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Lillian Hoban
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Charlie the Tramp Hardcover – October 3, 2016

by Russell Hoban (Author), Lillian Hoban (Illustrator)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 48 ratings
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Charlie the Beaver wants to be a tramp when he grows up. “Tramps don’t have to learn how to chop down trees and how to roll logs and how to build dams. Tramps just tramp around and have a good time. Tramps carry sticks with little bundles tied to them. They sleep in a field when the weather is nice, and when it rains they sleep in a barn.” Charlie sets off with his bundle. But when he hears water trickling, he can’t get to sleep. Will he be able to resist the urge to make it stop? As Grandfather Beaver says, “You never know when a tramp will turn out to be a beaver.”

Winner of the Boys Club of America Junior Book Award, 1968
Previous page
  1. Reading age
    3 - 8 years
  2. Print length
    48 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    2 - 3
  5. Lexile measure
    510L
  6. Dimensions
    7.25 x 0.5 x 9 inches
  7. Publisher
    Plough Publishing House
  8. Publication date
    October 3, 2016
  9. ISBN-10
    0874867800
  10. ISBN-13
    978-0874867800
  11. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

An especially memorable character study of a runaway beaver…unique, humorous, precise of speech.…How touching the moment when Charlie’s father looks at his truant son’s first serious nighttime labor and says, “Any tramp that can make a pond like that is going to be some beaver one of these days.” -- The Atlantic Monthly

About the Author

Russell Hoban (1925-2011) first became famous for his children’s picture books about a badger named Frances and other animal characters that have a lot in common with children we know – Bedtime for Frances, A Baby Sister for Frances, Bread and Jam for Frances, and Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas, among others – and for a young adult novel, The Mouse and His Child. Hoban was born in Pennsylvania and served in World War II. He lived with his wife, Lillian Hoban, who illustrated many of his books, and their four children in Connecticut until 1969, when he moved to London. There he married Gundela Ahl and had three more children. In England, Hoban wrote acclaimed adult novels, including Lion of Boaz-Jachin and Riddley Walker.

Lillian Hoban (1925-1998), one of America's favorite children's book illustrators, is best known for a young chimpanzee named Arthur and his little sister, Violet, and for illustrating six of Russell Hoban's books about Frances the badger, which have taken their place among the great classics of children's literature. Lillian Hoban was born in Philadelphia and attended the Philadelphia Museum School of Art. She studied dance for ten years and became a professional dancer. She began to write and illustrate her own stories only after having children, basing her tales on their experiences.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Plough Publishing House (October 3, 2016)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 48 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0874867800
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0874867800
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 3 - 8 years
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 510L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 2 - 3
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.25 x 0.5 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 48 ratings

About the author

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Lillian Hoban

Lillian Hoban

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
48 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Ron D
5.0 out of 5 stars Great story
Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2023
Verified Purchase
I discovered this book many years ago and loved it.
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V
5.0 out of 5 stars I recommend this sweet story highly
Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2018
Verified Purchase
This is a special book, and should be a classic! I remember reading this to my son when he was young. It was one of his favorites and he would ask me to read it repeatedly. ("Read it again!) The word "tramp" became a comical addition to his vocabulary. I recommend this sweet story highly. So many poignant messages about family, and independence.
One person found this helpful
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BobEP
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the very best children's books
Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2013
Verified Purchase
This is truly one of the most well-written, entertaining, and worthwhile books ever written for children. It is shame that it is out of print. We had a copy in our home when we raised out three kids who are now all in their 30s. I just bought a used copy of the my first grandchild, age 1. He is too young to read it now but he will grow into it.
2 people found this helpful
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Carolyn Pardini
5.0 out of 5 stars cute
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2021
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buy this book
2 people found this helpful
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Abba's Amanda
5.0 out of 5 stars and I love the story
Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2018
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Russell Hoban just 'gets' kids! The characters in this book are so endearing, and I love the story! Too precious! As an adult maybe I appreciate this book more? :)
2 people found this helpful
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Danielle E.
5.0 out of 5 stars If you love the Frances books
Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2018
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Russell and Lillian Hoban books are lovely. Great for first/second-grader.
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Storywraps
5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful classic that kids will love
Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2018
“‘What are you going to be when you grow up, Charlie?’ asked Grandfather.
‘I am going to be a tramp,’ said Charlie.
. . .

‘I don’t think Charlie really wants to be a tramp,’ said Mother.

