The Painted Garden

Last updated

The Painted Garden
The Painted Garden cover.jpg
First hardback edition, 1949
Author Noel Streatfeild
IllustratorLey Kenyon
LanguageEnglish
GenreChildren's novel
Publisher Collins
Publication date
1949
Publication placeUnited Kingdom
Media typePrint
Pages320
ISBN 0-00-710020-5 (2000 edition)

The Painted Garden is a children's novel by British author Noel Streatfeild. It was first published in serial form in 1948, and as a book (subtitled The Story of a Holiday in Hollywood) in 1949. The abridged US edition was entitled Movie Shoes. The novel is now out of print, the most recent publication being the 2000 Collins paperback. [1]

Contents

Plot summary

Crabby Jane Winter is furious when her family plans to spend the winter in California, leaving her dog in London. However, her father really needs a holiday to get over his writer's block. In California, Jane meets a movie producer who realises that her disposition makes her perfect to play Mary in a film version of The Secret Garden . The novel shows the process of filmmaking from a child actor's perspective. The novel also involves Jane's siblings: Rachel the budding ballerina and Tim the promising pianist, who have their own adventures in California. But the plain and unnoticed Jane is the one who makes it to fame.

Background

Noel Streatfeild visited America in 1947, travelling by sea to New York, then overland to California, as the Winters did in the novel. She visited film studios in Hollywood, and spent several weeks observing the making of The Secret Garden , paying particular attention to the child stars Margaret O'Brien, Dean Stockwell and Brian Roper. [1]

Publication history

The novel first appeared in 1948 in Collins Magazine for Boys & Girls , with illustrations by Marcia Lane Foster, and the serial was republished in Collins Magazine Annual for Boys & Girls in 1953. The novel was published as a hardback book in 1949, illustrated by Ley Kenyon. An abridged version illustrated by Susanne Suba was published in the US by Random House also in 1949, under the title Movie Shoes. The first UK paperback edition was published in 1961, somewhat revised and with illustrations by Shirley Hughes.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leigh Brackett</span> American novelist and screenwriter (1915–1978)

Leigh Douglass Brackett was an American author and screenwriter. Nicknamed "the Queen of Space Opera," she was one of the most prominent female writers during the Golden Age of Science Fiction. As a screenwriter, she was best known for her collaborations with director Howard Hawks, mainly writing Westerns and crime films. She also worked on an early draft of The Empire Strikes Back (1980), elements of which remained in the film; she died before it went into production.

<i>The Secret Garden</i> 1911 novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Secret Garden is a children's novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett first published in book form in 1911, after serialisation in The American Magazine. Set in England, it is seen as a classic of English children's literature. The American edition was published by the Frederick A. Stokes Company with illustrations by Maria Louise Kirk and the British edition by Heinemann with illustrations by Charles Heath Robinson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pauline Baynes</span> English illustrator of childrens books (1922–2008)

Pauline Diana Baynes was an English illustrator, author, and commercial artist. She contributed drawings and paintings to more than 200 books, mostly in the children's genre. She was the first illustrator of some of J. R. R. Tolkien's minor works, including Farmer Giles of Ham, Smith of Wootton Major, and The Adventures of Tom Bombadil. She became well-known for her cover illustrations for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and for her poster map with inset illustrations, A Map of Middle-earth. She illustrated all seven volumes of C. S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia, from the first book, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Gaining a reputation as the "Narnia artist", she illustratred spinoffs like Brian Sibley's The Land of Narnia. In addition to work for other authors, including illustrating Roger Lancelyn Green's The Tales of Troy and Iona and Peter Opie's books of nursery rhymes, Baynes created some 600 illustrations for Grant Uden's A Dictionary of Chivalry, for which she won the Kate Greenaway Medal. Late in her life she began to write and illustrate her own books, with animal or Biblical themes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward Ardizzone</span> British artist, childrens illustrator and writer

Edward Jeffrey Irving Ardizzone,, who sometimes signed his work "DIZ", was a British painter, printmaker and war artist, and the author and illustrator of books, many of them for children. For Tim All Alone, which he wrote and illustrated, Ardizzone won the inaugural Kate Greenaway Medal from the Library Association for the year's best children's book illustration by a British subject. For the 50th anniversary of the Medal in 2005, the book was named one of the top ten winning titles, selected by a panel to compose the ballot for public election of an all-time favourite.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emily the Strange</span> Fictional character

Emily the Strange is an illustrated fictional character featured in several comic books, graphic novels and in various merchandise and clothing lines. She was created by Rob Reger for his company Cosmic Debris Etc. Inc. located in San Francisco, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monica Edwards</span> English childrens writer

