Sixty years ago, on October 15, 1952, E.B. White''s
Charlotte''s Web was published. It''s gone on to become
one of the most beloved children''s books of all time. To celebrate
this milestone, the renowned Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo has
written a heartfelt and poignant tribute to the book that is itself
a beautiful translation of White''s own view of the world-of the
joy he took in the change of seasons, in farm life, in the miracles
of life and death, and, in short, the glory of everything.
We are proud to include Kate DiCamillo''s foreword in the 60th
anniversary editions of this cherished classic.
Charlotte''s Web is the story of a little girl named
Fern who loved a little pig named Wilbur-and of Wilbur''s dear
friend Charlotte A. Cavatica, a beautiful large grey spider who
lived with Wilbur in the barn.
With the help of Templeton, the rat who never did anything for
anybody unless there was something in it for him, and by a
wonderfully clever plan of her own, Charlotte saved the life of
Wilbur, who by this time had grown up to quite a pig.
How all this comes about is Mr. White''s story. It is a story of
the magic of childhood on the farm. The thousands of children who
loved Stuart Little, the heroic little city mouse, will be
entranced with Charlotte the spider, Wilbur the pig, and Fern, the
little girl who understood their language.
The forty-seven black-and-white drawings by Garth Williams have
all the wonderful detail and warmhearted appeal that children love
in his work. Incomparably matched to E.B. White''s marvelous story,
they speak to each new generation, softly and irresistibly.