It’s easy to get sentimental about the joy children’s books bring to kids. But picture books must also be read by adults, who, depending on the text, may not be quite as charmed. (My sympathies to anyone worn out by the vast “Biscuit” oeuvre.)
What, then, can grown-ups glean from all those hours reading aloud? In the holiday spirit and with New Year’s resolutions ahead, here are 10 enduring takeaways from some of the best children’s books, which, like most great art, work for all ages.
1. “Where the Sidewalk Ends”: Shel Silverstein was a master at sneaking insights into children’s poetry. My favorite example, in this book, is the four-line poem “Arrows,” illustrated by a pierced cloud that has descended beside a shamefaced child holding a lowered bow. The lesson: Beware unintended consequences.
2. “A Light in the Attic”: If the Silverstein estate didn’t charge an arm and a leg for rights, I’d probably want the poem “Peckin’” from this book carved into my headstone. It conveys the lament of a sad-eyed woodpecker who pecks fruitlessly at a plastic tree: “Things ain’t as sweet as they used to be.” New isn’t always better.
3. “Hop on Pop”: I prefer the subtler revelations of this deceptively blithe little book to those in Dr. Seuss’s inspirational graduation card of a book, “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” In one sequence, a girl encounters a Thing that can sing. But the Thing drones on and on. “Good-by, Thing. You sing too long,” the girl says, waving him off, a sentiment echoed in many a meeting when a long talker holds forth. Not on my time, Thing. You choose what to let in.
4. “Caleb and Kate”: William Steig begins with a husband storming out in the middle of an argument with his wife, Kate. Just as Caleb finally calms down and readies himself to go home and make amends, a witch turns him into a dog. And that is what happens if you walk out in the middle of a fight. Never wait to apologize.
5. “Rotten Island”: Here, Steig tells about the power beauty has to overcome the world’s ugliness, as depicted by an island of horrible creatures. But before the healing flower blooms, take a hard look at how those ghastly beasts do revel in one another’s pitiless company: “They loved hating and hissing at one another, taking revenge, tearing and breaking things, screaming, roaring, caterwauling, venting their hideous feelings. It tickled them to be cruel and to give each other bad dreams.” A bit like X or Bluesky, perhaps? Avoid people who want to be unhappy.
6. “I Want My Hat Back”: Jon Klassen’s first solo picture book became a modern classic by appealing to every human’s desire for justice with a side order of vengeance. As the bear searches for his stolen hat, the hatted rabbit insists he hasn’t seen it. Like Donald Trump layering lie upon lie or President Biden’s inner circle telling us he was in great shape, the biggest liars are the most brazen.
7. “The Story of Ferdinand”: This classic is probably best known to kids as the story of a bull who avoids bullfighting, and to adults as a metaphor for pacifism. To me, the main takeaway is that just as you cannot transform an animal who loves sitting and smelling the flowers into a belligerent, you cannot fundamentally alter a human being. You do you.
8. “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom”: Written by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault, with illustrations by Lois Ehlert, this makes a clear case that if you mindlessly climb a tree that is demonstrably too crowded, you will fall down. So what if the first batch of letters made it to the top of that coconut tree? Watch out for groupthink.
9. “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie”: Laura Numeroff set off a whole franchise of books about insatiable animals, but the moral remains the same. Mouse, moose, dog, human — for some, it’s all in the state of desiring and demanding rather than allowing themselves to be happy with what was asked for in the first place. Some people will never be satisfied.
10. “There’s a Nightmare in My Closet”: Mercer Mayer’s 1968 classic acknowledges what every kid knows: There is always a brute lurking in some dark corner. But the boy quickly learns that menacing the Nightmare makes him burst into tears. He doesn’t need to defeat him, just comfort him. Maybe worth a try on most bullies. Kill cruelty with kindness.
Look, some of these are tough lessons at any age. So I’ll end on a pleasant note from Steig’s “The Amazing Bone,” when Pearl, our heroine pig, pauses to lie down in a flowery patch of greenery. “I love everything,” she muses aloud, taking the time to appreciate the splendor around her.
Even in a world populated by devious wolves, beauty shines through occasionally, if we let it.
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