October 16, 1953 Walking to the River, Caramels After Supper and The Silver Bells Magazines
Diary Entry: Oct. 16, 1953
"Children took walk to river & played in sand. Had caramels wrapped in oblate to eat after supper. Teruko-san's day off. Seems like I washed dishes all day. B worked in study & I cut first stencil for his classes. Children got first copies of Silver Bells."
NOTES: The Silver Bells children's magazine is full of wonderful Japanese and American folk and fairy tales, current events, magical illustrations and amusing comic strips. As a beginning teacher nearly 20 years after the experience in Japan, I used these with children of many ages in my own classrooms. They never failed to hold the students' attention and even the older children found them to be intriguing. I hope you have taken a minute to read about this publication's history.
For those unfamiliar with the term, oblate refers to a thin, edible coating or wrapping, often used on sticky candy.
These photos are so beautifully crisp and vibrant looking. Were they shot on Kodachrome? They're certainly have the distinct look and feel of it (I love Kodachrome! :) ).
ReplyDeleteThe illustrations in that children's book are so delightfully charming. I've always liked 20th century Japanese illustrations. One of my favourite books from my own childhood was called Come Follow Me (it was a book of stories about fairies), and was illustrated by a Japanese artist named Gyo Fujikawa.
Wishing you an absolutely fantastic weekend, dear Ann.
♥ Jessica
Hi Jessica! Yes, the photos are scans of Dad's Kodachrome slides. There is indeed something really special about the illustrations. If I find any by Fujikawa, I will send them right to you.
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