Boo Boo’s Book List: Each Peach Pear Plum

Was anyone else obsessed with a book called The Jolly Postman when they were a kid? It’s a book published in 1986 by Jane and Allan Ahlberg, a husband and wife illustrating and writing team. The book follows the Jolly Postman as he delivers mail to fairy tale characters, including Goldilocks, the Three Bears, the Wicked Witch and the Giant, and others. Part of why I loved the book is because it had actual letters folded up in envelopes that you could take out and read. What kid would not want to read someone else’s mail, especially if that someone else is the Wicked Witch? I’m not sure if my constant desire to open my parents mail was inspired or exacerbated by this book, but taking out each letter, written in a different hand or typed in different fonts and reading it was a thrill. 

I feel like I never got enough of The Jolly Postman, and not just because I loved it so much. We had it, but I felt I could never find it. At any rate, the cast of letters was revolving as one would get lost as another was found, and perhaps for the book’s sake it was stowed in a safe place where I could not overzealously empty the contents of all the envelopes all the time. But probably I was just very bad at keeping track of it.

Boo Boo is way too young for The Jolly Postman, but I discovered the Ahlbergs have many other masterpieces, including Each Peach Pear Plum.

My friend in DC used to work at a cafe called Pear Plum, and the owners had an adjacent food market called Each Peach. I remember her telling me excitedly that the businesses were named after a book. When I went to Pear Plum I saw that that they also sold the book there. 

The cover art looked so familiar, but I couldn’t remember why. It just triggered something buried deep in the database of my childhood memories. I read the first two pages and I decided I needed to get it for Boo Boo. It’s the only brand new book I’ve bought for him–the rest have been gleaned from stoop sales, thrift stores, friends and family. A couple days ago I looked up Janet and Allan Ahlberg, specifically for this book review, which now seems to be turning into more of a memoir piece, and that’s when I discovered that they are also the geniuses behind The Jolly Postman.

Each Peach Pear Plum was first published in 1978. It’s an I Spy book, where the reader is challenged to spot a cast of fairy tale characters as they go about their daily routine. Tom Thumb lurks in cabinets, Mother Hubbard putters around the house, the Three Bears are hunting, Baby Bunting nearly drowns. You know, the usual. The day ends with everyone getting together for a jolly picnic.

That I can recite the whole thing from beginning to end is a testament to the rhyming text and the whimsical, action-packed illustrations. Once you have a verse memorized, you’ll immediately remember the illustration, which will help you remember the next verse. Let’s look at the first pages:

Since this is a short, sweet, sturdy book we keep this on rotation for Boo Boo’s bedtime stories. His favorite character has no name. Can you guess who it is? The dog.

The dog does not have its own verse, but here’s one I think could work:

Mother Hubbard wears clogs

I spy a little dog. 

Anyway, Boo Boo is also always excited to spot Baby Bunting, the Wicked Witch’s cat, the Three Bears, and various birds that also make their appearances. As he gets older I’m sure he’ll be excited about finding the other characters in the book. 

As much fun as this book is for Boo Boo, it’s also a trip down memory lane for me as fairy tale characters come back to life, and since it was not written by the Brothers Grimm, they all sit down together to share plum pie and they live happily ever after.