Thy Friend, Obadiah

1970 Caldecott Honor Book

What was a silly seagull doing, following Obadiah around like a pet? It even spent the night roosting on the chimney opposite Obadiah's bedroom window. Obadiah was annoyed. But on a bitter winter day when Obadiah needed a friend, the seagull wasn't to be seen, and Obadiah missed it. Then, when the seagull was in trouble and Obadiah was able to help, he suddenly discovered how pleasant it is to make a friend. Glowing pictures of old Nantucket set the scene for a story full of warmth and delightful understanding of the feelings of a very real little boy.

Beautiful Feet Books, in cooperation with The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art and Brinton Turkle's grown children--Matilda Rubin, and Haynes and Jonathan Turkle--are delighted to present these new 2018 editions of the Obadiah books for the next generation of readers. Working with Mr. Turkle's original charcoal and watercolor paintings, we have endeavored to restore the integrity, clarity, and beauty of the artist's work. See also Rachel and Obadiah and Obadiah the Bold.

Brinton Turkle was born in Ohio in 1915. He worked most of his life in New Mexico and New York writing books for children and illustrating 82 of them. He had an ambition to write and illustrate three children's books so he could dedicate them to each of his three children. In 1970 he was awarded the prestigious Caldecott Honor for his book Thy Friend, Obadiah.

The Obadiah books reflect the beauty and simplicity of his Quaker beliefs, which he expressed this way: In writing, I use all sorts of tricks to capture the attention of my young audience: suspense, humor and even charm, when I can muster it. But no matter how successfully I may entertain, I am really up to something else: subversion. My abilities are implacably lined up against the hypocrisy, materialism, and brutality that so pervade our society. As my readers leave childhood behind, I hope that they will carry with them an appreciation for such alternatives as integrity, mutual respect, kindness, and reverence for life. These alternatives are in my books, and I pray that exposure to them will play a part in the construction of a better tomorrow.