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Childhood Nostalgia Edition # One. Just for a change of content, here is an upload of material from my collection of vintage children’s magazine features that I enjoyed as a child in the late 1940s and early 1950s. “Jimmie Acorn” was a feature in “Children’s Activities” magazine, which was an “activity” magazine directed to children, full of things to make, puzzles and many charming stories. My favorite was Jimmie Acorn, a feature that encouraged wildlife studies and imbued the child reader with a love of the natural world. Jimmie was just a home made toy made of acorns that got left behind in the forest by the child that made him. Rather than falling apart, Jimmie came to life and made friends with diverse wildlife. In this story, which I call “Snapper the Turtle”, from April 1953, Jimmie Acorn helps Snapper catch flies for his meal. He also meets a Redwing Blackbird, a Kingfisher and old Grandpa Turtle. These stories were created by two women, Edith Forbush did the writing, and Ruth Van Tellingen made the drawings. I’ve also included a feature from the October, 1953 edition of “Children’s Activities” which shows how a Jimmie Acorn doll might be constructed. The crude crayon drawing at the top of the post was drawn by me with crayons on construction paper that is slowly chipping away. But my memories of Jimmie Acorn aren’t crumbling in to the woods, I still remember his sweet outgoing nature, and how all of the forest animals and birds befriended him. Features like this created a lifelong love of animals, I used to visit the Missouri Conservation Commission to see their small collection of animals, such as a red fox kept in a pen, lizards and snakes and of course a skunk! I had a subscription to “Missouri Conservationist” magazine, which was filled with wildlife photos and lore and featured their cartoon mascot: “Consy Coon”. Enjoy this cherished memory of a long-ago Missouri childhood. I’ll post more Jimmie stories soon.
Jimmie Acorn Celebrates Fall
October 18, 2025
Childhood Nostalgia, Personal
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Mark
Childhood Nostalgia Edition # One. Just for a change of content, here is an upload of material from my collection of vintage children’s magazine features that I enjoyed as a child in the late 1940s and early 1950s. “Jimmie Acorn” was a feature in “Children’s Activities” magazine, which was an “activity” magazine directed to children, full of things to make, puzzles and many charming stories. My favorite was Jimmie Acorn, a feature that encouraged wildlife studies and imbued the child reader with a love of the natural world. Jimmie was just a home made toy made of acorns that got left behind in the forest by the child that made him. Rather than falling apart, Jimmie came to life and made friends with diverse wildlife. In this story, which I call “Snapper the Turtle”, from April 1953, Jimmie Acorn helps Snapper catch flies for his meal. He also meets a Redwing Blackbird, a Kingfisher and old Grandpa Turtle. These stories were created by two women, Edith Forbush did the writing, and Ruth Van Tellingen made the drawings. I’ve also included a feature from the October, 1953 edition of “Children’s Activities” which shows how a Jimmie Acorn doll might be constructed. The crude crayon drawing at the top of the post was drawn by me with crayons on construction paper that is slowly chipping away. But my memories of Jimmie Acorn aren’t crumbling in to the woods, I still remember his sweet outgoing nature, and how all of the forest animals and birds befriended him. Features like this created a lifelong love of animals, I used to visit the Missouri Conservation Commission to see their small collection of animals, such as a red fox kept in a pen, lizards and snakes and of course a skunk! I had a subscription to “Missouri Conservationist” magazine, which was filled with wildlife photos and lore and featured their cartoon mascot: “Consy Coon”. Enjoy this cherished memory of a long-ago Missouri childhood. I’ll post more Jimmie stories soon.