Virtual Children's Books Exhibits

WATER BABIES

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Floating

WaterBabies2

 

 

 

2.  Bessie Parker.
Nancy Parker, illustrator.
The 'Trocious Twins.
London, Edinburgh: W. & R. Chambers, Ltd., 1926.

Tom and 'Tilda, aka the 'trocious twins, float on the back of the puppy William White while their good friends Tony and Tiny Warren, the attractive twins, paddle around in their life belts.

The adults on shore anxiously monitor the children's every movement, anticipating the worst at any moment, even though the water is perfectly still. This scene will probably be played out as long as children go out into water over their heads.

The Parkers’ quirky stories in verse about animals are popular with collectors of picture books. But it’s hard to find out anything about the creators of Arctic Orphans, History of the Hoppers, Lays of the Greys, or Cinderella at the Zoo in the standard reference works. Until recently it was not known if the Parkers were men or women. But one of their letters sold at Sotheby’s London on November 11, 1996 presenting their aunt with a copy of a new book revealed that they were sisters named Bessie and Nancy.