>Bye, Bear

by Roger Sutton
Mar 14, 2008 | Filed in Articles & Opinion
>Betsy Bird says goodbye to the bear who has been her daily companion for lo these many years. I was glad to be able to pay my respects myself last week. Betsy was out sick when Richard and I were there, but we did get to have a nice chat with John Peters, taking a break from packing up all the stuff that is the Donnell Central Children's Room. He even showed us his collection of "wishing candles," an NYPL storytelling staple introduced (if I have this right) by Mary Gould Davis in the 1920s. I was taught in library school by Ellin Greene that one would give, say, a birthday child the privilege of snuffing the candle at the close of story hour, but John tells me that in these more egalitarian times, everybody gets to make a wish and blow the candle out.
Roger Sutton
Roger Sutton

Editor Emeritus Roger Sutton was editor in chief of The Horn Book, Inc., from 1996-2021. He was previously editor of The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books and a children's and young adult librarian. He received his MA in library science from the University of Chicago in 1982 and a BA from Pitzer College in 1978.

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KT Horning

>Roger, the tradition may have varied from librarian to librarian. In Ellen Tarry's 1946 book "My Dog Rinty," the photograph of a story hour in the Harlem Branch shows Augusta Baker allowing all the children to make a wish and blow out the candle.

Posted : Mar 19, 2008 01:40

tiselfar

>maybe there could be a sort of tri-national hostage exchange.

Posted : Mar 15, 2008 05:41

Roger Sutton

>As do the Greeks their Marbles!

Posted : Mar 15, 2008 02:37

Anonymous

>The Brits do want their Pooh back!

A.D.

Posted : Mar 15, 2008 01:12

Anonymous

>Hard to believe that
Donnell is about to vanish into the cellar of a luxury hotel! It was a valued resource to adults and children.

Posted : Mar 14, 2008 05:02

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