The Jolly Postman facts for kids
Front cover of unknown edition
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| Author | Janet and Allan Ahlberg |
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| Illustrator | Janet Ahlberg |
| Cover artist | Janet Ahlberg |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Jolly Postman |
| Genre | Children's picture book, verse short story |
| Publisher | Heinemann |
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Publication date
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1986 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover movable) |
| Pages | 48 pages, envelopes, and enclosures |
| ISBN | 0-434-92515-2 |
| OCLC | 59229153 |
| LC Class | PZ8.3.A278 Jo 1986 |
| Followed by | The Jolly Christmas Postman, The Jolly Pocket Postman |
The Jolly Postman or Other People's Letters is a very special and interactive children's picture book. It was created by a talented husband-and-wife team, Janet and Allan Ahlberg. This book is unique because it has real envelopes inside! These envelopes hold letters, cards, games, and even a tiny book.
It took five years to make The Jolly Postman. The authors worked closely with their publisher, Heinemann, and the printer to get it just right. The book was first released in 1986. It quickly became very popular, selling over six million copies!
The Jolly Postman is also the name of a series of three books. The first book won two big awards in the United Kingdom: the Red House Children's Book Award and the Kurt Maschler Award. The second book in the series won the 1991 Kate Greenaway Medal for its amazing illustrations.
What is The Jolly Postman About?
The Jolly Postman tells the story of a friendly mail carrier. He rides his bicycle to deliver letters to famous characters from fairy tales. Many of these characters are well-known in Britain.
As you read the story, you'll find special pages shaped like envelopes. Each envelope contains one of the postman's deliveries. You get to open each envelope and read what's inside! It's like getting mail yourself.
For example, the Jolly Postman delivers letters to the Big Bad Wolf, Cinderella, and the Three Bears. There are twelve pages that form six envelopes. These hold eight different letters and cards. You can take each letter out and read it separately. This makes the book a fun and interactive experience!
Awards and Special Recognition
The Ahlbergs won two major British book awards for The Jolly Postman. They received the 1986 Kurt Maschler Award. This award celebrates books where the words and pictures work perfectly together. They also won the 1987 Red House Children's Book Award. This award is special because British children themselves vote for their favorite books!
The Dutch version of the book, called De puike postbode, also won an award. It received the Boekensleutel literary award in 1988.
Janet Ahlberg, the illustrator, was also recognized for her work. She was a runner-up for the 1986 Kate Greenaway Medal. She later won this important award in 1991 for the second book in the series. The Greenaway Medal is given each year to the best children's book illustration by a British artist.
More Jolly Postman Adventures
After the first book's huge success, the Ahlbergs and Heinemann created two more books. The third book was published after Janet Ahlberg passed away in 1994. For the second book, The Jolly Christmas Postman, Janet won her second Kate Greenaway Medal.
Here are the books in the series:
- The Jolly Postman (1986, U.K.)
- This is the first book. A friendly postman delivers letters to famous fairy-tale characters. These include the Big Bad Wolf, Cinderella, and the Three Bears. The book has twelve pages that form six envelopes. Inside, you'll find eight letters and cards. You can take each letter out and read it on its own.
- The Jolly Christmas Postman (1991, U.K.)
- In this book, the Jolly Postman delivers Christmas cards! He visits many of the same fairy-tale characters, like the Big Bad Wolf and Cinderella. Each card can be taken out of its envelope page and read. This book has six letters hidden in pockets.
- The Jolly Pocket Postman (1995, U.K.)
- Join the jolly postman again as he delivers fun mail. This time, he has special deliveries for Dorothy from Oz and Alice from Wonderland. He also visits other favorite storybook characters.
