This is for 2 volumes of The Cheerful Cherub (First Series and Second Series) by Rebecca McCann. Published by Covivi-Friede in 1930 (2nd and 3rd printings).
"The Cheerful Cherub was an American single-panel newspaper cartoon written and drawn by Rebecca McCann. McCann began publishing Cheerful Cherub cartoons in the Chicago Evening Post in 1917, when she was just twenty years old, after editor Julian Mason took an interest in the little drawings and verses that dropped out of McCann’s portfolio as she tried to show him more serious work. Each single-panel cartoon featured the title character, accompanied by his pet dog, speaking a short verse, generally in iambic meter, offering wisdom, wit, and insight on sundry topics such as ambition, education, friendship, lies, sin, and work. The feature was soon picked up for syndication, and at its peak appeared in over 100 papers around the United States.
"The verses are NOT cheery and fake- the author has good days and bad days and it's a sheer delight to see she indulges her feelings and writes accordingly. Therefore, if you're in a "why me?" mood, you can find poems that fit your mood. Each one is labeled accordingly, so you'd find one labeled "Pity" for instance. It's a great gift as there is quite a variety of moods throughout, so whatever kind of day you're having, you can relate!
The poems are short- we're talking about a 5-8 second read for each one at the most. They are written in simple, concise English, nice rhyme, and concisely convey the idea.
"Absolutely wonderful!
Her poetry has humor- there's one that mentions people picking on the world, and how unfair it is, as the world was here first. Also, she has a real knack for taking teeny things we don't notice or do notice, and highlighting them in a funny way. She states she can't stand creaky doors, which many of us can relate to (particularly when people insist on going in and out, in and out.) One poem ends with "three cheers for spring says I!" and you just want to lay on your back and watch the clouds like the drawing of the little cherub is doing. Speaking of which, each poem has one (see cover of book) and her little dog is adorable too..."
Please see photos for more on contents and condition.