I recently had a flashback to a book I loved when I was a kid. The Twelve Dancing Princesses, which is a Grimm fairy tale, is a book I loved to look at, daydream over and to sketch the pictures of the beautiful ladies depicted. I'm going to sum up a rather futile attempt of trying to locate a used copy my long lost book armed only with a memory of images and without names or dates or publishers. Suffice it to say, after spending $12 on one from Alibris and not getting what I hoped, I asked my mom if she knew what happened to my copy and it went a little something like this:
"Oh, that's a Little Golden Book. It was my favorite when I was a kid. I drew all the princes and their pageboy haircuts, and the princess in their gowns. Yeah, it's with all my other prized Little Golden books in the basement.""Oh, it was yours? Huh, I didn't know that" (read: *oh, I don't think so, lady...*)
Moral of the story: ask Mom first, then steal her stuff.
I would like to share the brilliance of the illustrations here for you (in one of my first multi-imaged posts!) and you can see for yourself how just mesmerizing this book was for a little girl- indeed, as an adult all these years later I am so impressed with Sheilah Beckett's style. Sad to say, there is little on the internet about this talented woman, besides the books she illustrated.
Her style is typical of the era- 1954- but she had the most incredible sense of balance and composition. Just take a look at the negative space between the figures... the shapes are just perfect- as is every line- and exaggerated ribbon and strand of hair- and every fold in the crisp flowing gowns. I love the way most images fit neatly into a square- that the the characters are dynamic and fluid and they remind one of ballet dancers or the cast from a Gene Kelly movie. Technicolor was hot in the films and it is evident that it was all the rage on paper as well through these rich jewel-toned illustrations.
Aren't they lovely? I hope you will let your inner little girl soak them up with wonderment.
28 lovely notes:
I've never seen/heard of this book.
Love the drawing with the trees...and all the rest. Great costumes, colors...I can see why you like(d) it so much!
Ohhh, now I feel all covetous. I want to steal the book from your mum too!
The illustrations are magnificent.
These are lovely. Don't you love hunting down and finding beloved books from childhood? I'm on the search for the edition of Child's Garden of Verses from my childhood with particular illustrations that I loved.
The Twelve Dancing Princesses is one of my favorite books from childhood, too, although I don't remember this edition. Lovely!
I loved that book! What a wonderful trip down memory lane. I had a similar experience trying to locate the original version I had of "The Boxcar Children." The new version is just ... wrong.
I'm the same with all my chilhood books. I think I would have loved this one, especially because of the rainbow colours used for the gowns :)
Well, first of all, the book was down in the living room bookcase, not the basement, with all the 'good' books, of which there are many, mostly art and coffee table books of France & England & the Rembrandt illustrated Bible. And these include some of Bonne Maman's when she was a little girl in Paris in pretty good shape, and some books she later illustrated herself. I have other ones in my upstairs office for Karl & Bruno, but these Golden Books stood out among the rest for me for personal reasons. For example, there is Ukulele, Little Black Sambo, Thumper, Madeleine and Hansel & Gretel, all Little Golden Books in good shape and my childhood favorites. This one just took me somewhere else which is why I immediately remembered where it was when you asked me. You were such a little good girl, always busy creating something, that I wasn't always checking up to see if you were doing something you shouldn't be somewhere else in the house, but I don't remember your being as mesmerized as I was by these illustrations that you would be doing the same thing I was doing when I was a little girl! Drawing them! Now, are you not glad that I am not a minimalist and that I save almost everything? I am!
Thanks for the trip down Memory Lane. Mom
There's a great book called Golden Legacy that came out last year - it's all about the history of Little Golden Books and it has some AMAZING stuff about the artists that illustrated them.
I can see why you loved it so. How wonderful to be reunited with it! (And I am really liking your mom, she sounds like a great lady!)
I've never heard of this book before. I can see why a little girl would love. The illustrations are wonderful!
I used to have that book! Love the illustrations!
I haven't seen this book before - it is beautiful! I have been picking up old childrens books whenever I find them at thrift stores and the illustrtaions in many of them are just amazing and so cool.
I, too, so appreciate the illustrations in children's books. I took my daughters to the library children's room once or twice a week when they were little.
Such graceful lines. And that dps with all the rainbow gowns and the trees! Gorgeous.
How beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
~Hyla
http://earthyfinds.blogspot.com
There is something special about the old books, new ones just don't have. The illustrations are so charming.
Lovely pics. The 12 Dancing Princess is a version of another fairytale, Katiecrackernuts. My blog header has the nuts, the twig and the bird from the tale. You can Google the name Katiecrackernuts (and I think Katy Crackernuts) and there's information about the story. I thought it was Russian, but seems it's got many folk laying claim to it, including the Irish and Scottish. I think my favourite tale was The Little Match Girl and other Hans Christian Andersen tales. The picture book I had was beautiful.
I always loved these illustrations...that is why I love Disney's Sleeping Beauty. Very similar. These Little Golden Books were some of my favorites. I had a thing for "The Poky Little Puppy".
WOW, those ARE gorgeous! and i agree with blackfeatherfarm about the illustrations in old books being so charming!
so so lovely, thanks for the Sheila Beckett tip and for sharing the lovely images.
I love the 2nd one of the three princesses behind the room screen with the trees on.
Thanks for posting these images. It's great to be reminded of picture books I loved when I was little. The line in these... wow!
Wow - these illustrations are amazing. I can see how inspring they can be!
I don't remember that Golden Book, but it looks like a great one! By, the way I love my fabric...I even took it with me to the quilt shop the day I received it and asked them to order your new line.
GREAT colourful illustrations! I have a book with that story... I need to rad it again... I don't remember the story.
Wow, those images are really beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
H'llo , I find your blog, and your lovely work !
Thanks for sharing so much beauty!
Hugs from your new "friend"
Rosália
Wonderful title. I love those illustrations!
Just to let you all know,my mother is still around and working. She has done two limited edition prints from the 12 Dancing Princesses that are available now. See her on Facebook "The art of Sheilah Beckett"
She also does limited commissions when she has time. She is also thinking of redoing and updating the Princesses if she feels there would be enough interest.
All the best
Sean Smith (her son)
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