Bill Peckmann &Books 04 Mar 2011 08:15 am
Peet’s Capyboppy – 1
- Bill Peckmann has been sending scans of Bill Peet’s book, Capyboppy. This is about a 60 page book which includes a lot of B&W illustrations.
I don’t think it particuly ethical to post the illustrations AND the writing. Consequently, I’ve decided to post the illustrations as stand-alone without the text.
Since the illustrations don’t make much sense without the story, I’m adding a short synopsis as we go. I encourage you, if you like it, to get the book. It’s a gem. you can buy a paperback copy from Amazon for very little money.
The book has a similar feel to Bill Peet An Autobiography, one of the best books of its kind around. I must have read that book about a dozen times since buying it years ago. Prior to publishing this book, Peet wouldn’t reveal his connection to the Disney studio in his encapsulated bios found on the back flyleaf of his children’s books. He wanted a separation from the studio and got it.
The man was a genius who brought so much to the films he worked on, yet tried to separate himself from that work.
Here’s the first part of Capyboppy:
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This story tells of the author’s son, Bill. Bill collected wild animals:
tarantulas, mantises. lizards, the like. Usually, one would replace another
as Bill grew older. When he moved off to college, Bill wanted a boa, but
the family was afraid of the boa escaping and eating the three pet cats.
Bill agreed not to get a boa but asked if it were all right to get a capybara.
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A capybara is the world’s largest rodent sometimes getting up to 200 pounds in weight.
It was agreed and Bill placed the order. When it arrived, Bill drove it up to the door
in his jeep. The capybara jumped out and waddled into the house making sounds like
a bird, “tweedle-tweet.” This aroused the curiosity of the three cats, but when they
saw the big fella, the cats all jumped and ran.
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The capybara ignored them and went straight to the kitchen and
ate their food. One would expect the vegetarian rodent to turn is
nose away from the cat food, but he ate all three bowls worth.
He was just five months old now, what would he be like when he grew?
After eating the cat food as well as some oats and barley he roamed about the house
with the family following. “Tweedle-tweet.” As he went about the house, he was
not just investigating. He’d take a bite out of everything.
The family decided to move him to the back yard.
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To be continued.
Many thanks to Bill Peckmann for sharing this great work.
on 05 Mar 2011 at 9:28 pm 1.Oscar Solis said …
Thanks for posting these. I went to the library and checked out the book. It was very enjoyable read, focusing not just on the joys of creating art, but on the frustrations as well. And the illustrations, as anyone can see from the posted examples, are absolutely wonderful.
Again, thanks.
on 05 Mar 2011 at 9:30 pm 2.Oscar Solis said …
Oops, I was referring to the book Bill Peet, an Autobiography. Now, I must get Capyboppy. Still, what I said stands
on 10 Jan 2014 at 2:49 pm 3.Lorie Heslep said …
Shooting the stars at night can be a difficult but hugely fulfilling discipline in photography. We have all witnessed individuals utterly fantastic shots of stars streaking across the sky, or the milky way in all of its colourful glory, and marveled at this snapshot of the heavens. It can stir all kinds of imaginative ideas, asking yourself who or what is out there, are we alone, and just how to these photographers get this kind of wonderful shots! Properly, there is good and bad news for those that wish to emulate them.