This week brought news of two deaths, one near and one far. Our friend Angel, who we met when we opened our bookstore, and Maurice Sendak, who we rediscovered when we opened our bookstore.
Angel was an elementary school librarian who loved children and who loved books and who loved sharing books she loved with children. When she was at our store, she often became one of our best booksellers, jumping in to help other customers find something to treasure. When asked to name a favorite book, she'd say, "I could no more pick a favorite book than a star in the sky."
Of course we carried Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are from the time we started building our children's book inventory, but the first time I actually read it as an adult was after Jack was born. I remembered Max and the wild things, but I hadn't remembered Sendak's simple lilting language. I reveled.
". . . and he sailed off through night and day and in and out of weeks and almost over a year to where the wild things are."
Angel, now that Maurice is there, resting in peace might have to wait. The wild rumpus may be starting.
PS: Thanks for the great cartoon in the Salt Lake Tribune today, Pat Bagley!
1 comment:
I am so glad you shared that cartoon. I hadn't seen it.
Where the Wild Things Are is my favorite children's book ever! It's one of a handful I plan to give each of my children when their first child is born. Thank you, Maurice Sendak!
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