Margaret Baker wrote children’s books and stories that were illustrated by her sister Mary. Our collection of books from around the 1930’s include both children’s fairy tales with a moral lesson and books of temperance teachings. These temperance lessons are told through stories, rhymes, songs and plays and were used by the teachers and leaders of junior sections of temperance societies including the Band of Hope.  They were written as a way of highlighting the physiological effects of intoxicants on the human body for children and young people.

Margaret’s short stories for children on a temperance theme, were regularly included in The Children’s Newsheet, in our monthly publication The White Ribbon, which was distributed to members of our association known as the National British Women’s Total Abstinence Union.

From the dust cover of Black Cats and the Silver Crown –

‘Margaret and Mary Baker were born in the 1890’s, and describe their early occupations as being ‘daughters-at-home’ with their Quaker family. Their first book together was published in 1923, and this marked the start of a partnership that lasted twenty-seven years and produced thirty-seven books. Published in Great Britain and America, the books that Margaret wrote, and Mary illustrated met with great success.’

BOOKS IN OUR COLLECTION