Can we read? No. 15
"...a tiny vacation of privacy and intense love."
Grateful to be here. Thanks for being here too. Let’s get right to it.
Hazel’s Amazing Mother by Rosemary Wells (1985)
When Hazel’s mother gives her a nickel to go buy something nice for their picnic, Hazel wheels her doll, Eleanor, all over town gathering a small, lovely feast — until she makes a wrong turn, and another, and another. When she finds herself “on a lonely hilltop in a part of town she had never been before,” things go from bad to worse — three bullies show up and begin to play with Eleanor, tossing her around until she’s in tatters. A heartbroken Hazel cries, “Mother, I need you!” All the way across town, something tells Hazel’s mother her girl needs her, and in a freak moment, the wind whips Hazel’s mother, her picnic blanket, and a dozen tomatoes over the village and deposits her right into the tree under which the unfortunate situation is unfolding. She booms down on the bullies, “Wait just a minute!” and throws a tomato at the worst of the offenders. She remains in the tree, and in the greatest literary depiction of motherly justice I’ve ever read, terrifies the bullies into fixing the doll, leaving her daughter alone, and learning their lesson. Wells is a grand storyteller and illustrator and her body of work is large, but this one is hands-down my favorite — and my children agree.
Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman, illustrated by Caroline Binch (1991)
“Grace was a girl who loved stories.” All of them, any kind, and after they’re over, she acts them out, giving herself the best parts. One day when her teacher announces the class is going to put on a rendition of Peter Pan, Grace knows exactly which part she wants to play — but then her neighbor leans over and informs her, “You can’t be Peter Pan. He isn’t black.” Grace goes home to her mother and grandmother (both wonderful, tender influences in this book, whose support and encouragement alone make this a worthwhile acquisition), who tell her, “You can be anything you want, if you put your mind to it.” Grace lets these words bolster and embolden her into practicing all weekend, until on Monday, when she auditions in front of her peers, there’s no doubt as to who is the best pick for the part. The play is successful but what’s a bigger success, in my mind, is the remarkable portrayal in this title of not only a little girl’s belief in herself, the unflappable emotional support she receives from the women in her life, and the gorgeous illustrations that show every careful detail of the narrative, but the fact that all these things are true about a story whose star is a Black girl. There are far, far too few books like these (and that this is STILL TRUE nearly 30 years after this title was first published is beyond unconscionable). Hoffman and Binch created this much-needed title (along with its many follow ups, among them Boundless Grace, Princess Grace, Starring Grace, Encore Grace) and it deserves a place on any bookshelf for children.
It’s My Birthday by Helen Oxenbury (1994)
“It’s my birthday! I’m going to make a cake.” My husband and I occasionally shout out this line to each other in random moments and laugh — reading this title means repeating that line often, but it’s worth it for this charming cumulative tale sure to please anyone from babyhood to preschool. The line tells much of the story — it’s a little child’s birthday (gender is wonderfully unknown/flexible here), and they’re going to make a cake, but they need help. In comes a chicken, a pig, a dog, a monkey, each with their own contribution. They make the cake and then enjoy it together. It’s a simple story, true, but its appeal is great — you cannot go wrong with a book by Helen Oxenbury, pretty much ever. The gentle themes of teamwork, community, and friendship are sweet but not sugary — making this a most satisfying read.
Fairy Tales and Fables by Gyo Fujikawa (1970)
Gyo Fujikawa changed the world of children’s literature almost overnight when, in 1963, she depicted an Asian child in her first book, Babies — the first non-white child ever to be depicted in a children’s book. She went on to include children of many races in her work thereafter, during a time when doing so was absolutely groundbreaking. (If you’re interested in Gyo Fujikawa’s story, I recommend this 2019 article from The New Yorker, and a really well-done 2019 children’s book about her life, It Began With A Page: How Gyo Fujikawa Drew the Way by Kyo Maclear.) All of her titles are good, some excellent, and though this one is not an original written work — it’s a compendium of fairy tales and folktales, which arguably belong to everyone and no one — it’s a gem. I’m not going to get up on my soapbox about the importance of sharing fairy tales with children (I’m tired today and it’s a long climb up there, though if you’re interested, I’m happy to oblige privately or in a future issue), let’s just suffice it to say that I believe in that to my core — this title is an easy, rich, evocative and inexpensive way to start that process if you haven’t already, or continue it even if you’re well on your way. (Plus, I think Fujikawa’s illustrations are just about the cutest I’ve ever seen.) This is one to purchase and enjoy.
In her book Read to Your Bunny, Rosemary Wells wrote a short speech titled “The Most Important Twenty Minutes of Your Day,” which I’m including here in its entirety because it’s worth sharing (and even I need the reminder sometimes):
“ALL OF US love our children more than anything in the world. In their first years we feed them so they grow. We bring them to the doctor so they are healthy. We strap them in car seats so they are safe.
But the most important thing in the first years of life is the growth of the mind and spirit. This is when a child learns to love and trust, to speak and listen.
After a child turns two years old, these things are very difficult to learn or teach ever again. Trusting, singing, laughing, and language are the most important things in a young child’s life.
And so they must come first for mothers and fathers, too. Because we can never have those years over again.
Every day, make a quiet, restful place for twenty minutes. Put your child in your lap and read a book aloud. In the pages of the book you will find a tiny vacation of privacy and intense love. It costs nothing but twenty minutes and a library card.
Reading to your little one is just like putting gold coins in the bank. It will pay you back tenfold. Your daughter will learn, and imagine, and be strong in herself. Your son will thrive, and give your love back forever.” – R.W.
I believe these words to be so. Happy reading.