'Wild Things' is a delicious dive into the world of children's lit
Sometimes bad literature serves as the inspiration for great literature. At least that was the case for iconic children's writer Beverly Cleary (author of听 "Ramona the Pest," "Beezus and Ramona," and "Henry Huggins,"among many others).
In her autobiography, Cleary recounts the moment she decided to write for kids: 鈥淏ow-wow. I like the green grass," said the puppy, in some tedious children's book she was reading. "How ridiculous, I thought," Cleary later said. "No puppy I had known talked like that. Suddenly I knew I could write a better book....鈥�
In the estimate of journalist and critic Bruce Handy, Cleary鈥檚 鈥渂est books are gems of emotional insight and also, most important of all, they are very, very funny though never jokey 鈥� they鈥檙e comedies of manners for children.鈥� Based on an interview with Cleary in 2006, Handy assures readers that she 鈥渓ikes fun. No fun? Throw it in the wastebasket.鈥�
A boring read is the last thing readers have to worry about when approaching Handy鈥檚 first book Wild Things: The Joy of Reading Children鈥檚 Literature as an Adult. Inspired by reading to his own kids, Handy鈥檚 brief but deeply satisfying survey of children鈥檚 literature marries curiosity, humor, and downright excitement.
Don鈥檛 worry about agreeing with him 鈥� Handy cites several occasions on which he and his children sat emotional worlds apart as he read to them. The moment Christopher Robin tries to tell Pooh goodbye 鈥� tries to grow up 鈥� in A. A. Milne鈥檚 "The House at Pooh Corner" left Handy with 鈥渢ears spilling down [his] face, and [his] heartless kids couldn鈥檛 have cared less. They were just glad the book, which they had endured to humor [him], was almost over."听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听
"Wild Things" is not comprehensive in breadth, but Handy鈥檚 research 鈥� into the authors, their literature, and the history of the genre 鈥� makes for a read suitable with feet propped up and a comfortable chair. You鈥檒l be there for a while.
The book traverses children鈥檚 literature by age of readership, beginning with picture books 鈥� including "Goodnight Moon," by Margaret Wise Brown, "The Tale of Peter Rabbit," by Beatrix Potter and Milne's "Winnie-the-Pooh," to name a few听鈥� and ending with older children鈥檚 fiction 鈥� "Little House on the Prairie" by Laura Ingalls Wilder, and "Charlotte鈥檚 Web" by E. B. White 鈥� stopping just short of the young adult genre.
Handy begins with "Goodnight Moon." It鈥檚 Brown鈥檚 ability 鈥渢o see things from a child鈥檚 point of view鈥� that makes the beautifully simple picture book essential 鈥済ear鈥� for new parents, writes Handy. He notes that she steers clear of fantasy and brings new eyes to the ordinary, showcased in the book鈥檚 first lines: 鈥淚n the green room / There was a telephone / And a red balloon / And a picture of鈥� / [here we turn the page] / The cow jumping over the moon.鈥�
Brown鈥檚 鈥渟ense of poetry and language, and her wit, her ability to seed simple declarative sentences with peculiarity鈥� transforms simple verbiage into seeds for dreamworlds, says Handy. Brown鈥檚 sparse style, writes Handy 鈥� completed by Clement Hurd鈥檚 often surreal illustration 鈥� honored the unconscious power of children鈥檚 imaginations.
Handy also addresses the prolific Theodore Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, whose creative process Handy reveals was a bit unorthodox, just like his most memorable works.
Constraints catalyzed Seuss鈥檚 creativity: "The Cat in the Hat" pulled from a bank of 222 words, and "Green Eggs and Ham" was the result of a bet 鈥渢hat he couldn鈥檛 write a book using only fifty words. Geisel not only won; he 鈥� [used] only one-syllable words鈥�anywhere being the sole exception.鈥�
"Wild Things" is a roadmap into the world of children鈥檚 literature, letting readers taste the literature planted within history and supplemented with some critique and analysis. Handy doesn鈥檛 shy away from literary theory in his reading of Maurice Sendak鈥檚 "Where the Wild Things Are," or from the idiosyncratic world of fairy tales, from the Grimm brothers to Disney鈥檚 modern adaptations.
Handy wrestles with overt听religiosity in C. S. Lewis鈥檚 "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe," the first installation of the beloved Narnia series. But even for Handy, irreligious himself, the reverent underpinning 鈥渇eels like a full meal rather than the sugary snack or bland heap of roughage that religion so often seems to be.鈥�
Handy highlights the sensitive and adept approaches to death in children鈥檚 literature, ending with a look at "Charlotte鈥檚 Web."
Did you cry at the end of "Charlotte鈥檚 Web"? If you did, your tears might have been provoked by Charlotte the spider鈥檚 sacrifice, or perhaps by the thought of the cycle of life, or maybe it was the relief of knowing that Wilbur could live out his hoggy days in peace. Whatever it was for you, Handy understands. Without surrendering to cheap nostalgia, Handy reminds you of the first time you read about death in a way that you could understand. It鈥檚 painfully sweet all over again.
Handy delivers with this witty and engaging survey of some treasured childhood classics. "Wild Things" showcases the universality of children鈥檚 literature, the best of which inspires readers of all ages.
