Kate Greenaway

The Apple Pie ABC is a simple rhyme meant to teach children the order of the alphabet and relates the various ways children react to an apple pie. After the first line, A was an apple pie, the rest of the letters refer to verbs. The earliest printed versions, dating from the 18th century, have the following form: "A was an Apple pie; B bit it; C cut it; D dealt it; E eat it; F fought for it; G got it; H had it; J joined it; K kept it; L longed for it; M mourned for it; N nodded at it; O opened it; P peeped in it; Q quartered it; R ran for it; S stole it; T took it; V viewed it; W wanted it; X, Y, Z, and ampersand, All wished for a piece in hand". At that time the writing of the capital letters I and J, and of U and V, was not differentiated, which explains the absence of the two vowels.

A proud son of Bella Coola's Norwegian settlers, Lorne Greenaway grew up in the Okanagan in a time when kids left home after breakfast to face the day's adventures (and misadventures) armed with only an uncomplicated faith in their own youthful immortality. When Lorne won a pony in the Red River Cereal contest, a lifelong love of animals was born. After graduating from high school, Lorne chose to pursue a career in veterinary medicine at Guelph University, where his inclination toward practical jokes helped to temper the long and gruelling studies of a veterinary student. In this intimate memoir Lorne describes the humour, tragedies and triumphs of a large-animal veterinary practice on the cattle ranches of BC's Interior. Not long after he had established a thriving practice, circumstances conspired to take Lorne on an eclectic journey from teaching veterinary medicine, to ranching, to exporting cattle and finally into politics. Lorne's ten years as a member of Parliament and his subsequent time in provincial politics paint a fascinating and heart-warming picture of what one lone backbencher from the boonies can -- and cannot -- do.

Charming reproduction of rare volume by famed 19th-century illustrator includes abundantly illustrated list of over 200 plants and their figurative equivalents — tulip = fame; blue violet = faithfulness, etc. Selection of flower-related verses, including "To a Mountain Daisy" by Robert Burns, appears at back of book. 85 full-color illustrations.

In this delightfully illustrated poetry book, the acclaimed artist uses her stunning full-color drawings to teach young children about the alphabet, introducing the letters A to Z while following the fortunes of an apple pie, accompanied by other traditional nursery rhymes. 10,000 first printing.