Category Archives: Holidays

Pettson and Findus Make a Snow Lantern (Snölytka in Swedish)

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Over Christmas I discovered Findus and the Christmas Tomte, a story in Sven Nordqvist’s picture book series about the old Swedish bachelor farmer Pettson and his remarkable cat in the green striped pants, Findus (author-illustrator shown left).  The Swedish title, Tomtemaskinin [Tomtemachine], is a more accurate and funny precis of the events which unfold after Findus discovers that Christmas Eve the tomte delivers presents to children (his regular job is watching over a home).  Pettson worries that the tomte won’t come because Findus is a cat, not a boy, and decides that the only way to keep him from being disappointed is to build a mechanical tomte.

In chapter one, Findus asks Pettson to tell the tomte about them so he’ll know to visit.  Pettson tries to head Findus off at the pass by saying it’s hard to reach the gnome, especially if he doesn’t want to be found. When Findus won’t give up, Pettson suggests that Findus build a snow lantern and put a list of presents he’d like in the snowball on the very top.  When it’s dark, they will light the candle, let it burn all night, and check in the morning to see if Findus’s snow ball is gone.  No guarantees he’ll come, Pettson warns.  The tomte came..I didn’t quite believe that snow lanterns were real until I found how-to-to-do videos on line…  If you are snowed in on Monday, it might be a good way to pass the time.

A nice flat surface in view of a window, a good pair of gloves, powdery snow, and one or more LED tealights are all you need to build one.  Make a good supply of well-packed snowballs any size you like.  The more you make, the taller the lantern.  Arrange the snowballs apart into a circle, leaving some inches between them.   Now place more rows on top of the foundation, each one a little smaller than the last.  Leave enough room at the top to put your arm in to light the tealights when darkness falls.  Enjoy the wonderful glow.

Portraits of United States Presidents in the Cotsen Stacks

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Lives of our Presidents. Philadelphia: National Publishing Co., [1902]. (Cotsen 82867) From the Mus White Collection of Photographically Illustrated Books.

Books for children about the presidents of the United States must include portraits of each.  Shown to the left is a detail of the frontispiece to Ella Hines Stratton’s Lives of Our Presidents: Containing the Childhood, Early Educcation, Occuptations, Characteristics and Achievements, (Philadelphia: National Publishing Co., 1902). Look closely and you will see that the foreheads of most of the presidents have large pencilled Xes.  None of the other portraits have been marked or annotated. Maybe the Xes indicate which presidential biographies had been read.  Perhaps it’s an sign of approval or disapproval. A few of the chapters are illustrated with more exciting subjects, like this one of the young Ulysses S. Grant, who was a superb rider, beating a circus pony at his game of throwing boys to entertain the crowds.

(Cotsen 82867)

Red, White and Blue. U.S.A.: Platt & Munk Co., Inc., 1949. (Cotsen)

Paper cutting and patriotism go hand-in-hand in a set of pamphlets illustrated by Louis Jacobson published in 1941 by Platt & Munk Co., which include American Pioneers, Famous Americans, and Famous Presidents. The presidents honored with “Stick’ Em Cut Outs (Reg. U.S. Pat. Off.)” are Washington, Jefferson, Jackson, Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and Woodrow Wilson.  The instructions are pretty clear: tear out the gummed page and cut out the individual pieces for the portrait to be realized.  Lay the pieces in their places on the outline portrait.  Lift up the pieces, gently moisten the gummed sides, and lay them back down on the portrait.  If the sponge is too wet, the pieces will buckle.  This art project will help children develop concentration, coordination, and patience.  Here is Jacobson’s outline portrait of Old Hickory with the page of pieces.

Red, White and Blue.

Red, White and Blue.

The last example is a recent acquisition.  It is probably the only school  yearbook in the Cotsen collection.  It is a record of the school year 1971-1972 at Punahou, the prestigious private co-educational college preparatory school in Honolulu, Hawaii, founded by missionaries in 1841.  That year, the future 44th president of the United States was enrolled in Mrs.Hefty’s fifth-grade class.  He  turns up in the picture “On Strike” below, along with Malcolm Waugh.  the owner of this copy of the yearbook. You can find Barry Obama’s  signature in the detail from the “Autographs” page at the end.

Na Opio O Punahou, 1971-1972. [Hawaii, 1972]. (Cotsen)

Na Opio O Punahou, 1971-1972.

Na Opio O Punahou, 1971-1972.