My First Picture Book: With Thirty-six Pages of Pictures Printed in Colours by Kronheim

In Short

My First Picture Book is a nineteenth-century anthology of classic nursery rhymes, fairy tales, and moral fables, including a picture alphabet, "The Little Old Woman who Lived in a Shoe," "The Babes in the Wood," "Little Bo-Peep," "The History of Five Little Pigs," and "The History of Old Mother Goose and her Son Jack." Across these six pieces, simple prose and verse narratives deliver clear-cut lessons, fantastical rescues, and rustic humor. The volume endures as a vivid snapshot of Victorian children's literature, designed to entertain while instilling straightforward lessons about obedience, courage, and kindness.

The Story

The book opens with an illustrated alphabet that pairs each letter with an everyday object or animal, setting a familiar tone before introducing six longer narratives. In the first tale, a Little Old Woman and her children are displaced after a fierce giant destroys their house and carries off the father. Finding an enormous shoe in the wood, the family transforms it into a sturdy dwelling. When the eldest son, Strong-arm, grows old enough, he leads his brothers to the giant's castle, slays a guarding dragon, and frees their father. Meanwhile, an old witch aids the mother by afflicting the giant's feet with painful corns. Seeking relief, the giant stumbles back to his abandoned shoe, where the sons defeat him with arrows before building a new home for their reunited family.

The atmosphere shifts abruptly with "The Babes in the Wood," a poetic ballad recounting the tragedy of two orphaned children left in the care of a greedy uncle. Wanting their inheritance, the uncle hires two ruffians to murder the siblings in the forest. One killer relents out of pity, slays his accomplice in a duel, and abandons the frightened children under the guise of searching for bread. The lost children wander until they die in each other's arms, only for robin red-breasts to cover their bodies with leaves. Divine justice follows quickly: the surviving murderer is sentenced to death for robbery, and the uncle dies in a debtors' prison.

Lighthearted fantasy returns in "Little Bo-Peep." When a tired Bo-Peep falls asleep, her stubborn bell-wether leads the flock deep into the woods, where they become lost. Searching for them in the dark, Bo-Peep escapes an old woman trying to force her to marry an ugly son. Guided by a magical owl, she reaches a enchanted clearing where fairy elves play with the lost sheep. The owl reveals she is a transformed princess who can only be saved if Bo-Peep waves the bell-wether's hidden tail over her head. Bo-Peep fulfills the charm, restoring the princess to human form and receiving a peaceful cottage for her trouble.

"The History of Five Little Pigs" presents five short moral vignettes. The industrious first pig hauls his own vegetable cart to market when his donkey refuses to move; the mischievous second pig breaks his brother's toys and receives a birch whipping; the polite third pig shares his roast beef and gives money to a blind pig; the rebellious fourth pig tears his lesson book and catches a severe cold; and the disobedient fifth pig fishes on forbidden land and receives a thrashing from Farmer Grumpey.

Finally, "The History of Old Mother Goose and her Son Jack" describes a happy household thrown into turmoil when Jack rescues the local Squire's daughter from a forest thief. Smitten, Jack neglects his work until his mother's goose begins laying golden eggs. Armed with wealth, Jack overcomes the haughty Squire's initial rejection and secures his bride, while Mother Goose flies away on her gander into the woods.

How It Unfolds

The alphabet prepares the mind Simple letter pairings establish fundamental words through clear visual associations. Everyday items like cats, dogs, doors, and trees give young readers a reassuring entry into the text.

A giant breaks a family Disaster strikes a wood-cutter's home, forcing his wife and children to take refuge inside an abandoned giant's shoe. They build a life within the footwear while holding out hope for their father's return.

Brothers wage a rescue Strong-arm equips his brothers with swords and shields before marching straight into the giant's castle. He slays a sleeping dragon, frees his imprisoned father, and joins forces with a broom-riding witch.

Greed destroys two innocents A dying father entrusts his wealth and two children to a cold-hearted brother. Driven by avarice, the uncle pays assassins to eliminate the heirs, leading to a tragic end in the silent woods.

Fairies punish a stray flock Bo-Peep searches endlessly for her lost sheep after her bell-wether leads them astray. Her journey brings her face-to-face with an enchanted owl and a nocturnal gathering of mischievous elves.

Vignettes enforce good conduct Five young pigs demonstrate the direct consequences of their personal choices. Industry, generosity, and obedience are rewarded with praise and food, while laziness and defiance bring whippings and bad health.

Golden eggs buy a bride Jack earns the favor of a wealthy Squire after saving his daughter and building immense riches through a magical goose. His newfound fortune allows him to marry his love and settle down happily.

The People

Strong-arm The eldest son of the Little Old Woman, Strong-arm acts as the protector and provider for his displaced family. Driven by a desire to free his father, he shows brave leadership by forging weapons and marching directly into a giant's stronghold, ultimately defeating the monster and reuniting his household.

Little Bo-Peep A gentle and beautiful young shepherdess, Bo-Peep wants nothing more than to keep her flock safe and accounted for. Her trust and perseverance carry her through forest dangers, where her willingness to help an enchanted owl breaks a dark spell and earns her a permanent home.

Jack The good-tempered son of Old Mother Goose, Jack starts out as an ordinary youth who finds himself deeply in love with the Squire's daughter after saving her in the woods. His patience and persistence carry him past the Squire's arrogance until the golden eggs of his mother's goose bring him the status he needs.

The Wicked Uncle Driven purely by greed for his late brother's estate, the uncle acts without affection or honor. He hires assassins to eliminate his young niece and nephew, though his cruel ambition eventually ends in financial ruin and a lonely death in a debtors' prison.

In Its Own Voice

"When they came to that part of the wood where the Giant had met their father, they saw an immense shoe."

This moment establishes the fairy-tale logic of the collection, where everyday objects turn into improbable shelters in times of distress.

"No love between these two was lost: Each to the other kind; In love they lived, in love they died, And left two babes behind."

The simple, balanced rhyming couplets set a somber mood for a moral ballad about tragic loss and orphaned innocence.

"By-and-bye he went out, after asking his mother's leave, to play with his hoop."

This gentle line captures the Victorian ideal of childhood behavior, where consideration and permission come before play.

What It's Really About

Beneath its charming fantasy and nursery-rhyme surface, the book explores the constant tension between obedience and independence. Characters who listen to parental guidance or respect boundaries—like Strong-arm or the well-behaved third pig—find safety, reward, and community. Conversely, those who stray, like the stubborn bell-wether or the pig who trespasses on Farmer Grumpey's land, invite swift danger and unpleasant consequences.

The collection also examines resilience in the face of sudden hardship. Families lose their homes, children are abandoned, and livestock wander into darkness, yet the stories consistently advocate for quiet persistence, courage, and family solidarity as the proper responses to an unpredictable world.

Why Read It Today

Modern readers interested in classic children's literature, folklore history, or Victorian publishing will enjoy My First Picture Book for its straightforward storytelling and historical charm. Reading it feels like turning the pages of an old, treasured family volume, complete with the direct morality and unvarnished plot twists typical of nineteenth-century picture books.

The text does carry noticeable period characteristics that readers should anticipate. The moral lessons are delivered directly without modern subtlety, and corporal punishment appears casually—as when Mrs. Pig reaches for her "thickest and heaviest birch" or Farmer Grumpey wields his whip. Furthermore, the stark tragedy of "The Babes in the Wood" contrasts sharply with the lighter tone of the surrounding fairy tales. Yet for those who appreciate authentic period children's literature, this anthology offers an engaging look at how storytelling was used to teach, warn, and entertain young readers of a past generation.