Today’s MUSING MONDAY post is about picture books.
Do you have a favourite picture book, either from your own childhood, or reading to you children?
I don't have any children, and while I am sure I read some books to my niece when she was little, that was decades ago. How can I remember such things? Now recently, we happen to have been picking out some story books for a baby shower and she picked two Little Golden Books as favs, The Poky Little Puppy
and The Little Red Caboose
. I have not read them yet, but I trust her judgement :-)As to my own childhood, I have said it before but I have little memory of reading or being read to from picture books. Not to brag, but I think I went on to regular books at an early age. I seem to have skipped most of the so-called children's classics too when I was a wee Caite. I was reading, certainly before I was in school, since I was hanging out in our local library before I was in school, but I have no idea what.
Another thing I should have asked my mom while I had the chance. Along with many of her recipes...Oh well.
The only book I remember my mom reading to me was a collection of fairy tales, that she read to me before I went to sleep. I don't remember the name of the book, but I remember the book was a hardcover, with a cloth cover that I think was blue/gray. And the only story I remember, I think one that I requested again and again, was the Tale of the Headless Horseman from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving. It was only one story in the big book but I can remember the picture of the rider, galloping away, his "head" in his hand and I loved it.
Perhaps I was an unusual child...
Now, if we move to the present, I do have a book, with a lot of pictures, that I loved. In fact I have two. One for children and one for adults. In both, the illustrations are integral to the book, so I will consider them picture books. It is all about the picture to word radio..and I think these pass the test. Even if they don't. I still love them both. We adults can have pictures books too, can't we?
, which is listed for grades 3-8, perhaps a bit out of the typical 'picture book' range. But, it is a lovely book, with beautiful illustrations and a great text.The second is a picture book for adults. Well, again, it has a LOT of illustration, so I will consider it a picture book. It is When Wanderers Cease to Roam: A Traveler's Journal of Staying Put
. A very pleasurable book to read, fantastic drawings by the author, illustrations that I just loved. 
I don't remember any picture books from my childhood either. I was reading abridged classics very early and one of my favorites was Last of the Mohicans. I read that book to its untimely death.
ReplyDeleteNow that my husband is a children's book illustrator, we have a collection of over 200 picture books (and no children). Some of them really are works of art.
My favorite picture books are not from my childhood but from my children's and now grandchildren's childhood. They are the Richard Scary books. I/we can sit and look at them for hours.
ReplyDeletewhat a great musing mondays question. my favorite is probably BAGELS FROM BENNY, my favorite to read at storytime when i used to run a children's library. i don't remember even reading them as a child though, lol! :-)
ReplyDeleteI loved The Poky Little Puppy. I wonder where my copy ended up, probably with my brother as he was 12 years younger than me.
ReplyDeleteI would say the picture pictures I read most often to my children were the Bearenstein Bears. I loved the teachable moments.
ReplyDeleteI am unfamiliar with the Wanderer who Ceased to Roam, but I will have to check it out.
Picture books for adults - I'm going to have to look into that! Thanks for the tip.
ReplyDeleteMy response is here.
My memories of childhood are few and far between for some reason, but I always remember books with words. I think photography books would count as picture books for adults. My musing is
ReplyDeletehere
How funny that the Headless Horseman didn't scare you.
ReplyDeleteI love that story.
Headless horseman as a child??? lol the title scares me now at my age. I have forgotten most of what I read to my boys..it was a long time ago..they are 26 and 24 but I do remember that we read every night before bedtime
ReplyDeleteCMashLovesToRead
as I said, I may have been an odd child. ;-)
ReplyDeleteDid have much in way of childhood books, I tried with my kids, but it didn't work either. My daughter preferred dinosaurs. Here'smine
ReplyDeleteI'd like to read When Wanderers Cease to Roam: A Traveler's Journal of Staying Put. It sounds interesting!
ReplyDeleteHeadless Horseman? What a wonderful choice ... and it doesn't make you odd to have chosen it :-). I read picture books, but also loved The Chronicles of Narnia. The movie did not do my imagination justice.
ReplyDeleteOh I love the Headless Horseman. I have very few memories of children's books as well. I sure made up for it when my boys were little. and even now.
ReplyDelete"Perhaps I was an unusual child..."
ReplyDeleteMy guess is yes ... but in the best way possible.