"A Walk in the City" by ROSEMARY and RICHARD DAWSON

I purchased this old worn out children's book a couple of decades ago at a thrift store in Bandon, Oregon. For those familiar with Bandon, the store was just down the street from the cheese factory. The cheese factory is gone thanks to the people at Tillamook Cheese. I like Tillamook cheese, but I don't like what they did to Bandon.

This book was once part of the library at the local school. I like these old school copies because I think about all the little hands it passed through before being tossed aside.

It's a sweet book with lovely illustrations by Rosemary and Richard Dawson. No, not the Hogan's Hero's Dawson, Family Feud Dawson. Sadly, I can't find anything about this wife and husband team? Or were they sister and brother? Cousins? Who knows?




















Click on any image to see it larger.

Published in 1950, I find the review from Kirkus Reviews a bit on the simple minded side:

A group of sprightly verses about the sights and sounds of the city seen through a child's eyes on a day's outing with his mother. Dogs, coal chutes, playgrounds, fruit stores, houses and icemen are visualized in breezy four color illustrations by the authors; heavily accented chatter of the verse acts as a bouncing accompaniment. Bound in strong board with a full page illustration for each verse. Unfortunately limited in appeal to city youngsters, since the verse merely draws attention to experiences already familiar. (Kirkus Reviews)

I know as a child I would have been fascinated by city or country kids. I didn't need to have already experienced something in order to be interested by it. Let's hope reviewers give kids a bit more credit these days.