Barkis by Clare Turlay Newberry - 1998 Smithmark Edition - Vintage Child Book, Caldecott Award Book

Lovely 1998 re-issue of Caldecott Honor-winning book Barkis by Clare Turlay Newberry.

Story and pictures by Clare Turlay Newberry. 1998 first Smithmark edition, first printing. Smithmark publishers.

Clare Turlay Newberry's beautiful, gentle artwork and universal stories have stood the test of time, and in the case of Barkis, since it was first published in 1938. The Smithmark reissues Newberry's books are worthy of your child's library.

"James' ninth birthday had been fun. Just being nine years old at last was something, besides all the excitement of opening gifts. There was a Young Chemist's set from his father, a sweater from his mother, a silver dollar from his grandma, and a book about Indians from Nell Jean, his sister, who was ten-and-a-half and very fond of reading.

"Then, too, there was the lovely cake his mother had baked for him, with pink icing on it, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY in green squiggles across the top. So James should have been very happy.

"And he was, really. Only he felt a little sad, too, the way you cannot help feeling when you have had all your gifts and it is nearly bedtime and you know you won't have another birthday for a whole long year."

In the next moment, Uncle Jimmy arrives with another birthday gift for James: "a small, solemn, brown puppy." It's love at first sight. "His names is Barkis," beamed Uncle Jimmy, "and he's a cocker spaniel."

Also part of the family is Nell Jean's cat, Edward, who takes a little time to warm up to Barkis. Eventually they become good buddies. But Nell Jean learns a valuable lesson about jealousy and the consequences of spitefulness, and both Nell Jean and James had something to learn about sharing.

Clare Turlay Newberry (1903 - 1970) wrote seventeen children's books. Herbert the Lion was her first book, originally published in 1931, and the magic of the story and wonderful illustration endures. In her lifetime, four of her books were selected as Caldecott Honor books: Barkis, April's Kittens, Marshmallow, and Smudge.

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Condition*: Very Good/Very Good. Dust jacket: Light edge wear, upper edge; lightly bumped at the head and tail of the spine; light fading along the spine; tiny nick on the back. Inside: Name in upper left, front pastedown. Pages are clean, undamaged, and complete.