Who Were They Really?: The True Stories Behind Famous Characters

Pfeffer, Susan Beth

3.46

37 ratings by Goodreads

9780761304050: Who Were They Really?: The True Stories Behind Famous Characters

ISBN 10: 0761304053 ISBN 13: 9780761304050

Publisher: Millbrook Pr, 1999

Discusses the real people who provided the inspiration for popular characters from children's literature, including Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Christopher Robin, and Mother Goose

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From Library Journal:

Grade 4-6-A pleasant, informative look at the inspirations behind some famous characters from children's literature. Eleven authors' creations are discussed, starting with Lewis Carroll's Alice. Figures as diverse as Mother Goose and James Barrie's Peter Pan are presented. Readers will find the story behind Hans Christian Andersen's "Little Mermaid" heart wrenching. The real-life Christopher Robin's mother had wanted a daughter and dressed her only child like a girl. The illustrations of the child throughout the "Pooh" books portray him as he was dressed-longish hair and all. Drawings and photographs give the book an intimate, family photo-album feel. However, there is some unevenness. While A. A. Milne's characters are given two entire chapters, Michael Bond's "Paddington" is summed up on one double-page spread. The Betsy-Tacy characters are included, but Anne of Green Gables, Madeline, and Ramona Quimby are not. Still, this is a nifty compilation culled mostly from adult sources and made accessible to younger readers. Students will find it interesting and useful for reports.
Anne Chapman Callaghan, Racine Public Library, WI
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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