A review by calistareads
The Diverting History of John Gilpin by William Cowper, C. E. 1870-1938 Brock

4.0

The horse racing on the seal of the Caldecott medal comes from this story. Caldecott illustrated it, but William Cowper wrote the ballad. A man is going for a ride with his family when he mounts his horse and it wildly takes off. He races through the town and some think it's a race and others think the horse was stolen and John is trying to stop the horse. He eventually gets back home minus wig and hat.

I enjoy Caldecott's art. It's whimsical and fun and full of action. Of course not compared to modern standards. This is from the 1870's. The old English was a bit awkward to read at times. I still enjoyed it.

The kids kept asking what words meant. There was a lot they didn't understand at first and they did catch on.