Classic kids’ book resurrected for next generation 

By Mike O'Brien 
Springfield News-Leader

October 8, 2000
Life & Times Section - Page 1G

When the apostle Paul instructively wrote "When I became a man, I put away the things of a child ...," he hadn’t counted on Jill Morgan.

Nor had I when, in a column several years ago, I wrote about my futile search for a favorite childhood book, "Mr. Bear Squash-You-All-Flat."

And I certainly hadn’t counted on Jill Morgan when, a few months ago in an eBay auction, I finally snagged a "Mr. Bear" that’s as tattered as I am a half-century later.

But now I - and, I predict, legions of other aging boomers - will count on Jill Morgan because she’s starting to republish old children’s books, including "Mr. Bear."

With three kids under age 10, Morgan switched from software engineer to dealing in children’s books online out of her Texas home four years ago. She soon made an astonishing discovery: Books she’d enjoyed as a girl command big bucks from nostalgic collectors today.

Focusing on the vintage market, she learned of "Mr. Bear" from customers and was stunned to find that mint examples of the old 25-cent Wonder Book can fetch as much as $800 nowadays.

"I felt sorry for the rest of us who can’t pay that kind of money," Morgan says. "And those who can afford the high price aren’t likely to put such a rare and expensive book into the hands of kids. That’s the real shame - a great story doesn’t get passed on to the next generation."

By the way, the story of "Mr. Bear" goes like this: An ornery bear gets his jollies by plopping his big butt onto the houses of smaller critters in the forest. A mouse, a chipmunk and a rabbit, recently rendered homeless by the furry lout, set up communal housekeeping in an abandoned bus tire. When the bear attempts to flatten the rubber dwelling, he is bounced right out of the neighborhood.

Morgan thought the story ought to be shared. To her joy, she learned that the author, Morrell Gipson, is still perky at age 80 in New York City after a career as a book editor.

Gipson, who’d been paid only a flat fee of $100 for the text in the late 1940s, had regained the copyright. Aware the book had developed a sort of cult status, Gipson tried unsuccessfully to get it re-issued. Then last spring came a phone call from Morgan.

"I was so pleased that Jill wanted to republish my book, and it quickly became obvious to me that she knows what she is doing," Gipson says. "It was a beautiful coincidence."

Next the mail brought Gipson another timely surprise - a fan letter from Gary Larson, creator of the zany "Far Side" cartoons. He, too, has fond childhood memories of "Mr. Bear Squash-You-All-Flat." Gipson phoned Larson and coaxed him into writing a forward for the new edition.

Morgan, meanwhile, hunted up art restoration experts to revive the colorful illustrations from faded old pages. She found a printer in Malaysia willing to faithfully reproduce "Mr. Bear," complete with plastic-coated cover, at a cost that will allow the new-old book to sell at retail for $15.

"It’s nice," says Morgan, "to make a favorite book available again, at a reasonable price, to people who enjoyed it a long time ago - and to their kids and grandkids today, too."

The experience has encouraged Morgan to plan resurrection of other once-popular but out-of-print kids’ books.

Hmm, anyone else remember "Elephant Buttons"?