Critical evaluation of text
Margaret Wise Brown’s Little Fur Family was praised when it was first written and the positive reception has continued throughout the decades and editions of the book. In fact, most of the criticisms of the book shortly after it was first published (the slow plot, the commercialism of the real rabbit fur binding) have not been brought up again in recent reviews of the book. The lack of fur binding has been bemoaned, with criticisms lobbed at the fake fur on the patch of the fur child’s tummy and the special reissue that tried to capture the original fur binding by using faux fur. A 1975 article in Literature for Thursday’s Child declared that Brown’s writing “is word magic to capture any child’s fancy” and the “lines are memorable. They convey the bliss” of the little fur family ("Margaret Wise Brown (1910-1952), v. 10, p. 54). In 1993, The Ottawa Citizen praised the simpler hardcover edition, the book “has no fur coat but its small format is appealing for little hands to hold” (Weller). As when it was originally published, Garth Williams' illustrations and Brown’s text flow together in perfect unison. With the book’s “warm, gentle illustrations and Brown’s simple, rhythmic story, the book is sure to comfort…The adventures of the little bear and his family are idyllic but reassuring for today’s young ones” (Weller). Publisher’s Weekly called the book a “classic” with “nostalgic appeal” in the short 2002 blurb discussing the “miniature edition-covered with faux fur and packaged in a recloseable box” (Roback, 2002).
As time has passed, the book has been analyzed further and what was considered “a lack of plot” is now praise of the comforting and nurturing qualities of the story. In 2005, the journal Childhood Education explains that the little fur child’s experiences of venturing into the wild wood where he lives but coming home safe to his parents is a positive message. “The secure feeling of being a special child, very much loved, is passed from this little fur family to any child who hears the story read while safely held in the loving arms of a devoted parent” (Blasi, 297). The New York Times 1980 review of another reissue which included a faux-fur box, Brown is praised as she “merely dared to be simple” with this story, which is “about being, just being, a little fur child” (Bader). What is interesting about this review is it was written by Barbara Bader who was editor of Kirkus Reviews at that time, which was one of the few magazines that heavily criticized the book when it was first printed.
Although Little Fur Family’s unique fur binding and subsequent fur patch on the fur child’s tummy was in part a way of competing commercially against the successful children’s book Pat the Bunny, the book’s fur element has been used as an example for increasing children’s development. A 2009 article in the Journal of Aesthetic Education called Little Fur Family “a pioneering crossover book/soft toy…so that a child reading/cuddling the book might feel in touch with the characters in its pages” (Warner, 6).
Sadly, Little Fur Family is not as well-known as Margaret Wise Brown’s other works, especially in comparison to her big hits Goodnight, Moon (in 1947) and The Runaway Bunny (in 1942), both of which have been included in Publisher’s Weekly 2001 list of the all-time bestselling children’s books – the various editions of The Runaway Bunny has sold almost 4 million copies; Goodnight, Moon have sold around 10 million copies. Also, since Brown was so prolific, with over 100 children’s books published, it is easier for Little Fur Family to get lost in the crowd. Perhaps the book would have been better known (or sold more) if Brown had lived longer and been around to promote her books. However, her early death at 42 in 1952 limited the amount of control Brown had on how her books have been analyzed, critiqued or even how they have sold over the years. It doesn’t help that many of the unique furbound copies were lost in the publisher’s storage, eaten away by moths, thus limiting any tradition of family members passing the book on through generations. I myself have my mother’s copy from 1974 (a simple paperback edition); it has been well-loved by both of us.
The book has been praised by critics and discussed in scholarly journals, but it is popular and enjoyed by the people who really matter – the readers! In Burgin Streetman’s blog about books for her son, she declares that Little Fur Family “is quite possibly my all time favorite first book to give to a child…It’s quirky. Funny. Weird. And totally sweet…I always thought these pages held a little more poetry, abstraction, nuance and soul for a baby book” (Streetman). Blogger and mother Kim Baise posted that her little girl enjoys the book, “She takes it everywhere. It’s her new favorite. Margaret Wise Brown was a genius and Garth Williams’ illustrations are gentle and heart warming” (Baise).
