Wild Things: The Joy of Reading Children's Literature as an

Wild Things: The Joy of Reading Children's Literature as an Adult

An irresistible, nostalgic, insightfulâ€”and totally originalâ€”ramble through classic childrenâ€™s literature from Vanity Fair contributing editor (and father) Bruce Handy.

â€œConsistently intelligent and funnyâ€¦The book succeeds wonderfully.â€ â€”The New York Times Book Review

â€œA delightful excursionâ€¦Engaging and full of genuine feeling.â€ â€”The Wall Street Journal

â€œPure pleasure.â€ â€”Vanity Fair

â€œWitty and engagingâ€¦Deeply satisfying.â€ â€”Christian Science Monitor

In 1690, the dour New England Primer, thought to be the first American childrenâ€™s book, was published in Boston. Offering children gems of advice such as â€œStrive to learnâ€ and â€œBe not a dunce,â€ it was no fun at all. So how did we get from there to â€œLet the wild rumpus startâ€? And now that weâ€™re living in a golden age of childrenâ€™s literature, what can adults get out of reading Where the Wild Things Are and Goodnight Moon, or Charlotteâ€™s Web and Little House on the Prairie?

In Wild Things, Bruce Handy revisits the classics of American childhood, from fairy tales to The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and explores the backstories 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 link The Runaway Bunny and Portnoyâ€™s Complaint, and why Ramona Quimby is as true an American icon as Tom Sawyer or Jay Gatsby. Itâ€™s a profound, eye-opening experience to reencounter books that you once treasured after decades apart. A clear-eyed love letter to the greatest childrenâ€™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 will bring back fond memories for readers of all ages, along with a few surprises.
Country USA
Brand Simon & Schuster
Manufacturer Simon & Schuster
Binding Hardcover
PartNumber 9781451609950
Height 8.375
Length 5.625
Weight 1.15081300764
Width 1
ReleaseDate 2017-08-15
NumberOfItems 1

Country	USA
Brand	Simon & Schuster
Manufacturer	Simon & Schuster
Binding	Hardcover
PartNumber	9781451609950
Height	8.375
Length	5.625
Weight	1.15081300764
Width	1
ReleaseDate	2017-08-15
NumberOfItems	1

Wild Things: The Joy of Reading Children's Literature as an Adult

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