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Waiting-for Series

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Waiting-for Series
AuthorBethany Roberts
Illustrator
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreChildren's fiction
Publisher
Published1984–1994

Waiting-for is the informal name for a trilogy of children's books by Connecticut author Bethany Roberts—Waiting-for-Spring Stories, Waiting-for-Papa Stories, and Waiting-for-Christmas Stories—published between 1984 and 1994. In each book, rabbit parents tell a series of miniature stories about the titular topics. The first and third installments were Roberts' earliest manuscripts; Waiting-for-Spring Stories was originally intended as a one-shot title, and was also one of the earliest stints for Louisiana-based illustrator William Joyce. Sarah Stapler of Maine took over Joyce's role for the other two titles.

Waiting-for-Spring and Waiting-for-Papa were respectively published by Harper & Row in 1984 and 1990, while Houghton Mifflin's Clarion Books imprint handled the release of 1994's Waiting-for-Christmas. The series was well-acclaimed during its original print run, with the illustrations receiving comparisons to the works of Beatrix Potter and similar artists.

Books[edit]

Waiting-for-Spring Stories[edit]

Main article: Waiting-for-Spring Stories

The first title in the Waiting-for series, Waiting-for-Spring Stories, was published by Harper & Row in September 1984.[3] It contains seven miniature stories of 2–3 pages' length[3] told by a father rabbit to his children during the winter season.[6]

Waiting-for-Papa Stories[edit]

Waiting-for-Papa Stories
AuthorBethany Roberts
IllustratorSarah Stapler
LanguageEnglish
SeriesWaiting-for Series
GenreChildren's fiction
PublishedMarch 1990[7]
PublisherHarper & Row[4]
Publication placeUnited States
Pages31[4][a]
ISBN0-06-025050-X

The second installment in the series, Waiting-for-Papa Stories, was published in March 1990 by Harper & Row.[4]

Papa Rabbit, the father narrator from Waiting-for-Spring Stories,[6] is running late on his way home. While his family waits for him, his wife Mama Rabbit decides to tell her children a new set of seven miniature stories—all featuring him—to assuage their worries.[4][8][9]

Waiting-for-Christmas Stories[edit]

Main article: Waiting-for-Christmas Stories

The final title, Waiting-for-Christmas Stories, was published in 1994 by Houghton Mifflin's Clarion Books imprint;[5] Papa Rabbit returns with a new round of tales set during the holidays.[10]

Background[edit]

Originally intended as a one-shot title, Waiting-for-Spring Stories was the first book by Bethany Roberts to see publication. A companion manuscript written around the time of Spring's release became the trilogy's last installment, Waiting-for-Christmas Stories, in 1994.[5] Louisiana-based William Joyce illustrated Spring in one of his earliest stints;[1] Sarah Stapler, an artist from Bowdoinham, Maine, replaced him for Papa and Christmas.[2]

Reception[edit]

The Waiting-for series was well-acclaimed during its original publication. Spring received a starred review in the School Library Journal (SLJ);[3] The New York Times Book Review listed Papa as a title of interest;[8] and the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books gave Christmas an "R" ("Recommended") grade.[11] Joyce's and Stapler's work were compared to Beatrix Potter's oeuvre;[8][12] reviewers also found Stapler's work on Papa reminiscent of Arnold Lobel and Thornton W. Burgess.[4][8]

Reviewing Papa for SLJ, Louise L. Sherman declared that "Children are sure to be captivated by the charm and gentle humor of the stories", and also took note of the change in illustrators between instalments: "Stapler's illustrations suit the stories well. Her rabbits inhabit a brighter and more elaborate home than William Joyce's rustic settings of the earlier book."[4] The Bronx publication Wilson Library Bulletin said, "The simplicity [of Mama Rabbit's tales] adds to their aura of freshness and self-completeness."[13]

Legacy[edit]

