Today is July 4th. Should I jump down this rabbit hole?
Today is a British holiday, National Alice in Wonderland Day. This is the day in 1862 that Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, better known as Lewis Carroll, first told his friend’s daughter Alice, his story about an Alice who did fall down a rabbit hole. He eventually wrote the story on paper, and published it in 1865. There is a sequel “Through the Looking Glass.”
I have several editions of this Lewis Carroll book. The first is “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” 2012 that has Artwork by Yayoi Kusama. This is a wonderful book that has all of the written story, but also delightful art from a world famous Japanese Artist Yayoi Kusama. She is amazing with polka dots, pumpkins, and circles. On her last birthday, March 22, she turned 95. She is still a vibrant artist, and a favorite of my grandaughter, and my brother (he was able to see a showing of Kusama in Washington DC earlier this year.)
The second book “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” is ‘A Giant 3-D Fairy Tale Book” from Playmore books, circa 1980. This book has an interesting 3-D picture on cover, and all of the illustrations are actually puppets and dolls on a manmade landscape.
My third book is “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” with pop-ups by Robert Sabuda, 2003. This is a beautiful pop-up that is very elaborite in its mechanics.
For example on the first pop-up, you see the rabbit hole that Alice is running toward. When you follow instructions and pull it up, you can look down that rabbit hole, to see Alice falling a great distance.
In my cabinet of Peter Pauper books (my favorite collection of books in the whole library), I have “Alice in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking Glass” both printed in 1940 by Peter Pauper Press.
In Alice’s second adventure (Through the Looking Glass), she can read a poem only when it is held up to a mirror. Jabberwocky begins:
’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe. Lewis Carroll-Through the Looking Glass.
I have two pop-ups of this poem by Lewis Carroll. First is “Jabberwocky” by Nick Bantock; and “Jabberwocky, a book of Brillig Dioramas” by Graeme Base, 1996. This book ( I have two copies, so one is on display and other you can see cover), opens completely around till the covers meet back to back. You can read the poem as you go through the diaramas.
And now…we move to this side of the Atlantic.
July 4th is Independance Day in the USA. It commemorates our Declaration of Independance that was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776.
I have a souvenir copy of the Declaration of Independance (on fake parchment paper) from Washington DC, from a long ago school visit, and another Peter Pauper book that has “The Declaration of Independance” printed 1931.
So “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; That they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness….”
Which is why I will wear my “Black Cat” firecracker bicycle jersey, and pursue a lit cigar to light off some wonderful fireworks, after dark, on July 4th.
Thanks for reading, I wanted to end today with a bang.
What did one firecracker say to the other firecracker? My pop is bigger than your pop.
Librarytomes 