Monica Edwards was an English children's writer of the mid-twentieth century best known for her Romney Marsh and Punchbowl Farm series of children's novels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noel Streatfeild</span> English author (1895–1986)

Mary Noel Streatfeild OBE was an English author, best known for children's books including the "Shoes" books, which were not a series. Random House, the U.S. publisher of the 1936 novel Ballet Shoes (1936), published some of Streatfeild's subsequent children's books using the word "Shoes" in their titles, to capitalize on the popularity of Ballet Shoes; thus Circus Shoes, Party Shoes, Skating Shoes and many more. She won the third annual Carnegie Medal for The Circus Is Coming. She was a member of the historic Streatfeild family.

Noel Langley was a South African-born novelist, playwright, screenwriter and director. He wrote the screenplay which formed the basis for the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and is one of the three credited screenwriters for the film. His finished script for the film was revised by Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf, the other credited screenwriters. Langley objected to their changes and lamented the final cut upon first seeing it, but later revised his opinion. He attempted to write a sequel based on The Marvelous Land of Oz using many of the concepts he had added to its predecessor, but this was never released.

<i>They Came to Baghdad</i> 1951 adventure novel by Agatha Christie

They Came to Baghdad is an adventure novel by Agatha Christie, first published in the United Kingdom by the Collins Crime Club on 5 March 1951 and in the United States by Dodd, Mead and Company later in the same year. The UK edition retailed at eight shillings and sixpence (8/6) and the US edition at $2.50.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erroll Collins</span> British writer

Erroll Collins was a British writer active during the 1940s, specialising in adventure and science fiction for boys. Ellen Redknap wrote under several other names.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marilyn Singer</span> American poet

Marilyn Singer is an author of children's books in a wide variety of genres, including fiction and non-fiction picture books, juvenile novels and mysteries, young adult fantasies, and poetry. Some of her poems are written as reverso poems.

<i>Ballet Shoes</i> (novel) 1936 childrens novel by Noel Streatfeild

Ballet Shoes: A Story of Three Children on the Stage is a children's novel by Noel Streatfeild, published by Dent in 1936. Her first book for children, it was illustrated by the author's sister, Ruth Gervis.

<i>White Boots</i> 1951 novel by Noel Streatfeild

White Boots is a children's novel by Noel Streatfeild. It was first published by Collins publishers in 1951. The book was published under the title Skating Shoes in the US, also in 1951. White Boots tells the story of a poor girl and a rich girl who meet as a result of figure skating and is the tale of their unlikely friendship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thursday's Child (Streatfeild novel)</span>

Thursday's Child is a children's historical novel by Noel Streatfeild, set in turn-of-the-century England. It was first published in Great Britain by William Collins, Sons in 1970 and was followed by a sequel, Far to Go, in 1976. Its most recent release was a Collins paperback in 1999. The novel was adapted for television as a six-part series broadcast 1972–1973.

Mary 'Betty' Newmarsh Woolcock née Ladler (1914–2004) was an English artist and illustrator, most notable for her illustrations in books written by Enid Blyton.

Marion Catherine "Kitty" Barne was a British screenwriter and author of children's books, especially on music and musical themes. She won the 1940 Carnegie Medal for British children's books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruth Gervis</span> British illustrator

Ruth Gervis was a British illustrator. Together with her sister Noel Streatfeild she illustrated the 1936 book Ballet Shoes. Her other book illustrations include The Buttercup Farm Family, The Pole Star Family, The Saucy Jane Family and The Very Big Secret.

<i>The Circus Is Coming</i> 1938 childrens novel by Noel Streatfeild

The Circus Is Coming is a children's novel by Noel Streatfeild, about the working life of a travelling circus. It was first published in 1938 with illustrations by Steven Spurrier. For this novel, Streatfeild was awarded the annual Carnegie Medal from the Library Association, recognising the year's outstanding children's book by a British subject. American editions and some later British editions are titled Circus Shoes.

Robin Lawrie is a Scottish-born artist and children's book illustrator. Throughout his career, he has illustrated books by C. S. Lewis, Prue Leith and Enid Blyton. He has written and illustrated several children's books of his own about building motorways, car mechanics, building kit cars, rally drivers, and mountain biking.

Diane Goode is an American children's book author and illustrator. She has written several children's books and illustrated over 60, including New York Times bestsellers Founding Mothers and Ladies of Liberty and the Caldecott Honor Book When I Was Young in the Mountains (1982). Goode lives in Brooklyn, New York.

References