This section is an excerpt from Waiting-for-Christmas Stories § Legacy.[edit]
Under the Clarion imprint, Roberts would later write more books about animals celebrating holidays and observances via what became the Holiday Mice series, with Doug Cushman as the illustrator.[14][15] The first title, Halloween Mice!, was announced in December 1994[16] and published in August 1995.[17]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Listed as 32 in Forthcoming Books 1990.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Bland, Nan (October 26, 1984). "The Book Page: Local illustrator to autograph books Sunday". The Shreveport Journal. p. 10-C. Archived from the original on July 7, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b Plourde, Lynn; Knowles, Paul (1998). "More Maine Authors and Illustrators". A Celebration of Maine Children's Books. University of Maine Press. p. 307. ISBN 0-89101-093-9. Retrieved July 6, 2023 – via Internet Archive.
  3. ^ a b c d Christolon, Blair (November 1984). "Starred Review: 'Waiting-for-Spring Stories'". School Library Journal. Vol. 31, no. 3. p. 116. ISSN 0362-8930. Retrieved June 24, 2024 – via EBSCOhost.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Sherman, Louise L. (June 1990). "Review: 'Waiting-for-Papa Stories'" (PDF). School Library Journal. Vol. 36, no. 6. p. 105. ISSN 0362-8930. Retrieved July 6, 2023 – via EBSCOhost.
  5. ^ a b c Pettit, John (December 11, 1994). "Wallingford native reads her stories at library". Record-Journal. Meriden, Connecticut. p. B3. Retrieved July 6, 2023 – via Google News Archive at Google Books.
  6. ^ a b Karlin, Barbara (February 10, 1985). "To Grow On". The Book Review. Los Angeles Times. p. 4. Archived from the original on July 7, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Author Index". Forthcoming Books. 25 (2). R.R. Bowker (Reed Publishing): 535. March 1990. ISSN 0015-8119. Retrieved July 6, 2023 – via HathiTrust.
  8. ^ a b c d "Children's Books: Bookshelf: Additional titles of interest". The New York Times Book Review. June 17, 1990. p. 21. ISSN 0028-7806. Retrieved July 6, 2023 – via ProQuest.
  9. ^ "Catalogue record for 'Waiting-for-Papa Stories'". American Book Publishing Record. 31 (3). R.R. Bowker: 82. March 1990. ISSN 0002-7707. Journal scan (unavailable as of July 2023) at the Internet Archive.
  10. ^ Abbott, Deborah (September 15, 1994). "Review: 'Waiting-for-Christmas Stories'". Booklist. Vol. 91, no. 2. p. 144. ISSN 0006-7385. ProQuest 235357436. Retrieved June 24, 2024 – via Gale General OneFile.
  11. ^ Sutton, Roger (October 1994). "Review: 'Waiting-for-Christmas Stories'". The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. 48 (2): 102. ISSN 0008-9036. Retrieved June 24, 2024 – via HathiTrust.
  12. ^ Moeller, Stephanie (December 2, 1984). "The Mercury on... BOOKS: books for young readers". The Manhattan Mercury. p. D2. Archived from the original on July 7, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Richard, Olga; MacCann, Donnarae (September 1990). "Picture Books for Children -- Emily and the Enchanted Frog by Helen Griffith and illustrated by Susan Condie Lamb / Waiting-For-Papa Stories by Bethany Roberts and illustrated by Sarah Stapler / and others". Wilson Library Bulletin. 65 (1). H.W. Wilson Company: 96. ISSN 0043-5651. ProQuest 234936721. Quoted in Kumar, Lisa, ed. (2010). "Roberts, Bethany 1949–". Something About the Author. Vol. 202. Gale Research. p. 154. ISBN 978-1-4144-3499-5. Retrieved July 6, 2023 – via Internet Archive.
  14. ^ Zaleski, Jeff (May 3, 2004). "Children's Notes: A Red-White-and-Blue Parade". Publishers Weekly. Vol. 251, no. 18. pp. 194–195. ISSN 0000-0019. Retrieved July 7, 2023 – via ProQuest.
  15. ^ Owen, Maryanne H. (June 2004). "Review: 'Fourth of July Mice!'". School Library Journal. Vol. 50, no. 6. p. 117. ISSN 0362-8930. Retrieved July 7, 2023 – via ProQuest.
  16. ^ Pettit, John (December 11, 1994). "Wallingford native reads her stories at library". Record-Journal. Meriden, Connecticut. p. B3. Retrieved July 6, 2023 – via Google News Archive at Google Books.
  17. ^ Maughan, Shannon (September 18, 1995). "Review: 'Halloween Mice!'". Publishers Weekly. Vol. 242, no. 38. p. 89. ISSN 0000-0019. ProQuest 197012500. Retrieved July 7, 2023 – via Gale General OneFile.
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