Re: Back Down Memory Lane

The Boxcar Children!!! Thank God I was never orphaned, but I used to pretend that my parents had disappeared and I had to live in the woods alone. Good times.

I never noticed that about Cinderella, Hana, but I'm so glad you pointed that out. The HD version leaves much to be desired. And yes, I'm totally biased.

Books for children are an interesting thing. They do more than just lull them to sleep at bedtime. They make a permanent imprint on their minds. I tend children in the nursery at my church and we have a Wiggles (kill me now) book that this one little girl cannot get enough of. It's the first thing she asks for when she comes in in the door and the last thing she sets down when she leaves. Now, I wish it were something a little more enlightening, but it means something to her.

My favorite books were the ones my father would read to me. My dad does the best voices and I feel connected to books because of the way he used to portray the characters. One of my favorites was How Tom Beat Captain Najork and His Hired Sportsman. It's now a collector's item that nobody can afford to buy ($100 for a kids book???). The drawings are so delightful and the characters, so rich.

I looked up the illustrator, Quentin Blake, and found out that his quirky drawings graced the pages of many well-known books. Any of these look familiar?

Would that I could draw like Quentin Blake!