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The Siddie Joe Johnson Collection of Children's Literature


Dallas Public Library houses one of the finest historical collections of materials for the study and appreciation of children's literature in the Southwest. Located in the Youth Discovery Center on the second floor of the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, the collection contains many first editions, original illustrations for children's books and numerous rare and unique items. It is named in honor of Siddie Joe Johnson, a former children's librarian at the Dallas Public Library known for her efforts to bring excellence in literature, storytelling and creative writing to children.

The collection is viewed by appointment only. Rotating displays are available throughout the second floor.

Who was Siddie Joe Johnson?

Siddie Joe Johnson was a nationally recognized children's librarian who served the Dallas Public Library from 1938 to 1965. She won several awards as a librarian, cultivated relationships with renowned children's authors, and was herself a published author and poet. Johnson won the very first Grolier Award issued by the American Library Association for outstanding contributions to children's library work in 1954. She won the Texas Librarian of the Year Award from the Texas Library Association in 1964.

Siddie Joe was also an accomplished writer and poet. Her first book, "Debby," set in the Texas of her youth, appeared in 1940. Her 1955 book, "Cat Hotel," told the story of a woman in East Dallas who kept cats for vacationing families. She wrote book reviews for newspapers in Corpus Christi and Dallas, and she served as children's book editor for The Dallas Morning News for more than thirty years. She published several collections of poems, but most of her published writing was children's fiction.

Collection Highlights

Original Beatrix Potter
Beatrix Potter's story about the adventures of Peter Rabbit in farmer McGregor's gardens was originally rejected by publishers, so in 1901 Potter self-published several hundred copies of the book. The popularity of her self-published book drew attention from several publishers, and the "Tale of Peter Rabbit" became one of the most enduring children's story in literature. Dallas Public Library is fortunate to have a copy of one of these rare privately published editions.

Manuscript for Sara Crewe
The children's novel "A Little Princess" by Francis Hodgson Burnett was originally published as a short story called "Sara Crewe: or What Happened at Miss M Minchin’s," serialized in St. Nicholas Magazine in 1887. Dallas Public Library owns a copy of the original hand-written Sara Crewe manuscript by Burnett. The book is set in London in the early 1900's, and is the story is of a young girl named Sara Crewe, and her life at Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Ladies.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
The Siddie Joe Johnson Collection includes a selection of comparative editions of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" published throughout the years, featuring a variety of publishers and illustrators. One of the earliest editions was published in 1893 by Thomas Crowell of New York. The collection also includes a rare collectible edition of "Alice in Wonderland" illustrated by Barry Moser. Also of interest are an unusual series of promotional booklets put out by the Guinness Company in the 40's and 50's using the characters from Alice in Wonderland. These booklets were sent to doctor's offices to promote the healthful benefits of drinking beer.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

The Siddie Joe Johnson Collection features first and early editions of the beloved Oz books. Born in New York in 1856, L. Frank Baum had his first best-selling children's book with 1899's "Father Goose, His Book." The following year he published "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" and went on to write 13 more Oz books. The collection also includes first editions of other Baum books including "Father Goose, His Book" and "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus."

The Mother Goose Collection
One of the highlights of the Siddie Joe Johnson Collection is a variety of editions of Mother Goose Books, from "Old Fashioned Mother Goose Melodies" published in 1879 to early editions of "Mother Goose" by the noted female illustrator of the 19th and early 20th century, Jessie Willcox Smith. Mother Goose is a popular children's character featured in collections of nursery tales and rhymes. She first appeared during the 17th century in Charles Perrault's "Tales from the Past with Morals: Tales from My Mother Goose." Ever since then, she has been associated with children's stories and storytelling.

Limited Edition Illustrated Books
The Siddie Joe Johnson Collection contains several limited-edition books notable for their illustrators. Many of these beautifully illustrated books are signed editions by the illustrators. Included in the collection are two especially noteworthy books:

Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Wonder Book," published in 1922 by Hodder & Stoughton and signed and illustrated by Arthur Rackham. It is a limited edition #384 of 600. A leading illustrator from the Golden Age of British book illustration in the early 20th century, Rackham was noted for his use of pen and ink and watercolor to create dramatic fantasy illustrations for such books as "Peter Pan," "Tales from Shakespeare" and many fairy tale collections.

"Fairy Tales by Hans Andersen," published in 1924 by Hodder & Stoughton and signed by the illustrator Kay Nielsen. It is a limited edition #253 of 500. Nielsen, a contemporary of Arthur Rackham, was a Danish Illustrator and also part of the Golden Age of Book Illustration in the early 20th century. In the 1930s he worked for Disney animation, creating scenes for the movie "Fantasia." His artwork was typified by flattened perspectives and long curving lines, revealing his influence from Art Nouveau and Chinese and Japanese woodcuts.


Artwork by Children's Book Illustrators
The SJJ collection also houses a unique collection of original artwork from children's book illustrators, including such notable artists as Don Freeman (writer and artist of "Corduroy"), Johnny Gruelle (creator of Raggedy Anne and Raggedy Andy), E.H. Shepard (artist of the original Winnie-the-Pooh books), Lois Lenski and Alice & Martin Provensen.