Beebo and Mop

[pyat]

We had two of these when I was quite small. They were absolutely wonderful, full of delightful images and heartbreaking dreams. If you find these books, buy them at once. Or give them to me.

Summary from a blog named for the main character:

"Beebo is a character in a series of children’s books... Each book starts with Beebo, his buddy Mop, and Mop’s hamster Hector arriving in an unfamiliar town. They work hard and well, whilst keeping mostly to themselves. In his spare time Beebo builds wonderful things out of junk—an enormous pipe organ, a mechanical fire-breathing dragon, an automatic fence-builder.

By about the middle of each book, Beebo and Mop become happy, if not rich … at which point trouble strikes: in the first book their ramshackle mansion finds itself in the middle of a apartment construction zone; in the second, Beebo wakes up one day to find his face on billboards all over town, his stolen image being used to sell soft-drink; in the third Beebo and Mop are expelled from an angry and nameless authoritarian principality for having no visa, no identity card, and no passport.

In each book, Beebo and Mop get f***ed by the state... The third book is particularly bleak—it ends with Beebo and Mop growing smaller and smaller as they descend into earth."

Comments

[anidada.livejournal.com]

How... cheery. :(

[pyat.livejournal.com]

Ah, but in the end, the dreamers always escape. :)

[summerfields.livejournal.com]

I have these, Piet!
I always think we are the only people in the world that have read them.
I used to envy Mop and Hector.

I never really thought of them being f-ed by the State, though...sheesh...should I re-read them now?

[pyat.livejournal.com]

You HAVE them? Hee.

Well, just so you know, they're selling online for as much as $700.

(Also... oops. I thought we'd lost them.)

[summerfields.livejournal.com]

Umm...I mean...I thought I had them.... :)

$700?! Wowsers....

I don't know how I ended up with them...I guess by virtue of being the youngest all the books, etc got passed down the line. The cover is falling off the Fizzimen one, I think...and sadly, I think I (or you!) tried to draw Mop on some of the pages....
I am gonna go rustle them up, hopefully they aren't in a box collecting mold and gecko poop.

[pyat.livejournal.com]

Maybe you could scan them, or mail them to me to scan them? Looks like some people on my list miss them. :)

[dronon.livejournal.com]

Oh, wow... I think I may have had one of these books (in French?) when I was little! Does one of them end with the two of them walking up into the sky using a portable staircase, swapping the bottom step for the top? Maybe I'm confusing it with another childhood book, but the first cover is giving me major deja vu.

And yeah, some of the prices for those books we remember fondly... I was pretty shocked when I looked up The pink elephant with golden spots.

[pyat.livejournal.com]

Maybe I'm confusing it with another childhood book, but the first cover is giving me major deja vu.

You are not confused in this instance!

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

We had the first of them when I was young, but it got lost in a move or something, and we've been wishing for it ever since (for our kids). I want them too!

[pyat.livejournal.com]

My little sister has them - I thought they were lost! I'm going to see about scanning them in.

[summerfields.livejournal.com]

I will mail them to you, Piet!


Do you remember "Otto is a Rhino?"
Another one of those books I remember reading, and I know we had it, but I can't seem to find it anywhere (in my stuff or online...).

[pyat.livejournal.com]

I do remember that one! It was about a boy whose father was a sailor, or something?

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

Oooh! I would be so pleased to get a copy!