For a half-century, the people of America have read and loved Little Boy Blue, Wynken, Blynken and Nod, The Sugar Plum Tree, The Rock-a-By Lady, and a host of other charming poems from the pen of Eugene Field.

Here in narrative form is the story of the poet's life -- the colorful, entertaining, swift-moving account of an attractive youth who became a talented and versatile author. Eugene Field possessed the gift for writing vivid, heart-warming verse that will be long and tenderly cherished. But nothing in his work is more captivating to the imagination than is his own personality with its spirit of irrepressible gayety, and his career which was so studded with amusing incident and nonsensical mischief.

Born in St. Louis, reared in New England, a student at Williams and Knox Colleges and at the University of Missouri, Eugene Field was the product of both East and West. A sturdy individualist in behavior, whimsical, eccentric, generous and clever, he was a famous journalist of his day, the first newspaper columnist of note, the faithful friend of all children, the singer of sweet lullabies appealing alike to young and old.

His period was an important one in the development of the nation. Popular and successful while he lived, he has been widely honored in memory as a significant contributor to American letters.

From the dust jacket