Of all the books I don’t own, I think I mourn The Johny Book the most. The verse is nothing surprising to someone steeped in Little Willie lore, but the illustrations are exceptional.

The Johny Book was written and illustrated by two Cornell University architecture students, Willard Dickerman Straight (writer) and J. André Smith (illustrator). The cartoons were first published in the Cornell Widow (Cornell University’s student paper) and then as a book.

Which I don’t own. *sigh*

Thank goodness for “The Bookman”, a monthly magazine published in London from 1891 until 1934 by Hodder & Stoughton. It was a catalogue of their current publications that also contained reviews, advertising and illustrations.

And Volume XVII (March, 1903 – Augst, 1903) contained the only illustrations from The Johny Book that I have found.

God bless “The Bookman”.

• Johny hung his little sister
• Johny with his little axe
• Johny with a bowie knife
• John has gone from bad to worse
• Johny saw a buzz-saw buzz

Johny hung his little sister
She was dead before they misst her
Johny’s allus up t’trix,
Ain’t he cute? – he’s only six…

From The Johny Book published ca 1900. The Johny Book was a collection of rhymes written and illustrated by two Cornell University architecture students, Willard Dickerman Straight and J. André Smith. Previously published in the Cornell Widow (the university’s paper).

Johny with his little axe
Delt his brother orful wacks
He don’t care if Mama kicks
Ain’t he cute, he’s only 6

From The Johny Book published ca 1900. The Johny Book was a collection of rhymes written and illustrated by two Cornell University architecture students, Willard Dickerman Straight and J. André Smith. Previously published in the Cornell Widow (the university’s paper).

Johny with a bowie knife
Separated Ma and life
Now he’s in another mix
Ain’t he cute, he’s only 6

From The Johny Book published ca 1900. The Johny Book was a collection of rhymes written and illustrated by two Cornell University architecture students, Willard Dickerman Straight and J. André Smith. Previously published in the Cornell Widow (the university’s paper).

John has gone from bad to worse
Now his father’s in a hearse
Smeared him with a load of bricks
Ain’t he cute, he’s only six

From The Johny Book published ca 1900. The Johny Book was a collection of rhymes written and illustrated by two Cornell University architecture students, Willard Dickerman Straight and J. André Smith. Previously published in the Cornell Widow (the university’s paper).