Book We Bought our Children

In 1981 I saw this book on Captain Kangaroo and immediately bought it for our daughter, Emily. A Special Trade is about a neighbor "Old Bartholomew" who takes Nelly for a walk in her stroller.

 

"When Nelly was very small, he would take her every day for a walk down the block to Mrs. Pringle's vegetable garden. Bartholomew never pushed too fast. He always warned Nelly about Mr. Oliver's bumpy driveway: "Hang on, Nell! Here's a bump!" And she'd shout "BUMP!" as she rode over it.

If they met a nice dog along the way, they'd stop and pet it. But if it was nasty, Bartholomew would shoo it away. When Mrs. Pringle's sprinkler was on, he would say, "Get ready, get set, CHAAARRRRRRRRGE!" Nelly would squeal "Wheeee!" as he pushed her through it."

 

So the book follows their relationship through the seasons and through Nelly growing up and Bartholomew growing older. One day Bartholomew went out alone and fell down the stairs. He was hospitalized 'for a long time.'

"When Bartholomew came home, he was in a wheelchair. The smile was gone from his eyes. When he declared their walks were over, Nelly said, "No they aren't! I can take you for walks now." She knew just how to do it, too. Nice and easy, not too fast. Just before Mr. Oliver's driveway, she would call, "Get ready for the bump!" And Batholomew would wave his hat like a cowboy as he rode over it."

She knew how to handle dogs they met, and how to run his wheelchair through the overspray of the sprinkler. Mrs. Prinkle leaned over the fence. "Seems just like yesterday Bartholomew was pushing you in the stroller."

"That was when I was little," said Nelly. "Now it's my turn to push and Batholomew's turn to sit ... kind of like a trade."

 

I could not find this in print now. Amazon only had a very expensive copy of it. Ours is in tattered, well used, and I still like it!

Hopefully the investment we make in our grandchildren will become a Special Trade one day, as they grow up and we grow older.

 

 

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