Helen Wing


Helen Wilkie Wing was an American author, composer, and pianist who was born in Polk, North Carolina. She lived in Chicago, Illinois, for much of her life but also gave recitals in Michigan and Wisconsin.
Wing presented many recitals with Grace Holverscheid Tallman, singing duets and accompanying Grace on piano. Together with Grace and her husband, Richard Dean Tallman, Wing owned the Normandy House restaurant in Chicago.
Wing taught at the Bliss School of Music in Oak Park, Illinois. She wrote poems and songs for Child Life magazine, and at least 25 books for young children, including eight Rand McNally Junior Elf books. Her works were published by the Wetmore Declamation Bureau in Sioux City, Iowa, which provided plays and music for children, and the Chicago publisher Clayton F. Summy, who marketed spoken-word compositions to Chautauqua performers.
Wing's works include:

Books

  • Animal Alphabet
  • Animals at the Seashore
  • Animals' Boat Ride
  • Animals' Tea Party
  • Billy Whiskers' Twins
  • Georgie Porgie
  • Happy Animals' ABC
  • Happy Twins
  • Kitten Twins
  • Little Boy Blue's Horn
  • Little Duckling
  • Nursery Nonsense of Now-a-days
  • Old Woman Who Lives in a Shoe
  • Play ABC With Me
  • Pony Twins
  • Tubby Turtle
  • Squirrel Twins

Rand McNally Junior Elf Books

Songs

  • "Chink, Chink, Chinaman"
  • "Circus"
  • "Company"
  • "Eskimo"
  • "Gingerbread Boy"
  • "If"
  • "Lilac Time"
  • "Mother's Only Boy"
  • "My Thoughts"
  • "Nancy Sue"
  • "Parasol"
  • "Root for Rotary"
  • "When I Am Very Old"
  • "William"

Theatre

  • Miracle of Christmas
  • One-Act Play