Buckle My Shoe Picture Book - Containing One, Two, Buckle My Shoe, a Gaping-Wide-Mouth-Waddling Frog, My Mother - Illustrated by Walter Crane

By Walter Crane

‘The Buckle My Shoe Picture Book’ is one of Walter Crane’s celebrated Toy Books. It contains the charming tales of ‘Buckle My Shoe’, ‘The Gaping-Wide-Mouth-Waddling Frog’ and ‘My Mother’. As Crane himself stated in the preface to this luxuriously illustrated edition, ‘A pleasing romance of domestic incident runs through “One, Two, Buckle my shoe”, while the “Waddling Frog” shows a rich and sumptuous imagination… if one were to ask… what is “My Mother” doing in such company? I shrewdly suspect, if we knew the truth, that she is really the author of both.’ This good natured humour continues throughout the text and full-colour illustrations – making this a truly charming volume of children’s verse.

Crane (1845 – 1915), was an English artist and book illustrator. He is considered to be the most influential, and among the most prolific, children’s book creator of his generation. Alongside such names as Randolph Caldecott and Kate Greenaway, he was also one of the strongest contributors to the child’s nursery theme. Crane’s work is characteristically colourful and beautifully detailed, taking its inspiration from the Arts and Crafts movement (of which he was a member), as well as the iconic child-in-the-garden motif. His illustrated books are incredibly sought after today, as some of the finest examples of Golden Age art.

Pook Press celebrates the great ‘Golden Age of Illustration‘ in children’s literature – a period of unparalleled excellence in book illustration from the 1880s to the 1930s. Our collection showcases classic fairy tales, children’s stories, and the work of some of the most celebrated artists, illustrators and authors.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Read Books Ltd.
• Release date: Jan 27, 2016
• ISBN: 9781473365148

Walter Crane

Walter Crane (1845–1915) was an English artist, book illustrator, and one of the most influential children’s book creators of his generation. Crane produced not only paintings and illustrations for children's books, but also ceramic tiles and other decorative arts. From 1859 to 1862, Crane was apprenticed to wood-engraver William James Linton and had the opportunity to study works by many contemporary artists, including Sir John Tenniel, the illustrator of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass.

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