There are a few factors that make this book so enjoyable and memorable: furry forest creatures, cozy atmospheres and the comforting message of familial love. The highlight of the book is the detailed and colorful illustrations, something parents and children will enjoy, as the fur creatures themselves are drawn as very cuddly. The pictures help show the wonder and incredibly childlike emotions of the little fur child. Although he is an unidentified creature, his reactions and activities certainly would reflect those of a human child, such as the annoyance on his face when having his face scrubbed by his mom, the happiness when being carried up to bed by his father, and the curiosity present when observing other animals in the woods. The book’s appeal is also found in its message: as children grow up and begin to explore the world around them, they still have loving parents to come home to at the end of the day. The little fur child spends all day walking through the wild wood by himself, but once the sun goes down and it begins to get dark, he runs toward home, where his mother “took her little fur child home in her arms and gave him his supper” (Brown). After dinner, he is tucked into bed by both mother and father who sing him a lullaby. Though it may seem quaint, this is a comforting message, children should believe that they can be independent and stretch the boundaries of their world and imagination without having to worry about alienating their parents.
As time has passed, the book has been analyzed further and what was considered “a lack of plot” is now praise of the comforting and nurturing qualities of the story. In 2005, the journal Childhood Education explains that the little fur child’s experiences of venturing into the wild wood where he lives but coming home safe to his parents is a positive message. “The secure feeling of being a special child, very much loved, is passed from this little fur family to any child who hears the story read while safely held in the loving arms of a devoted parent” (Blasi, 297). The New York Times 1980 review of another reissue which included a faux-fur box, Brown is praised as she “merely dared to be simple” with this story, which is “about being, just being, a little fur child” (Bader). What is interesting about this review is it was written by Barbara Bader who was editor of Kirkus Reviews at that time, which was one of the few magazines that heavily criticized the book when it was first printed.
Although Little Fur Family’s unique fur binding and subsequent fur patch on the fur child’s tummy was in part a way of competing commercially against the successful children’s book Pat the Bunny, the book’s fur element has been used as an example for increasing children’s development. A 2009 article in the Journal of Aesthetic Education called Little Fur Family “a pioneering crossover book/soft toy…so that a child reading/cuddling the book might feel in touch with the characters in its pages” (Warner, 6).
Sadly, Little Fur Family is not as well-known as Margaret Wise Brown’s other works, especially in comparison to her big hits Goodnight, Moon (in 1947) and The Runaway Bunny (in 1942), both of which have been included in Publisher’s Weekly 2001 list of the all-time bestselling children’s books – the various editions of The Runaway Bunny has sold almost 4 million copies; Goodnight, Moon have sold around 10 million copies. Also, since Brown was so prolific, with over 100 children’s books published, it is easier for Little Fur Family to get lost in the crowd. Perhaps the book would have been better known (or sold more) if Brown had lived longer and been around to promote her books. However, her early death at 42 in 1952 limited the amount of control Brown had on how her books have been analyzed, critiqued or even how they have sold over the years. It doesn’t help that many of the unique furbound copies were lost in the publisher’s storage, eaten away by moths, thus limiting any tradition of family members passing the book on through generations. I myself have my mother’s copy from 1974 (a simple paperback edition); it has been well-loved by both of us.
The book has been praised by critics and discussed in scholarly journals, but it is popular and enjoyed by the people who really matter – the readers! In Burgin Streetman’s blog about books for her son, she declares that Little Fur Family “is quite possibly my all time favorite first book to give to a child…It’s quirky. Funny. Weird. And totally sweet…I always thought these pages held a little more poetry, abstraction, nuance and soul for a baby book” (Streetman). Blogger and mother Kim Baise posted that her little girl enjoys the book, “She takes it everywhere. It’s her new favorite. Margaret Wise Brown was a genius and Garth Williams’ illustrations are gentle and heart warming” (Baise).
