Background:

These prints are from an early edition of the Raggedy Ann Alphabet, featuring illustrations by Johnny Gruelle (b. 1880), creator of the character of the same name.

Like many children's readers, this series used a story approach to teach children the letters of the alphabet and reading.

The inspiration for Raggedy Ann  came from stories that Gruelle would tell his daughter Marcella to keep her spirits up while she was battling smallpox.  His philosophy was very simple - to emphasize love, caring, sharing and respect for others.

In addition to these prints we also feature on the Web site some from an earlier Gruelle work - the Funny Little Book.