JOY ALONG THE WAY: IT'S TIME FOR A KATE GREENAWAY PARTY

Early this spring, two of my little neighbor girls came to see me. "You got time to read us a story?" one of them asked.

The Kate Greenaway Book was at arm's length, so I picked it up and thumbed through it, looking for something suitable for first- and second-graders. They were more interested in the pictures than the text, as was I.

Lest you have forgotten, or never knew, Kate Greenaway was an English woman, who, as Publisher's Weekly says, "in the late 19th century, gave to children's literature such beauty and charm as it had never known before (and seldom since)."

Greenaway dressed her illustrated little girls in smocks, bonnets, wide hats, long dresses with sashes, ribbons and bows. Utterly elegant. Garlands and baskets of flowers were prominent in her endearing drawings.

These fashions clearly looked odd to my little visitors who belong to the jeans, shorts, sweat and T-shirts age. But they liked the pictures, and the idea of a Kate Greenaway summer party for my little neighbors was born.

My invitations suggested that proper attire would be long dresses and a hat or bonnet. Each one was urged to bring a flower to add to our party table centerpiece and to use later in a game.

At the appointed time, here they came -- Samantha, a/k/a "Sami," Amanda, a/k/a "Mandy," Angel, Keshia and Sarah. To me they looked as clear-eyed, soft-faced and happy-hearted as any of Greenaway's illustrated children.

Primly, they walked into the dining room and before I could shut the door and turn around they were seated around the table, quietly, mannerly. They had been well taught and knew when to apply their teaching.

Half-finished sentences flashed through my mind: "Let the little children ..." "Except you become as little children ..." "Grave Alice and laughing Allegra and Edith with golden hair. ..."

We added the flowers to the table arrangement and afterwards used them in a game similar to "pin the tail on the donkey." A little girl was pre-outlined on a piece of white sheeting. My guests added colored eyes, nose, mouth, hair, buttons, bows, sash, shoes, stocking, etc. One outstretched hand on the drawing was prominent. The children attempted to pin the flower they had bought as near the center of the hand as they, blindfolded, thought it to be. Some went in an ear, some in a foot, but everyone got a prize.

Afterwards, little mounds of dried potpourri were placed on circles of pink net, gathered up and ribbon tied. They made delightful, fragrant, squat sachets. Each one told where she thought she would place her "crafty production."

Inside-house attention span being exhausted, we went to the yard for "freedom." Especially did we go to the big, new garden seat, for which this party was somewhat of a dedication. Everyone had a picture taking experience.

~Jean Bell Mosley is an author and longtime columnist for the Southeast Missourian.