Happiness as Anarchy #24: Children’s Books

I’m not going to lie to you – this parenting thing is hard work. My two small people (11 & 13) are great, but they have their moments. Even though they’ve outgrown picture books, I still love them. In fact, I think I love them more now that I don’t get to read them every night at bedtime, and especially when the small people are being beastly. I have my favourites, which are mostly feel-good philosophical tales about relationships. Pearl Barley & Charlie Parsley is up there near the top of the list with The Little Prince and That’s Mean. Other favourites are on the list because they’re so much fun to read out loud – rhythm and rhymes and silly voices – like The Thirsty Flowers.

I just discovered a new picture to a hunt down – Big Wolf & Little Wolf – courtesy of Brainpickings, a fabulous webpage with wonderful reviews and summaries of interesting literature. Originally in French, Big Wolf & Little Wolf (Grand Loup & Petit Loup) is a tale of slow, creepy-uppy kind of love (to quote Tim Minchin). I won’t try to describe the book as I haven’t read it yet and because the brainpickings review is so well written, with relevant quotes from other authors and philosophical bits and bobs.

Big Wolf & Little Wolf, by Nadine Brun-Cosme, illustrated by Olivier Tallec, translated by Claudia Zoe Bedrick. Published by Enchanted Lion Books, New York, 2009.