The Pasteboard Bandit

BONTEMPS, Arna & HUGHES, Langston

ISBN 10: 0195114760 / ISBN 13: 9780195114768

Published by Oxford University Press, U.S., 1997

About this Item

Written in 1935 as a follow up to their first children's book, "Popo and Fifina" (1932), this is the first publication of this story of two cultures written by Langston Hughes and his collaborator Arna Bontemps. It's a meaty tale of the friendship between an American boy and a Mexican boy and the toy that brings them together. Kids will learn much about Mexican life and culture. There are lots of little drawings throughout the book, but the highlight is the thirteen full page paintings by Peggy Turley, which burst with the bright and vibrant colors and symbols of Mexico. There is an Introduction by Bontemps' son, and an Afterword by Cheryl A Wall, a Rutgers English Professor. A fine copy in a near fine, slightly rubbed and edgeworn dust jacket.

Seller Inventory # 000481

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Pasteboard Bandit
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, U.S.
• Publication Date: 1997
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0195114760
• ISBN 13: 9780195114768
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Peggy Turley
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine

About this title

Synopsis

In this delightful children's tale, an American boy, Kenny Strange, moves to the quiet Mexican town of Taxco with his parents and strikes up a friendship with young Juanito Pérez, a Taxco native. The two boys are brought together by an enchanting toy, the pasteboard bandit Tito. Chosen by Juanito at a town fair from among the other pasteboard toys, Tito, with his colorful clothes and bright eyes, becomes Juanito's and Kenny's constant companion, and the threesome share many adventures in and around the town's rolling green hills. The boys' growing friendship, Kenny's introduction to a culture unlike his own, and Tito's witty reflections on being a toy will be recognized instantly by anyone young or old who has ever made a friend or imagined that a toy might be real.
Originally written in 1935, but never before published, The Pasteboard Bandit grew out of several trips Langston Hughes made to Mexico during his lifetime. Hughes first went to the town of Toluca at age 5 to visit his father, and again when he was older. During these visits, Hughes met many writers and artists, and it is their influence that informs the story of The Pasteboard Bandit--a story of two cultures meeting. When Hughes left Mexico for the last time, at age 32, he was carrying the first draft for The Pasteboard Bandit.

About the Author

Arna Bontemps (1902-1973) was born in Louisiana and grew up in California. He moved to New York City in 1923, and it was there that he met Langston Hughes and other Harlem Renaissance writers. Bontemps is known as one or our major African-American poets, but he is also credited with making black folklore and literature available to the public through his anthologies and through his work as a historian, librarian, and teacher at several American universities.

Langston Hughes (1902-1967) was born in Joplin, Missouri, and grew up in Kansas, Illinois, and Ohio. He moved to New York City and lived on 127th Street in Harlem for most of his adult life. One of the most versatile writers of the Harlem Renaissance, Hughes wrote poetry, plays, essays, novels, and short stories.

Peggy Turley has a B.A. in history from the University of Memphis, where she studied painting and photography. She lives in Memphis and and is the illustrator of Armadillo Ray.

Cheryl A. Wall is Professor of English at Rutgers University.