Homer Price
Encyclopedia
Homer Price is the title character
of a pair of children's books written by Robert McCloskey
. Homer Price was published in 1943, and Centerburg Tales in 1951.
, a small town in Ohio
just north of Columbus. He is a mild-mannered boy who enjoys fixing radios, and who somehow gets involved in a series of outrageous incidents, such as tending an inexplicably unstoppable doughnut
-making machine in his uncle's diner
, or caring for mystery plants that turn out to be giant form of allergy-inducing ragweed
. He does odd jobs like raking leaves, and sweeping up the diner or the nearby barber shop.
James Daugherty
said of Homer Price, "It is America laughing at itself with a broad and genial humanity, without bitterness or sourness or sophistication."
One of Homer Price's adventures, "The Case of the Cosmic Comic", parodies the Superman
phenomenon, with Homer and his best friend Freddy attending the local personal appearance of Freddy's favorite superhero
. Freddy is unable to understand that "The Super-Duper" is an ordinary actor in a costume, and expects him to be capable of super feats. Homer, however, quietly displays a more mature view of the hero.
Flim-flam merchants and larger-than-life paraphernalia appear in several stories. One features a snake-oil salesman — Professor Atmos P. H. Ear — offloading an odorless, colorless, tasteless chemical called "Ever-So-Much-More-So" that when sprinkled on things, supposedly enhances everything; a soft bed would become softer, a fast car becomes faster, and so on.
Many of the male residents of Centerburg share first names with classical figures; "Grandpa Hercules", "Uncle Ulysses", "Uncle Telemachus", and, of course, Homer himself.
African-American characters appear in the books, portrayed positively as ordinary citizens although the drawing of the boy who finds the diamond bracelet in the donut is drawn in decidedly tattered and patched clothing.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
of a pair of children's books written by Robert McCloskey
Robert McCloskey
Robert McCloskey was an American author and illustrator of children's books. McCloskey wrote and illustrated eight books, two of which won the Caldecott Medal, the American Library Association's annual award of distinction for children's book illustration.Many of McCloskey's books were set on the...
. Homer Price was published in 1943, and Centerburg Tales in 1951.
Characters
Homer lives in CenterburgCenterburg, Ohio
Centerburg is a village in Knox County, Ohio, United States, along the North Fork of the Licking River. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 1,773.-Geography:Centerburg is located at ....
, a small town in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
just north of Columbus. He is a mild-mannered boy who enjoys fixing radios, and who somehow gets involved in a series of outrageous incidents, such as tending an inexplicably unstoppable doughnut
Doughnut
A doughnut or donut is a fried dough food and is popular in many countries and prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and franchised specialty outlets...
-making machine in his uncle's diner
Diner
A diner, also spelled dinor in western Pennsylvania is a prefabricated restaurant building characteristic of North America, especially in the Midwest, in New York City, in Pennsylvania and in New Jersey, and in other areas of the Northeastern United States, although examples can be found throughout...
, or caring for mystery plants that turn out to be giant form of allergy-inducing ragweed
Ragweed
Ragweeds are flowering plants in the genus Ambrosia in the sunflower family Asteraceae. Common names include bitterweeds and bloodweeds....
. He does odd jobs like raking leaves, and sweeping up the diner or the nearby barber shop.
James Daugherty
James Daugherty
James Henry Daugherty was an American modernist painter, muralist, children's book author, and illustrator. -Life:...
said of Homer Price, "It is America laughing at itself with a broad and genial humanity, without bitterness or sourness or sophistication."
One of Homer Price's adventures, "The Case of the Cosmic Comic", parodies the Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
phenomenon, with Homer and his best friend Freddy attending the local personal appearance of Freddy's favorite superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
. Freddy is unable to understand that "The Super-Duper" is an ordinary actor in a costume, and expects him to be capable of super feats. Homer, however, quietly displays a more mature view of the hero.
Flim-flam merchants and larger-than-life paraphernalia appear in several stories. One features a snake-oil salesman — Professor Atmos P. H. Ear — offloading an odorless, colorless, tasteless chemical called "Ever-So-Much-More-So" that when sprinkled on things, supposedly enhances everything; a soft bed would become softer, a fast car becomes faster, and so on.
Many of the male residents of Centerburg share first names with classical figures; "Grandpa Hercules", "Uncle Ulysses", "Uncle Telemachus", and, of course, Homer himself.
African-American characters appear in the books, portrayed positively as ordinary citizens although the drawing of the boy who finds the diamond bracelet in the donut is drawn in decidedly tattered and patched clothing.
Homer Price
- The Case of the Sensational Scent (p8)
- The Case of the Cosmic Comic (p34)
- The Doughnuts (p52)
- Mystery Yarn (p76)
- Nothing New under the Sun (Hardly) (p100)
- Wheels of Progress (p134)
Centerburg Tales
- Grandpa Hercules (p10)
- Experiment 13 (p88)
- Ever-So-Much-More-So (p134)
- Pie and Punch and You-Know-Whats (p154)
Film adaptations
- "The Doughnuts", short subject, 1963, Weston Woods StudiosWeston Woods StudiosWeston Woods Studios is a production company that makes audio and short films based on well-known books for children. It was founded in 1953 by Morton Schindel in Weston, Connecticut, and named after the wooded area near his home. The company's first project was Andy and the Lion in 1954, and its...
- "The Case of the Cosmic Comic", short subject, 1976, Weston Wood Studios