An irresistible, nostalgic, insightful--and "consistently intelligent
and funny" (The New York Times Book Review)--ramble through classic
children's literature from Vanity Fair contributing editor (and father
of two) Bruce Handy.The dour New England Primer, thought to be the first
American children's book, was first published in Boston in 1690.
Offering children gems of advice such as "Strive to learn" and "Be not a
dunce," it was no fun at all. So how did we get from there to "Let the
wild rumpus start"? And now that we're living in a golden age of
children's literature, what can adults get out of reading Where the Wild
Things Are and Goodnight Moon, or Charlotte's Web and Little House on
the Prairie? A "delightful excursion" (The Wall Street Journal), Wild
Things revisits the classics of every American childhood, from fairy
tales to The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and explores the back stories of
their creators, using context and biography to understand how some of
the most insightful, creative, and witty authors and illustrators of
their times created their often deeply personal masterpieces. Along the
way, Handy learns what The Cat in the Hat says about anarchy and
absentee parenting, which themes are shared by The Runaway Bunny and
Portnoy's Complaint, and why Ramona Quimby is as true an American icon
as Tom Sawyer or Jay Gatsby. It's a profound, eye-opening experience to
re-encounter books that you once treasured decades ago. A clear-eyed
love letter to the greatest children's books and authors from Louisa May
Alcott and L. Frank Baum to Eric Carle, Dr. Seuss, Mildred D. Taylor,
and E.B. White, Wild Things is "a spirited, perceptive, and just
outright funny account that will surely leave its readers with a new
appreciation for childhood favorites" (Publishers Weekly).
