Betsy-Tacy. Maud Hart Lovelace. Illustrated by Lois Lenski. 1940. 144 pages. [Source: Library]
First sentence: It was difficult, later, to think of a time when Betsy and Tacy had not been friends.
Premise/plot: Betsy meets Tacy, her new neighbor, at her fifth birthday party. The two girls become instant best friends, near sisters. These two are inseparable. They want to do everything together--always together. This book focuses on their time together--at home, at school, etc. The book concludes with the two meeting another little girl near their own age, Tb.
My thoughts: I have no memory of reading Betsy-Tacy growing up. I'd heard of the book series certainly. But if I'm honest, I thought it was literally about ONE girl named Betsy-Tacy. These books are set around the turn of the twentieth century. Yes, it was published originally in 1940...but Betsy and company would have been born in the 1890s.
The book is interesting in that it feels TIMELESS and time-specific. The two things shouldn't both be true. The book feels timeless because it captures childhood realistically--family life, friendship, thoughts and feelings about school. Some things never change. It feels time-specific because of the descriptions and illustrations. It feels delightfully historic. I like that about it.
One thing that struck me, and it's a slight spoiler, is that Tacy has a sibling--younger, I believe--die. This would have been more common during this time period. I loved how this was handled.
© 2023 Becky Laney of Young Readers
1 comment:
I actually found Betsy, Tacy and Tib first, when I was about 8, and I think it is a more accessible book. I usually give that one as a gift, hoping the child will be hooked. However, I agree that Baby Bee's death is handled very sensitively and, of course, there are many classic episodes in this book: the 5th birthday party, Tacy running away from school, and the chocolate house.
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