The Sunbonnet Babies Primer was a huge success and was widely accepted in public schools throughout the United States. In 1905 Miss Grover published a second series , The Overall Boys, which introduced little boy characters.

Miss Grover's European travels provided ideas and material for Sunbonnet Babies in Holland, Sunbonnet Babies in Italy, and Sunbonnet Babies in Switzerland. These titles were primarily textbooks and used in conjunction with geography classes by second and third grade children.

Miss Grover also wrote for junior and senior high school students. In her career she wrote twenty-seven books that sold over four million copies. Miss Grover died in Winter Park, December 18, 1958.

Among the art workers who plied their brushes in one of the big buildings of Chicago, was a slim, young woman, out of whose magic ink-well troops that long procession of full-skirted, sun-bonneted infants who had captivated the hearts of all who knew them.

And every one knew the "Sunbonnet babies". The children in school read of them and drew them; young people sent them for valentines, and older people for Christmas cards; but few among their many admirers knew of the busy young woman who drew them out of her ink-well one by one, and sent them on their mission of joy and cheer.

This young woman was Bertha L. Corbett who commenced her study of art in Minneapolis, then had a year in Philadelphia under the able instruction of Howard Pyle, the well-known illustrator, and later went to Chicago. But it was while in Minneapolis that the idea of the sunbonnet babies was born. She and a group of congenial artists were together in her studio, discussing matters of art in general when one of the company said. "How little expression there is to a figure in which the face does not show!" Instantly came into Miss Corbett's mind the remembrance of a tiny child that she had recently seen. It was busily occupied with some bit of childish play, and its entire head was hidden by an enormous sun-bonnet. With this picture in mind, she answered quickly; "I do not think a face is necessary in order to make a figure expressive."

She was challenged to prove her point, and taking her pen, she drew her first sun-bonnet baby. It was so enthusiastically received by her artist friends that she was readily induced to draw more.

By degrees the idea grew and expanded. A book of the sun-bonnet babies was published, and after that a primer, and the success of the primer was unmistakable. Thousands and thousands of copies were sold, and the little people in whose hands they were placed, found them a never-ceasing source of delight. They were captivated from the first page, where a sun-bonnet baby spreading wide her apron and bending forward so that only the top of her sun- bonnet shows, curtsies low and says, "How do you do?"

The inside cover of the books shows three small babies beside a huge ink-well, while two more are carrying an immense quill pen. Above them is printed the verse:

The "Overall Boys" set out to accompany the small misses in sun-bonnets, and though they met with success, they could never hope to win the place that the babies themselves occupied.

They are very cunning youngsters, however, dressed in over-alls and big straw hats which serve largely to conceal their faces, though the over-all boys are not quite so modest as the sun-bonnet babies, and do show their faces occasionally. They, too, have been placed in a primer, in which they frolic through the city, the country and the sea shore, and are occasionally accompanied by Molly and May, the "babies" of the sun-bonnet primer. They are cutest of all in their bathing suits and big straw hats, and have all sorts of adventures at the beach.

Miss Corbett's assertion that there could be plenty of expression in a figure in which the face does not show, was well proven in the case of her charming sunbonnet babies, for they are certainly "cuter" and more memorable as depicted in pictures which conceal the faces.

Colorful remants were cut, pieced together, and stiched into sunbonnet babies quilt blocks which were later made into warm hand-made quilts. Many ladies spent hours embroidering patterns on white flour sack dish towels to use for every day of the week. Some of these items are now treasured heirlooms - reminders of the past. Children sang verses about sunbonnet babies while they were busy working.

This is the way we wash our clothes
Wash our clothes, wash our clothes
This is the way we wash our clothes
So early Monday morning

This is the way we iron our clothes
Iron our clothes, iron our clothes
This is the way we iron our clothes
So early Tuesday morning

This is the way we mend our clothes
Mend our clothes, mend our clothes
This is the way we mend our clothes
So early Wednesday morning

This is the way we sweep the floor
Sweep the floor, sweep the floor
This is the way we sweep the floor
So early Thursday morning

This is the way we scrub the floor
Scrub the floor, scrub the floor
This is the way we scrub the floor
So early Friday morning

This is the way we bake our bread
Bake our bread, bake our bread
This is the way we bake our bread
So early Saturday morning

This is the way we go to church
Go to church, go to church
This is the way we go to church
So early Sunday morning

The Sunbonnet Babies' Picnic

The Sunbonnet Babies went one day,
For a little picnic, so they say;
And some did this, and some did that,
And all ran helter, skelter, scat!

But by and by they sat them down
Upon the river bank so brown,
To fish for minnows with a pin,
When Molly fell, and tumbled in!

Featured Music: "Baby shower"

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