My favorite page was “Dogs are to kiss people” because how could I not fall in love with a page where so many drawn dogs appear.
But, I did find it charming in its own way. It’s one I think I’d have enjoyed a lot more as a kid, especially as a kid in the 1950s. This book was published in 1952 and I’m surprised that I don’t remember it as a part of my childhood, but I believe this is the first time I’ve read it. I learned that this book existed over at a discussion of a childhood favorite of mine: A Friend is Someone Who Likes You. Find your child(ren) now, sit down in your rocker and share some special time. How refreshing! And don't forget the cute little artwork found at the corner of some of the pages. Sendak is definitely not sexist with his observations. Remember, this was first published in 1952 and Mr. Be sure and notice the children that are dancing on their toes include both boys and girls. Take a look at the kids at the party and their silly hats. Does it get any better than this?Īnd the illustrations by Maurice Sendak. "Mud is to jump in and slide in and yell doodleedoodleedoo". "Steps are to sit on." Common sense at its finest. "Rugs are so dogs have napkins." Who knew? And with the exception of one minor issue with matches, the content is still up-to-date.Īnyone with young ones will realize in a heartbeat that the wordage comes from children: Krauss had children make suggestions and revisions before completing this little novelty. My 1969 copy has fanciful black and white penned drawings with barn-red ink to describe what is going on.
This small book with its celery green cover and whimsical but simple drawings is a must-have for the adult with young children. Unlike many adults that I know, I am continuous with my child self. It is substantially the words of children, the logic of children, the wisdom of children. It was my first and most enduring guide to life, the universe and everything. There is no rhyme, there is no story, there is no blatant attempt to tear at emotion or plant a moral seed - to manipulate the reader.Īfter 'Pat the Bunny', this was my first real book - half a century ago.
Others seemed to have been charmed by a phrase or Sendak's drawings and then surmised that it must be for children - for their sheer delight, as a philosophical primer, for their enjoyment, but not for adults. A handful of people hate this book flat out.I suspect but do not know that they never made castles out of their Golden Books or gasped at night as they stared into the night sky and thought about how truly small they were as a speck on the crust of a planet spinning around in the universal equivalent of the back 40 of a single galaxy.
I looked at the 1-3 star reviews of Ruth Krauss' book here, at Amazon, Library Thing etc.
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