Peacay, the onlie begetter of BibliOdyssey, draws my attention to the excellent Book Of Accidents Designed For Young Children (1831).
I’m sure this must have been a set book for the tinies of Pang Hill Orphanage. The anonymous author “conceives he cannot render a more important service to the rising generation and to parents, than by furnishing them with an account of the accidents to which Children, from their inexperience or carelessness, are liable. If generally studied it will save the lives of thousands, and relieve many families from the long and unavailing misery attendant on such occurrencesâ€. Among the potential mishaps addressed in this invaluable book are Playing With Horses, Worrying Dogs, Scalded At The Table, Playing With Fire-Arms, Falling Out Of A Coach, and Troubling The Cook.
There are some sample pages here, where you will also find a link to the entire book online.
Aaah! So that share thingy on googlereader actually works. It’s not a bad way, I guess, to throw tidbits up for potential onwards enjoyment that one might otherwise just let whizz through to the keeper. It even has its own web address too so it’s a bit of a tumblelog. What weird times we live I mean share in. Be well Frank!
please please please. i have to get a copy of this book.
do you know how?
jonathan
You could try getting a dealer in antiquarian books to track down a copy, I suppose. Or perhaps the Hooting Yard Press may do a reprint.
I would have preferred some of Frank’s material.
A couple of years ago I downloaded Edward Gorey’s The Gashlycrumb Tinies alphabet pictures, made them into a booklet, made a black cover with a gold letraset title, bound it with a purple ribbon and gave it, as a 4th birthday present, to my niece…
My sister went ballistic…!
Told me, in fundamental terms, where I could stick my “sick” present…
It will soon be my niece’s 7th birthday…
I now think I have the perfect gift for her…!
OSM
(Grin)
Frank, have you ever considered writing a modern-day version of this instructive text? It occurs to me that today’s children face an equally baffling range of contemporary perils of which they should be fore-warned.
Incidentally, I have received a communique from your “podcast maestro”, who informs me that that your narration of this work has been “transfigurated” and will shortly be available in pod-form. Whatever the hell this nonsense means.
Yours in Christ,
Tristan J. Shuddery