There are a few factors that make this book so enjoyable and memorable: furry forest creatures, cozy atmospheres and the comforting message of familial love. The highlight of the book is the detailed and colorful illustrations, something parents and children will enjoy, as the fur creatures themselves are drawn as very cuddly. The pictures help show the wonder and incredibly childlike emotions of the little fur child. Although he is an unidentified creature, his reactions and activities certainly would reflect those of a human child, such as the annoyance on his face when having his face scrubbed by his mom, the happiness when being carried up to bed by his father, and the curiosity present when observing other animals in the woods. The book’s appeal is also found in its message: as children grow up and begin to explore the world around them, they still have loving parents to come home to at the end of the day. The little fur child spends all day walking through the wild wood by himself, but once the sun goes down and it begins to get dark, he runs toward home, where his mother “took her little fur child home in her arms and gave him his supper” (Brown). After dinner, he is tucked into bed by both mother and father who sing him a lullaby. Though it may seem quaint, this is a comforting message, children should believe that they can be independent and stretch the boundaries of their world and imagination without having to worry about alienating their parents.
Sources
Bader, Barbara. “A Lien on the World.” The New York Times. 9 Nov. 1980. Section 7, p. 50.
Baise, Kim. "Little Fur Family." Bees Knees Reads. 10 January 2010. http://beeskneesbooks.blogspot.com/2010/01/little-fur-family.html
Blasi, Maryjane. “Building Literacy Tradtions: A Family Affair.” Childhood Education 81.5 (2005): 297-298.
Brown, Margaret Wise. Little Fur Family. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1946.
Marcus, Leonard. Margaret Wise Brown: Awakened by the Moon. Boston: Beacon. 1992.
"Margaret Wise Brown (1910-1952)." Children’s Literature Review. Ed. Gerard J. Senick. Vol. 10. Detroit: Gale Research, 1986. 37-69. Literature Criticism Online. Gale. University Library, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. 27 October 2010
Roback, Diane, Jason Britton, and Debbie Hochman Turvey. "All-Time Bestselling Children's Books." Publishers Weekly 248.51 (2001): 24.
Roback, Diane, Jennifer M. Brown, and Jeff Zaleski. "Children's NOTES (Book)." Publishers Weekly 249.47 (2002): 70.
Sebasta, Sam L. & Iverson, William J. "Fanciful Fiction." Literature for Thursday's Child. Science Research Associates, Inc. 1975. pp. 177-214.
Streetman, Burgin. “Little Fur Family.” Vintage Kids’ Books My Kid Loves. 25 Aug. 2009.http://www.vintagechildrensbooksmykidloves.com/2009/08/little-fur-family.html
Warner, Marina. "Out of an Old Toy Chest." The Journal of Aesthetic Education 43.2 (2009): 3-18.
Weller, Joan. “Yesterday’s classics are full of meaning for today’s kids.” The Ottawa Citizen. 1993 Feb. 20. p. B7.
Baise, Kim. "Little Fur Family." Bees Knees Reads. 10 January 2010. http://beeskneesbooks.blogspot.com/2010/01/little-fur-family.html
Blasi, Maryjane. “Building Literacy Tradtions: A Family Affair.” Childhood Education 81.5 (2005): 297-298.
Brown, Margaret Wise. Little Fur Family. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1946.
Marcus, Leonard. Margaret Wise Brown: Awakened by the Moon. Boston: Beacon. 1992.
"Margaret Wise Brown (1910-1952)." Children’s Literature Review. Ed. Gerard J. Senick. Vol. 10. Detroit: Gale Research, 1986. 37-69. Literature Criticism Online. Gale. University Library, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. 27 October 2010
Roback, Diane, Jason Britton, and Debbie Hochman Turvey. "All-Time Bestselling Children's Books." Publishers Weekly 248.51 (2001): 24.
Roback, Diane, Jennifer M. Brown, and Jeff Zaleski. "Children's NOTES (Book)." Publishers Weekly 249.47 (2002): 70.
Sebasta, Sam L. & Iverson, William J. "Fanciful Fiction." Literature for Thursday's Child. Science Research Associates, Inc. 1975. pp. 177-214.
Streetman, Burgin. “Little Fur Family.” Vintage Kids’ Books My Kid Loves. 25 Aug. 2009.http://www.vintagechildrensbooksmykidloves.com/2009/08/little-fur-family.html
Warner, Marina. "Out of an Old Toy Chest." The Journal of Aesthetic Education 43.2 (2009): 3-18.
Weller, Joan. “Yesterday’s classics are full of meaning for today’s kids.” The Ottawa Citizen. 1993 Feb. 20. p. B7.
