I review books, some very good and some very bad, but the bad ones disproportionately tend to be children’s books—writing one is a task that probably seems like it should be easy to do, but isn’t.
I’ve also borrowed a ton (hardcover books are heavy) of children’s books from the library and purchased many more at book sales. Having read hundreds of forgettable ones, I appreciate a good children’s book, perhaps more than most parents. Two years ago, I wrote a column targeting well-known children’s books that I thought were pretty awful. Now, for the sake of symmetry, proper recognition, and simply to avoid being dubbed a “hater,” I’d like to list a few lesser-known children’s books that I think are pretty great.
Most people know Goodnight Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd (1947), which is a famous children’s book—and rightfully so, as it’s got a delicate rhythm that’s perfect for lulling any kid (or exhausted adult) to sleep. Plus, it’s fun to spot the mouse on every page. But another book by the same author, The Color Kittens (1949), has been a favorite in our household since a happy-accidental find at an old book sale. The Color Kittens is delightfully off center, with bumblebees sorted under “orange” and shadows under “purple”, which are two of several possible reasons it’s been described as “psychedelic” and is the subject of a blog titled “The Search for the Trippiest Children’s Book.” Or maybe it’s just the dancing Easter eggs.
Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel and Blair Lent (1968) is a book that, for many years, I conflated with Rikki-Tikki-Tavi by Rudyard Kipling. Even though I couldn’t properly recall the title, the illustrations were always seared in my brain, especially the gorgeous cut-away views of the title character and his brother stuck in a well. My childhood pre-dated Baby Jessica, and I’d never seen Lassie on TV, so this book was the first time wells became known to me as a hazard. If I hadn’t absorbed that message at a young age, I could very well be writing this column from the bottom of a well, waiting to be rescued.
Kick, Pass, and Run by Leonard Kessler (1966) is another book I loved as a kid and only vaguely recalled as an adult. When my own children were old enough to enjoy this story about animals finding a football and playing a game with it (there’s also a sequel of sorts, in which the animals hold their own Olympic Games), I conducted an internet search to re-discover the title. As you might imagine, searching “animal football” or “animal olympics” brings up many strange (but entertaining) results.
The Way to Captain Yankee’s by Anne Rockwell (1994) features a cat, Miss Calico, going to visit her friend Captain Yankee, a dog, on the other side of town. The thing that makes it unique is that—and as simple as this idea is, I’ve never seen it in any other children’s book—she follows a map to get there. It might be the first (and, with GPS a standard feature of 21st century life, the only) time young kids get a sense of how to read a simple map. When Miss Calico takes a wrong turn into the brambles, she simply re-checks her map, realizes her mistake, and sets off in the proper direction, leading to a happy inter-species reunion, and lunch.
Russell Hoban’s Frances books all feature a young badger and Hoban’s easily recognizable illustration, but my favorite is A Bargain for Frances (1970), which offers lessons in financial scammery, cheap goods vs. quality, supply and demand… forget Intro to Capitalism 101, this is Intro to Capitalism 1. I’d say that my fondness for this book presaged my college and graduate studies in finance, but my kids like it too, so it’s probably just a good book.
Every so often, a children’s picture book will attempt to handle the subject of death—not cartoon death, real death. Old Pig (1995) by Margaret Wild and Ron Brooks is a somewhat obscure, out-of-print book that addresses the death of the title character through the eyes of her granddaughter. Every word and image is powerfully poignant, but the book avoids descending into the maudlin and manages a positive outlook without depending on heaven, angels or other supernatural beliefs.
There are lots of other books I’d recommend—for very young kids, the board books of Byron Barton; The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton (1943) is another lesser-known classic.
As adults, we pay a lot of attention to writers of serious prose—but here’s a challenge, even if you’re an adult without young children in your life: buy one of these books and read it. Children’s books, at their best, have a way of getting down to the basics; you’ll probably enjoy the experience. Afterwards, give the book to a child, either directly or through a charity book drive. That is, if you don’t decide to keep it for yourself.
Peter Dabbene’s website is www.peterdabbene.com, and his previous Hamilton Post columns can be read at www.mercerspace.com. His graphic novels ARK and Robin Hood, and his books Glossolalia and Spamming the Spammers are available through www.amazon.com.
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