A children's lit post
I always assumed I had read Where the Wild Things Are, but thinking about it more in-depth recently, I realized (fox1013, cover your eyes!) I probably never have. I'm familiar with it, of course, because it's part of our culture, and I might have seen it on Reading Rainbow or something. But Reading Rainbow started when I was a little past its target age/reading level.
We never owned WtWTA. Come to think of it, we didn't have many picture books, period; the ones we did have were religious, and I sort of skipped over the picture book phase, anyway. As soon as I could read, I started reading chapter books and animal encyclopedias, so I think I missed a lot of really nice children's book art. You'd think with the amount of babysitting I did in college, I would have made more gains. I did get to experience Goodnight Moon, the Carl the Rottweiler books, and more recently Everybody Poops, but not Maurice Sendak for some reason.
I can make up for it now, right? I went to the library last week and read WtWTA. I liked it. I probably need to read some thorough crit to get the full significance, because I certainly can't understand why anyone would think it's too scary for children.
In recent years I have bought a few pictures books for my nieces, mainly because *I* liked them: On the Day You Were Born, The Grouchy Ladybug, and one with very pretty art of a girl camping and imagining the lives of Native Americans in times past. celticfeministw gave me The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses, which I adore and have read to Ladybug, and caerwynx gave me Crow Call by Lois Lowry, which is amazing in ways that I would probably ruin if I tried to describe them.
What are the picture books you consider essential reading?
Since I'm on the topic and the season is right, here are a couple of books that sound cute for Halloween. (Thanks to Savvy Auntie for these!)
Goodnight Goon Goodnight skull
And goodnight shoe
Goodnight creature
Goodnight goo
And goodnight to the old werewolf hollering 'Boo.'
The Hallo-Wiener - A dachshund, his embarrassing Halloween costume, and apparently a happy ending.
We never owned WtWTA. Come to think of it, we didn't have many picture books, period; the ones we did have were religious, and I sort of skipped over the picture book phase, anyway. As soon as I could read, I started reading chapter books and animal encyclopedias, so I think I missed a lot of really nice children's book art. You'd think with the amount of babysitting I did in college, I would have made more gains. I did get to experience Goodnight Moon, the Carl the Rottweiler books, and more recently Everybody Poops, but not Maurice Sendak for some reason.
I can make up for it now, right? I went to the library last week and read WtWTA. I liked it. I probably need to read some thorough crit to get the full significance, because I certainly can't understand why anyone would think it's too scary for children.
In recent years I have bought a few pictures books for my nieces, mainly because *I* liked them: On the Day You Were Born, The Grouchy Ladybug, and one with very pretty art of a girl camping and imagining the lives of Native Americans in times past. celticfeministw gave me The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses, which I adore and have read to Ladybug, and caerwynx gave me Crow Call by Lois Lowry, which is amazing in ways that I would probably ruin if I tried to describe them.
What are the picture books you consider essential reading?
Since I'm on the topic and the season is right, here are a couple of books that sound cute for Halloween. (Thanks to Savvy Auntie for these!)
Goodnight Goon Goodnight skull
And goodnight shoe
Goodnight creature
Goodnight goo
And goodnight to the old werewolf hollering 'Boo.'
The Hallo-Wiener - A dachshund, his embarrassing Halloween costume, and apparently a happy ending.