I don't usually expect to get all misty-eyed in the very first chapter of any book, especially an innocent children's book like Raggedy Andy Stories. A brief biography of the author-artist by his grandson, Kim Gruelle, makes this edition especially valuable. Johnny Gruelle's delicate illustrations are the perfect companion to the well-loved stories in this American classic, the only edition authorized by the Gruelle family.

Other stories also include Raggedy Andy and the other dolls' encounters with the Easter bunny, Santa Claus, and a beautiful seashell.

His merry escapades frequently show his generosity in helping others, as he bravely ventures into the gutter to find the penny dolls, 'cures' the French doll, and encourages the wooden horse. After a warm welcome from the other dolls, Raggedy Andy adds to their fun with a dance, a pillow fight, and a taffy pull. All the original stories are here, as Raggedy Andy arrives in the mail at Marcella's father's office, displays his cheery smile, and is eagerly reunited with his sister, Raggedy Ann. Now he returns to captivate a new generation in this carefully produced reissue, which restores the book to its original appearance. He was fifty-seven years old.Since Raggedy Andy first appeared in print in 1920, he has delighted millions of readers with his adventurous spirit and compassionate nature. Gruelle had a long-standing heart condition, and died from this ailment in Miami Beach Florida, on 8th January 1938. He spent a year in Ashland, Oregon, from 1923-24. Gruelle lived in the Silvermine section of New Canaan, Connecticut, where the dolls were first mass-produced, and later moved his home and company to neighbouring Wilton, Connecticut. Woodin (1868 – 1934), who in 1933 was appointed Secretary of Treasury under Franklin Roosevelt. His ‘Sunny Songs’ were set to music by William H. Possessed, with a heavy countenance, and … with the only thing he would bear to have near him as a reminder of Marcella a rag doll.Īside from the books and dolls, Gruelle also wrote songs on the ‘Raggedy Ann’ theme. After this blow, family friends described Gruelle as: His beloved Marcella contracted diptheria and died at the age of thirteen. Gruelle’s life was struck by immense personal tragedy however. One such example is his masterful, Nobody’s Boy – illustrations for Hector Malet’s Sans Famille. Gruelle was an extremely talented illustrator as well as author, and often had such confidence in his designs that he would create the final ink work without first sketching in pencil. These became Volland’s major source of revenue. Three years later, in 1918, the ‘PF Volland Company’ published Raggedy Ann Stories, and Gruelle went on to create an extremely popular series on the same theme, as well as a further collection of Raggedy Ann dolls. Origins of Fairy Tales from Around the World.

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