In our library when I was growing up we had a book called Suzuki Beane by Sandra Scoppettone and illustrated by Louise Fitzhugh. It was a funny, black-and-white picture book published in 1961 about a young girl (the titular Suzuki) from a beatnik family. She becomes best friends with a rich boy, but discovers that her “cool” parents can be just as intolerant and judgemental as her friend’s snooty family. The book is written in very hip beatnik-esque argot, all in typewriter lower-case, and as a kid I loved it. (Yeah, yeah, so my family were a bunch of hippies. I read Robert Crumb when I was 6, too.)
Remembering all this, I looked up the book on the web wanting to find out more about it. It turns out that it was written as a parody of Kay Thompson’s Eloise books, and, like that series, was actually aimed at adults. In retrospect, some of the satirical swipes at poetry readings and society gatherings probably went right over my head at the time (just like the subject matter of the aforementioned Robert Crumb comics, which were speedily taken out of my hands. My family wasn’t that hippyish).
Scoppettone is still writing books, but now specializes in mystery novels, no longer listing Suzuki Beane in her bibliography. In fact, she has actually sold the rights to the book to actor/writer David Teague, who has created a “new, updated” version called (ewww) The Crazy World of America’s Baby Beatnik Suzuki Beane™. The pictures make Suzuki look cute and adorable, which the original definitely wasn’t. He’s also developing a Suzuki Beane animated cartoon. Ick. How to destroy a childhood icon.
Meanwhile, copies of the original Suzuki Beane are tough to get a hold of these days. The family copy of the book is pretty battered-up (sorry, Mom, my bad); unfortunately, used hardbacks go for over $100 US on abebooks. I guess I won’t be replacing that book anytime soon!
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Mireille says:
August 28, 2006 at 9:47 pm (UTC 0)
I’ll keep an eye out. You come across the craziest stuff at garage sales (;
troy says:
September 7, 2006 at 1:59 am (UTC 0)
I too loved that book growing up and have thought about looking for a copy, so you have ours eh? Is it photo copyable?
Laura says:
September 7, 2006 at 8:15 am (UTC 0)
I’m not sure where it is. Mom says she doesn’t have it any more; I certainly don’t. Maybe I’ll have to buy a used soft-cover copy—they’re a bit cheaper.