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| My 'thrift store' copy complete with added gold seal 'best illustrated children's book, The New York Times Book Review |
Children's books have always been a favorite of mine. I love those lavishly illustrated and, if the story is garden themed, I am in my own private heaven!
I found a copy of Miss Jaster's Garden at a local thrift store! It is a large oversized Golden Book, copyright 1972. It is in excellent condition with very little wear. The book has an inscription to 'Emily' in the front. It was a Christmas gift to her from her cousins in 2005.
One of the things I love best about buying used books, you also get a bit of a peek into the history of the book, who gave it, when, what was the occassion. I love that. I have many late 1800s gardening books in my collection and the script and messages on the front pages always make me smile.
Niels Mogens Bodecker (1922-1988) was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, and came to the United States in 1952. He illustrated many children's books and wrote books and poetry himself. Miss Jaster's Garden was the first story both written and illustrated by Mr. Bodecker.
A brief summary of the story: 'Hedgie the hedgehog lives a quiet, peaceful little life in a little corner of Miss Jaster's garden...until the morning nearsighted Miss Jaster mistakenly plants some seeds on his back while he is sleeping. Before Hedgie knows it,a colorful bunch of flowers has sprouted among the quills! "I'm in bloom," he cries.
But when Miss Jaster thinks she sees her flowers walking by themselves, she is convinced that her garden has been pillaged by a flower thief and starts to chase after Hedgie. The small, frightened animal runs off and Miss Jaster must enlist the help of the constable to find the runaway 'flower bed'. Will Hedgie ever be able to return to the garden he loves?'
This book will steal your heart with its charming illustrations and enchanting story!
I plan to share more of my book collection here on my blog and hope you will enjoy these treasures as much as I do.
Miss Jaster's Garden is available on Amazon. You can link to it here and peek inside on Amazon.
And a better cover photo!
