Comments on: The Whole Year Through: The Children’s Friend, 1950

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 15:22:37 +0000

Yeah, I’m afraid we’ll have to dock you a fractional point, m&m. The old Children’s Friend was like the old Primary and included doctrinal material, but spoke to a child’s whole life because, as it was begun and grew, Mormon families had (or could afford) few options for wholesome child entertainment from outside the home. The new Friend suits the new Primary with its narrower focus in a world where umpteen options are available.

By: m&m

m&m — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 08:05:57 +0000

There are at least two of us, Clark, and evidently a whole lot more in 1950.

Count me in.

(Do I lose half a count by saying as a p.s. that I am glad for the doctrinal approach now in Primary and in the magazines?)

By: Mina

Mina — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 16:15:14 +0000

These are so lovely. I wish I could get a complete set.

(I LIKE the fairy folk even though I was a space age baby! I guess I read too many books lavishly illustrated by Arthur Rackham and the like.)

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:48:06 +0000

Yup. There are at least two of us, Clark, and evidently a whole lot more in 1950. Fairy folk, except for perhps leprechauns, are not to my imaginative taste, but that’s more likely due to having been born during the Space Age when aliens rather than fairies dominate the imagination. But in neither case do I see creative fantasies like that as a challenge to religious faith.

By: Clark

Clark — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:22:19 +0000

Good to see that someone besides me sees fairies, mountains, and so forth as an “innocent whimsy of childhood;” not a pagan belief competing with the Church.

Also interesting to note the 3-color covers. 2 and 3 color illustrations always scream “1950s” to me.