Speaking Volumes

I mentioned a little while ago that I went up to the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art for the first time. While there I got a wander around the museum and see lots of original Eric Carle collages and storyboards, as well as Petra Mathers originals from Lottie's New Friend. The other special exhibition was the artwork of Virginia Lee Burton. They had everything, from Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel and Little House artwork, to pen and inks from The Saga of Stewy Stinker, and even printed fabrics that she made.

I was also able to attend a wonderful presentation by Barbara Elleman, guest curator of the exhibition, entitled “Those Telling Lines: The Art of Virginia Lee Burton.” I learned a lot about Virginia Lee Burton, her life and family, her writing, and her art, but one bit of information was from her presentation was particularly interesting so I figured I would share it with you all, here on our blog.

EVERYONE knows the story of Mike Mulligan and his beautiful red steam shovel, Mary Anne right? Well, as you know, Mike and Mary Anne get the job of digging the cellar for Popperville's new town hall. And, Mike and Mary Anne dig that cellar better and faster then ever, and finish it in just one day. But, as they finish they realize that they have left themselves no way to get out of the cellar. In her presentation, Barbara Elleman told us that at this point in her writing, Virginia Lee Burton was stuck. She had literally and figuratively dug herself into a hole, and she didn't know how to end the story. She was mentioning this problem to a friend one day when her friends then 13 year year old son, Dickie, said “turn Mary Anne into the furnace for the new town hall.”

Which is exactly what Virginia Lee Burton did. So, open a copy of Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel, and look on the bottom of page 39, where the little boy from Popperville suggests that they turn Mary Ann into a furnace, and you'll see there *Acknowledgments to Dickie Birkenbush.

Never noticed that right? Me neither. But the story I just told you is how it came to be.

One other little note; Dickie Birkenbush's name is spelled wrong in every single copy, it should be spelled Berkenbush . He tells people the misspelling is his pseudonym – ha!

If you don't have your own copy of Mike Mulligan (shame on you!) stop by today to check ours out, and don't forget to look on the bottom of page 39!