Books And Their Care (1959)

[Music] [Music] one afternoon bobby and his grandmother came to this bookstore it was bobby's birthday grandmother was going to buy him a book and he could choose it himself inside the bookstore there were more new books than bobby had ever seen before there were picture books and space books and fairy tales which should bobby choose there was one it was a good book about a bear winnie the pooh bobby's teacher read stories from this book could bobby have this book yes and this picture book was for bobby's little sister sue at home everyone was eager to see what bobby had bought even frisky bobby's dog seemed excited first bobby gave sue the picture book grandmother had bought her sue thanks grandmother she was surprised she liked her new book it had nice pictures but sue didn't know how to take care of books very well watch that's not very good for a book you have to take care of books now bobby showed his book it looked very familiar to father he said he'd be right back somewhere on this bookshelf father remembered there was an old book of his this was a book that father had owned since he was a boy father's old book and bobby's new book had the same stories about winnie the pooh even though father's book was very old it was still in good condition the pages were clean and there were no marks on them yes father had taken good care of his book could bobby take care of a new book as well as his father had father said the way to start taking care of a new book is to open it right the back part which is called the binding is stiff and easy to break unless you open the new book in the right way father showed bobby how he had opened his book when it was new he opened the front cover and back cover and pressed down with his finger along the binding then he did the same to small groups of pages first from the back and then from the front working toward the center grandmother remembered that father had done this very well when he was a boy could bobby open his book correctly without breaking the binding yes bobby knew how to open a new book sue was learning how to now bobby was ready to read his new book but mother said it was time for supper bobby knew he couldn't take his book with him where should he keep it on this table no then sue might accidentally tear it frisky might pull a book off that table too very little children and pets don't understand how to take care of books bobby had a special place for his books a bookshelf just high enough so that sue and frisky couldn't reach it books must be kept in a proper place bobby was eager to finish eating so he could read his new book he knew he must not read while eating food might drop on his book but when supper was finished then he and sue could get their books before they read their books bobby and sue put sue's crayons away with loose crayons or pencils around marks might get on the books then they wash their hands for hands must always be clean before touching a book clean hands don't leave marks on books now bobby and sue were ready to begin reading their new books sue noticed how carefully bobby turned the pages see the pages would tear easily unless he was very careful sue was learning how to take care of books from her big brother bobby knew how to take care of his books what nice pictures what clean pages and what funny stories here is edward bear coming downstairs now bump bump bump on the back of his head bobby really liked his new book he wanted to keep it for a very long time bobby and sue red until it was bedtime bobby wanted to mark his place in his new book but how could he do it father told him any clean piece of paper is good for a bookmark or even a postcard will do bookmarks like this would help him keep his place and would not hurt the book bobby knew where to keep his book on the bookshelf standing books neatly on the shelf protects them it saves them from broken banks and from falling on the floor bobby brought his new book to school the next day everyone wanted to see it miss johnson said she would show it to all the children but first she had another book to show the children look at this it's a storybook that once was as new and pretty as bobby's book but look at it now its cover was spoiled because the book was left in the rain it had torn pages and smudges from dirty hands and fingers and there were pencil and crayon marks on the pictures and words did somebody's little brother or sister do all this to what was once a new and clean book no someone who was in miss johnson's class last year did it the way some boys and girls treat books you'd think they were little children bobby's class could see why everyone must learn to take care of books so that they can be enjoyed many many times later when it was library time bobby read his new book the other children read books from their library watch out judy is the book all right no a page has been torn miss johnson knew that accidents happen even when we're careful she was happy that judy had brought the book right to her miss johnson had a special mending tape for repairing torn pages by mending the book right away the tear won't get worse there almost as good as new now whoever uses it will see that books are taken care of here and now the book must be returned to its proper place bobby knows how much fun it is to read books and what good friends they are he is happy that he knows how to take care of books do you know how to take care of the books you read you