‘Yes, I do,’ said Charlie. ‘Tramps don’t have to learn how to chop down trees and how to roll logs and how to build dams.’”

Charlie has made up his mind that he wants to live footloose and fancy-free and not be stuck practicing swimming strokes and holding his breathe under water. He doesn't want to worry if his teeth are sharpened or his fur coat is oiled. He's very excited to carry a little stick over his shoulder with his fig newtons and some Good-and-Plenties packed inside, sleep in a field when the weather is nice or take refuge in a barn if it rains. It all sounds like a very glamorous lifestyle to him. But is it really?

His mother, father and grandfather are not that pleased with his career choice but they allow him to follow his dreams. Charlie strikes out on his tramp-adventure but doesn't actually wander too far away from home.

He comes back the next day and offers to help out with odd jobs around the den so he can earn his meals. As he works along side his father he confesses that last night something kept waking him up and it seemed to be calling out to him. The next night Charlie discovers what's causing him to awaken. It is a trickling, tickling song and he gets up to find out where the source is coming from. To his amazement it is a little stream that sings as it runs along in the moonlight. Charlie can sit still no longer. He takes off all his clothes and dives into the water and immediately gets busy. What do you suppose he is going to do? He can't stop the urge to create something and that is exactly what Charlie did. He designed a masterpiece just like his dad is capable of doing.

When his parents and grandfather come looking for him because he hasn't returned home, they find a lovely surprise waiting for them. Grandfather sums it up perfectly... "You never know when a tramp will turn out to be a beaver."

The illustrations are lovely and you fall in love with adventurous, sweet Charlie. This American classic is once again resurrected in a special hardcover 50th anniversary edition. The book was Winner of the Boys Club of America Junior Book Award, 1968. This is lovely classic to add to your child's collection.
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PattyMacDotComma
4.0 out of 5 stars Who wouldn’t love the work of this author and illustrator?
Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2018
4★
“‘What are you going to be when you grow up, Charlie?’ asked Grandfather.
‘I am going to be a tramp,’ said Charlie.
. . .

‘I don’t think Charlie really wants to be a tramp,’ said Mother.
‘Yes, I do,’ said Charlie. ‘Tramps don’t have to learn how to chop down trees and how to roll logs and how to build dams.’”

One of my all-time favourite children’s books is the author's and illustrator's Bread and Jam for Frances. The illustrations in this are every bit as delightful, and the story has a similar message about a little beaver named Charlie.

Charlie doesn’t want to work. He wants to tramp around exploring all day with his cookies and snacks wrapped in a piece of cloth on the end of a stick. And he wants to sleep outside under a tree at night. Work is not for him!

As usual, mother and father, and in this instance, Grandfather, are surprised but decide to let him seek his independence.

It’s obvious from the illustrations that this is a pretty little fellow to let out on his own, but he doesn’t roam too far and he finds a nice place to settle for the night. When he comes back home in the morning, he offers to do an odd job to earn his breakfast, in the age-old tradition of tramps and swaggies (Australia) everywhere.

He tells his father he slept well but something kept waking him up – something nice. And then to earn his lunch he helped stack saplings. At dinnertime, he comes home to help his father fix a broken plank, and then he heads back to his sleeping spot in the hollow of a tree.

That night, he realises the “something nice” was the trickle of the stream near him, and he feels compelled to dive in and change it. Overnight, he cuts trees, builds a dam and creates a beautiful round pond.

When father and mother and grandfather decide to go look for him, they can’t believe their eyes! Where did this come from? They don’t see Charlie, but they know this isn’t the work of any of their beaver friends.

When Charlie hops out from his sleeping spot and announces that it’s his pond, the grown-ups are astounded.

“'Any tramp that can make a pond like that is going to be some beaver one of these days,' said Father."

And they all head home for flapjacks and maple syrup.

It’s an easy story for children to read, but they may need a little guidance on how Charlie’s dam-building efforts are exactly the sort of work he was trying to avoid.

Today’s tramps and swaggies are just called Homeless People, and the romance of the road doesn’t seem to be part of their story.

A nice book, but one that I suspect will be enjoyed more by grandparents than today’s children. I have to give it four stars because I love the illustrations and the series and I’m old enough to make the connection and have seen beaver dams. And the connection to Charlie Chaplin, the Little Tramp.

Thanks to NetGalley and Plough Publishing for the preview copy of the reissue of this 1966 story.
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