A Raven Named Grip

Charles Dickens' children were not fans of his pet raven, Grip.

Grip would chase them around the house nipping at their ankles. When Charles Dickens wrote Barnaby Rudge in 1841, he included Grip as a character, a pet of the title character. Because Mr Dickens had his own raven, his descriptions of raven behavior were “accurate and amusing.” When Grip died, Dickens had his pet “stuffed” and hung him in a glass case over his writing desk for inspiration, even though Grip II and Grip III followed.

When Dickens and his wife took a trip to visit America, they were greeted by a fan who had especially liked the raven character in Barnaby Rudge...it was Edgar Allan Poe before he became famous. The two men talked about books and poems and Dickens told Poe he would try to get his stories published in Great Britain. Although Dickens was unable to deliver on this promise, he did help Poe become famous. Several years later, Poe used Grip as a character in his famous poem “The Raven.” This poem brought him immediate fame, although he was still a poor poet.

Whatever happened to Grip in the glass case and how does this history relate to the Tower of London? You'll have to read the book to find out!

This is an interesting introduction to two great artists. Anecdotes about the two artists and their interactions with children make it especially relatable to its audience. Hopefully, it will inspire you to pull your own copy of “The Raven” and  A Christmas Carol down off the shelf and read them aloud next.

Content Considerations

Mention of the Victorian practice of sending beloved pets to a taxidermist when they passed on