Back to the reading portion of the day... I thought I'd do a little post about my favorite children's books [& children's book authors].
I was an avid reader growing up [legend has it I started reading at the age of 2!] & I remember treating my books like treasures. Even though 99% of my childhood library has been lost over the years between multiple moves & a house fire, I've made a huge point of building a good collection of my faves for my boys to read & hopefully pass onto their own kiddos someday. Beyond that, I love children's books in general [the rad colors, the moral stories & warm fuzzies they give me] so we also buy plenty of modern books to read to our guys as well.
Here's a sampling of the classic authors/books that tickle my fancy...
DR. SEUSS - It's pretty much a given that if you have a heartbeat, you like Dr. Seuss. While he never wore a stethoscope he can cure a case of the blues or a bad day with his delicious "poetry". The images are whimsical & other wordly, just what kids love. Reading is all about escapism. My personal faves: "Oh, the places you'll go", "The Lorax" & "Daisy Head Maisy".
ERIC CARLE - There's something particularly special about the imagery in Eric Carle's books. Don't get me wrong, the writing is great, but for me it's all about the perceived texture of the images. The fact that most of his books center around animals is another bonus. My personal faves: "The Tiny Seed", "Mister Seahorse" & "1, 2, 3 to the Zoo".
MAURICE SENDAK - Where the wild things are is much loved by many. The books IS great [the movie was pretty neat too]. But there's so much more to Mr. Sendak than one book. He's illustrated tons of books he didn't author, like Little Bear, Open house for butterflies & Circus girl. His writing [& illustrating] style is so quirky to me...almost gruff. Def. a little more rough around the edges [Check out that portrait above. A bit on the scary side, no?] My personal faves: "In the night kitchen", "What do you say, Dear?" [as illustrator], "Outside over there" & yes..."Where the wild things are".
RICHARD SCARRY - Scarry's work seems a bit schitzophrenic, in the best possible way. It's like his brain vomited ANIMALS! & COLORS! & VEHICLES! onto the page. I imagine him to have been a hand talker & loud & boisterous...with a Swedish accent [even though he was born in Boston]. Little do I know he was probably meek & mild & totally disarming. His earlier work was colorful, but had a lighter, sweeter tone. My personal faves: "I am a bunny", "Biggest word book ever", & "Polite elephant".
JOAN WALSH ANGLUND - I'll be honest...I didn't start reading Joan's books until I was an adult. I saw a book about cowboys while thrift store scouting & the little ginger with the sweet face had me hooked. Joan's style is totally her own & while there are many adorable characters throughout her books, I'm stuck on that little cowboy. He "roped" me in, harhar. My personal faves: "The brave cowboy", "Wings of hope" & "A friend is someone who likes you".
ROGER HARGREAVES - I always thought the Mr. Men & Little Miss books were a staple on the bookshelf of every kid born in the 70's & 80's...but I was wrong. Lately I've mentioned these precocious books to a few people that have never ever heard of them. Come on, there was a movie baring the same name as one of the most popular books from the series, "Little Miss Sunshine" so I know they aren't exactly obscure or anything. I adore that these books can really teach children that people are different, with characteristics & personalities all their own. My personal faves: "Mr. Clumsy", "Little Miss Splendid" & "Little Miss Magic".
In the future I plan to do a feature on my favorite modern authors & books!
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