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Polly Cameron


I Can't Said the Ant

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
(1928- 2000)  Born in White Creek, CA, attended UC Santa Barbara, and was originally interested in children's radio drama.  Never graduated, but instead returned to working on the family ranch she had grown up on, before traveling across Europe for three and a half years.  Worked in graphic design until her first child's picture book was published in 1956.  Lived near the Hudson River.  Here's the blurb from the rear cover of The 2 Ton Canary: When Polly Cameron overheard a 10-year-old ask "What's gray?" and a 5-year-old answer "A melted penguin,"  she decided to investigate this odd kind of humor and began collecting riddles for a book.  She enlisted the help of two young friends in the neighborhood, Elizabeth Miles and Callie Angel, as her "editors."  They installed a "Joke Box" at the local Palisades Country Store, and received over three hundred riddles from neighborhood children.

LOGANBERRY LEGACY
My friend Barb Searles says she remembers a Polly Cameron from Wellesley College, but we're not sure if she's the same Polly Cameron. What we do know is that she's written some really great books for children, full of nonsense, mischief and kid humor. I Can't Said the Ant remains the most popular request, but I fell in love with The 2 Ton Canary. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY
* designates a title still in print
 2 Ton Canary & Other Nonsense Riddles. Coward-McCann 1965.
The Boy Who Drew Birds.  Coward-McCann, 1959
The Cat Who Thought He Was A Tiger. Coward-McCann, 1956.
The Cat Who Couldn't Purr.  Coward-McCann, 1957?
A Child's Book of Nonsense. Cwoard-McCann, 1960.
The Dog Who Grew Too Much.  Coward-McCann, 1958.
The Green MacHine   Illustrated by Consuelo Joerns. Coward-McCann, 1969.
I Can't Said the Ant.  Scholastic, 1961.
The Secret Toy Machine. Coward-McCann & Geohegan, 1972

sample text page
"What's all the clatter?" asked the platter. 
"Teapot fell," said the dinner bell. 
"Teapot broke," said the artichoke. 
"She went kerplop!" said the mop. 
"Is she dead?" asked the bread. 

"Just a break," said the steak. 
"Broke her spout," said the trout. 
"A fine fettle," said the kettle.
"Alas," said the glass. 
"What a life," said the knife. 

"Push her up," said the cup. 
"I can't," said the ant. 
"You can," said the pan. 
"You must," said the crust. 
"Please try," said the pie.


 
 

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New Books
All are out-of-print.
 

Hey, where's my favorite title?

Out-of-print books are harder to stock than new books, and some are hard to find, period.  If the title you are seeking is not listed for sale above, that probably means that I am currently out of stock.  However, I am always on the lookout for books, and will gladly quote you when I do find your coveted book. To add your name to my Wants Files, simply fill out a Book Request Form and I will e-mail you when I have a copy in stock.  Thanks.

Book Request Form



SELECTED STUMPERS & REQUESTS
I've found this book for $65 and up. I want it for my son and grandchildren. I would go up to $20. I do not require that the book be in perfect condition. Thanks in advance for your assistance.

I finally found a copy of I can't said the ant. I am very happy to do so.  The problem is the book is for my mom, you see it's one of the books she used to read to me when I was a baby. I don't have a checking account, or credit card. would it be possible to send you cash? I have that, I could try to send a check but I'm not sure I could persuade my grandmother to write me a check. (She's old and paranoid ya know).

Polly is not British. I have just searched 910 Google entries and found virtually nothing except recommendations for I can't said the ant  to be used in various teaching situations, and cc for sale.  I remember when the advance approval copy of that boook was sent to the public lib I ws working in. I loved it, as does everybody.  I found her birthdate listed as 1928, which surprised me. If she indeed was in Wellesley at the same time as I was - and I remember a Polly Cameron - she must have skipped some grades on her way to college. I was born in 1922 [almost 1923.]  My big mistake is that for years I told people that she was in my class and that her mother, Eleanor, was in my mother's class of 1917. Then I realized that she was a different Cameron.  I did find a website listing publishers and dwelling sites of authors which sasid she lives in NY state and can be contacted thru Putnam. 

I've been looking for this forever. It's British, from the 1970's, and has a yellow cover.

Try checking eBay for this title. I have bought at least 5 for birthday presents, Christmas presents, etc.

Today I found a copy of this book, but it's slightly different from the one on your site. The cover art is the same (this is an ita printing, 1965) but the title reads ie can't sed the ant. The text inside differs, too...many of the  words have letters in a different font, and most words are misspelled. "the spieders spun a splendid web and rappt it 'round her spout maekin sertaen it wox tiet soe tee cood never trickl out"  If you have the time to answer this email, I'd love to know why this copy is so odd. 
Oh!  I'll bet it's written in i/t/a: the Initial Teaching Alphabet which was devised by Sir James Pitman with 44 symbols, each representing one sound. It was used as a transitional reading tool in the sixties until it was finally discarded as more confusing than edifying. Cool. 

I Cant Said The Ant:  Found this book in a library sale. The binding is in string, thought it was neat. My daughter loves the book and we have read it several times. She is three. I decided to try a search for the author to tell her the book is still being read 44 years later and to my surprise I am not the only person with an interest in this book. 


 
 
 
Web Resources

Cameron's Obituary

 

 
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8/2/08
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