When his roommate, Robert McCloskey, wanted to study ducklings for his next book, Marc Simont let him adopt a whole group of them. McCloskey followed them around their small Greenwich Village apartment, sketching each one from all angles – work that would help make his Caldecott-winning Make Way for Ducklings (1941) a classic. Â Simont would…
Attention! Fellow and future members of the Elves, Gnomes, Leprechauns, and Little Men’s Chowder and Marching Society! If you’ll be at Comic-Con this week, stop by Fantagraphics, at Booth 1718 (see map below). Â Eric Reynolds (who co-edited Barnaby Volume One with me)Â and I will be there at these times. Thursday, July 18: 10-11:30 am. Saturday,…
It looks like the collected works of Maurice Sendak have exploded all over my office… because I’ve just finished a draft of an article on Sendak – one of many pieces I agreed to write this summer (and one reason why this blog has been so quiet lately).  He was one of our most articulate creators…
In the 58 years since its publication, Crockett Johnson’s Harold and the Purple Crayon has appeared in 14 languages, and inspired many artists. This blog (which takes its name from a line in the book) presented The Purple Crayon’s Legacy, Part I: Comics & Cartoons… nearly three years ago. It is at last time for…
Looking for a mix that has one song for each of the 50 U.S. states? This isn’t it. Nor are any of these official state songs. (Or, at least, I don’t think they are.) Instead, this mix has 24 songs (one each for 23 states, plus one for DC), and some of them refer to…
I am not nostalgic for my high school years. As a teen, I was acutely self-conscious, chronically insecure, often depressed. Yes, I also experienced a wider range of emotions (including joy and laughter) during those years, but my dominant impression of teen-age-hood is gratitude at having survived it. But I returned for my 25th reunion…
On the first anniversary of Maurice Sendak’s passing, I’ve gathered here some posts for those who want to consider what he has meant and continues to mean – as an artist, a writer, and (for those who knew him) a friend. Â It’s strange to think that it’s been a full year since he passed away….
Those of us who read, create, study, or teach children’s literature sometimes face skepticism from other alleged adults. Why would adults take children’s books seriously? Shouldn’t adults be reading adult books? There are many responses to these questions: Children’s books are the most important books we read because they’re potentially the most influential books we…
This is the latest installment in my ongoing series of The Best Books for Young Readers. As I noted in the first post, I’m trying to assemble the ideal library for my niece, who turns 2 this month. I recognize that what I consider “ideal” or “best” may be idiosyncratic, but since I do have…
45 U.S. Senators think that massacres like the ones at Sandy Hook and Aurora and Tuscon are acceptable collateral damage. Â They support mentally unstable people’s “rights” to have access to firearms. Â In sum, if you would prefer to live in a country in which children have a better chance of growing up, in which adults…
