The Pony Many book

[jj]

sure has a creepy cover, lol...now it's hard to listen to the song without that image

what are the 2 extra verses included in the book? thx

[charlene]

yeah - creepy.

[vlmagee]

Originally Posted by jj

sure has a creepy cover, lol...now it's hard to listen to the song without that image

what are the 2 extra verses included in the book? thx

First, I am always a bit sad when someone reacts like that to the illustrations in the book. I won't belabor the point, but let's just say they are very French. (The illustrator is a French speaking Canadian). Children's books in French are usually illustrated in a manner that is very unlike what we see in the US or English speaking Canada, and the vocabulary used is far above the equivalent used in English. I'm not sure why, or whether it has any long-term impact, but I immediately recognized the French influence in the illustrations including the cover.

The extra verses are:

And then we form in single file
inside the moon we go
Into a land of magic
that the grownups do not know
Where the streets are paved with chocolate
and the trees are hung with toys
And there's chewing gum for every one
of the little girls and boys

(after "At Mr. Moon's front door")

and ...

But then the clouds surround us
and the seas begin to boil
And the wind howls like a dragon
as upon the decks we toil
When 'longside floats a bottle
which soon on board is hove
With a map inside which leads us
to a giant treasure trove

(after "And laugh the whole night through")

[jj]

Thanks a lot for the verses. It's could be an animated short!

Check out Toopy and Binoo original books (before the TV series evolved) for some fun. And NFB of Canada animated shorts such as The Sweater, to see more examples that might reinforce your observation. I was never exposed to a big enough sample size of works to make any generalizations. I haven't seen the drawings inside the book. The cover is an interesting technique. I think it's sad that I have that image in my head when listening but it should fade. I avoided the CRT book for similar reasons. Does the I Wish You Good Spaces book have illustrations? I like the cover of that book. Anyhow...

Two sets of ears is perplexing but its artistic licence, eh. It's not as creepy as the boy horse, Newt from the Herc cartoon

Gord played this tune in my niece's classroom. I asked what she thought. She said he looked yellow and smelled smokey. Rotten kid... She'd get a kick out of the cover. Yeah, I figured the illustrator was French.

[Cathy]

Originally Posted by vlmagee

First, I am always a bit sad when someone reacts like that to the illustrations in the book. I won't belabor the point, but let's just say they are very French. (The illustrator is a French speaking Canadian). Children's books in French are usually illustrated in a manner that is very unlike what we see in the US or English speaking Canada, and the vocabulary used is far above the equivalent used in English. I'm not sure why, or whether it has any long-term impact, but I immediately recognized the French influence in the illustrations including the cover.

The extra verses are:

And then we form in single file
inside the moon we go
Into a land of magic
that the grownups do not know
Where the streets are paved with chocolate
and the trees are hung with toys
And there's chewing gum for every one
of the little girls and boys

(after "At Mr. Moon's front door")

and ...

But then the clouds surround us
and the seas begin to boil
And the wind howls like a dragon
as upon the decks we toil
When 'longside floats a bottle
which soon on board is hove
With a map inside which leads us
to a giant treasure trove

(after "And laugh the whole night through")

The French Canadian thing explains a lot.

Cathy

[vlmagee]

JJ, yes, the illustrator's name is Etienne Delessert. He is very well regarded. (You can Google him). I too was originally taken aback by the cover photo, but when I got the book and saw the name of the illustrator, it all made sense, and I was able to appreciate all the illustrations. It is actually interesting that Gordon chose (or agreed to) a French-Canadian illustrator. Think, "Nous Vivons Ensemble". I think perhaps there was a message there.

[jj]

now there is one to try illustrate. Nous Vivons Ensemble

Anyhow, creepy or not, if I'm a kid seeing that cover....

....Nightmares!

I'll check out the books inners one day I imagine

[charlene]

It's a creepy image to me and it has the French illustrators name right on the cover so no surprise that one could tell who did the artwork.
No need to be sad Val. We all have our own opinions. I'm not sad cuz you have a different one than me and I wouldn't tell you that it makes me sad.

I have several large framed prints in my family room and they are by a French Canadian artist. Not the least bit creepy. Much of the TV/magazines/books etc. here in Canada are full of French based art/images etc.
I'm not quite sure which way to take Cathy's comment.
I appreciate the artistic talent just not the image of a mans head coming out of a horse neck looking like sherlock homes smoking a pipe.. Doesn't seem too kid friendly and certainly not like any images in my mind when I've read the lyrics or heard the tune over the last several decades.

[jj]

I just etched a pony head on a man's body. It's equally disturbing

I see the book as a separate entity and not something that was meant to supplement the imagery of the song/poem/story

The pony man lives on candy apples and Drum tobacco

Lol. Just having some fun. It's a happy thread.

I was raised on Chez Helene. She was kid friendly

[formerlylavender]

Originally Posted by charlene

I appreciate the artistic talent just not the image of a mans head coming out of a horse neck looking like sherlock homes smoking a pipe.. Doesn't seem too kid friendly and certainly not like any images in my mind when I've read the lyrics or heard the tune over the last several decades.

Totally agree.

I know my kids would be weirded out by that pic.

jj, I Wish You Good Spaces has pictures throughout...trees, birds, snow, etc. Nothing to give you nightmares

[jj]

Originally Posted by formerlylavender

jj, I Wish You Good Spaces has pictures throughout...trees, birds, snow, etc.

that's how i spell relief

[KHester]

I wish you Good spaces was published by Blue Mountain Arts. With samples of Gord's lyrics and illustrations by Stephen Schulz

As always with the Blue Mountain Publications they did a wonderful job.
They also did a Lightfoot Calendar in 1978