Greenaway’s primer for early readers is based on a series of adventures and activities for middle-class children with illustrations by Greenaway and text by Thomas Hartford.
The story for “Moll and Jane’s Picnic” is a simple recipe for a successful picnic: “Moll and Jane had a pic-nic. They first begged the cook to give them some sand-wich-es and gin-ger-bread. Then Moll stole downstairs and got an a-pron-ful of po-ta-toes, while Jane got some match-es. They were go-ing to roast their po-ta-toes; and this is the way they did it. They dug a shal-low hole, put them in, cov-ered them with dirt, and then built a fire a-bove them. They were ver-y good when they were cooked, I can tell you.”
Featured Image: Kate Greenaway. Moll and Jane’s Picnic. Edited by Thomas W. Hanford. Chicago: Belford, Clarke, & Co., 1887