a charity ball.
Eddie and the Fire Engine (1949) -- Eight-year-old Eddie Wilson, who collects valuable property and stray animals, acquires a goat and an old fire engine.
Eddie Makes Music (1957) -- Eddie becomes an accomplished music maker when his friends all begin to take music lessons.
Eddie the Dog Holder (1966) -- Eddie comes up with an idea to make enough money to buy himself a puppy, holding dogs while Annie Pat paints their portrait.
Eddie's Friend, Boodles (1991) -- A visit to the circus inspires Boodles to experiment with clown makeup and to try to teach his dog Poochie to do tricks.
Eddie's Green Thumb
Eddie's Happenings
Eddie's Menagerie (1978) -- Join Eddie as he gets a job in a pet shop and acquires a hat that soon becomes one of his most prized possessions.
Eddie's Pay Dirt
Eddie's Valuable Property (1975) -- Eddie's dismay at the family's move is relieved by his pleasure in a new friend, a valuable property they share, and a happy school situation.
Ever-Ready Eddie
Halloween Treats (1981) -- A collection of short stories to get children of all ages in the mood for Halloween.
Happy Birthday from Carolyn Haywood (1984) -- A collection of nine stories revolving around the birthday celebrations of a variety of the author's characters, old and new.
Hello, Star
Here Comes the Bus! (1963) -- Jonathan, otherwise known as Taffy, finds fun as he starts his school career.
Here's a Penny (1944) -- The story of six-year-old Penny, whose real name is William, but who looked like a copper penny when he was adopted as a baby.
How the Reindeer Saved Santa
The King's Monster
Little Eddie (1947) -- Whether Eddie's finding homes for a crowd of stray cats, preparing himself for a career in dogcatching, or picketing the baseball team, his happy adventures are sure to win lots of friends.
Make a Joyful Noise! Bible Verses for Children
Merry Christmas From Betsy (1970) -- A collection of previously published stories which relate the Christmas adventures of Betsy and her sister Star.
Merry Christmas From Eddie
The Mixed-Up Twins (1952) -- Meet the Onalds. Their real names are Ronald and Donald, but since they are twins and look exactly alike, they are always being mixed up by everyone.
Penny and Peter (1946) -- Whenever Penny and his adopted brother Peter decide to help their parents, they usually end up in trouble.
Penny Goes to Camp (1948) -- Penny and his adopted brother Peter are not looking forward to going to summer camp, but as the time to go approaches they change their mind.
Primrose Day (1942) -- Merry Primrose Ramsay is a little English girl who comes to America because of World War II and finds fun and humorous adventures with her little cousin Jerry.
Robert Rows the River
Santa Claus Forever!
Snowbound with Betsy
Summer Fun
Taffy and Melissa Molasses (1969) -- During her summer vacation, Melissa, her brother Taffy, and their friend Jon have one adventure after another, beginning with a Fourth of July flag-raising party.
Two and Two is Four (1968) -- Teddy and Babs Robinson move with their family to the country and meet Peter and Jane, who are visiting their grandparents for the summer.
When I Grow Up

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