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A Charming Story and Glimpse of an America Long Past

Customer Rating:
I love "Good Night Moon" (and can recite it by heart). But "Seven Little Postmen" (and the recently re-issued "Mr. Dog," among others) reveals more about Margaret Wise Brown's genius as a writer than "a quiet old lady whispering 'hush.'"

Originally written in the late 1940's, "Seven Little Postmen" tracks the course of a letter from a little boy in the city to his grandmother in the country through all the stages (way back then) of the mail and all the different types of jolly "postmen" who process the letter from pick-up to rural free delivery back in the days before automation, before "postal employee" became synonymous with "homicidal gun-nut." Ms. Brown's humorous and poetic descriptions of the various jobs (who can remember when speeding trains used to "hook" mailbags from stands beside the tracks so they wouldn't have to stop?) are perfectly matched with Tibor Gergely's (who also illustrated "Scuffy the Tugboat" and "The Taxi that Hurried") colorful and charming illustrations.

Modern-day children will be intrigued by a delightful story with just the right amount of excitement and "mystery" (what's in the letter?) and enchanted by pictures of a more sedate and innocent time in America -- before e-mail, Fed Ex and text messaging took the anticipation and fun out of letters - both writing and receiving. Grown-ups, especially earlier Baby Boomers now becoming grandparents, who read this when they themselves were children, will rediscover a timeless classic.

Best Little Golden Book

Customer Rating:
I want to own all of Margaret Wise Brown's books. Her sing-song writing style just lifts me. I also liked that the boy in the story is so thoughtful toward his little grandmother.

What a great book!

Customer Rating:
If you're looking for some of the nice older books for your child, be sure to grab this one! It's just so sweet - a little boy has a secret and mails it off to his grandmother. It's a very neat and informative way to explain how the post office works to little ones. We just love this book in our house - it gets read quite a bit. A very nice old fashioned book that has endured the test of time. Highly recommend!

My favorite book of all time!

Customer Rating:
I absolutely loved this book as a child and now read it to my son. I was so glad to be able to find it still in print. It's just one of those books (like The Night Before Christmas) that you remember all of the words, and the illustrations stay with you always. Just a simple little golden book, but so wonderful!

"Sakes alive! What is it about?" Sakes alive! The secret is out!

Customer Rating:
I really love children's books that sweep the reader away on long journeys. Harold and the Purple Crayon is one such book. So, too, are the Phantom Tollbooth and, of course, Tolkien's works. The Seven Little Postmen does this on a more mundane level, but the journey is enjoyable, nonetheless. Here, Margaret Wise Brown and Tibor Gergely lead us across bustling city streets, fly us through sleet and hail, and send us roaring along shining rails, "Through gloom of night / In a mail car filled with electric light". Not only do we meet seven postmen along the way, but also a cast of colorful characters, including Mrs. Potter, "Who was busy making jam". With chickens and tires delivered R.F.D. via a crank-start motor, Mr. Gergely's distinct and detailed illustrations evoke a time now long gone.


I also recommend Scuffy the Tugboat and His Adventures Down the River, likewise illustrated by Tibor Gergely.