Semicolon has decided to host author celebrations on Thursdays - to celebrate the birthdays of some of our favorite authors. I just read about it now (so we have no Charlotte Zolotow cupcakes hiding in the wings) but wanted to hop on board to promote a great idea.
Our family loves to celebrate birthdays - we always celebrate the birthdays of A.A. Milne and Dr. Seuss (as well as Mozart), and I get the e-newsletter from Evan Moor Publishing that lists upcoming author birthdays so we celebrate random author birthdays as the inspiration strikes us.
Today we’re celebrating the birthday of Charlotte Zolotow. She is 93 and has written more than 70 books for children. We have read many of them at the library over the years, but four were dear enough that we added them to our personal collection: William’s Doll, Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present, Some Things Go Together, and Sleepy Book.
William’s Doll
is a gentle story about a young boy who wants a doll to hold and feed and love. He gets teased by the neighborhood boys and given a basketball by his father, but what he really wants is a doll. His grandmother visits and buys him a doll so that he can practice being a loving father. It’s a good book with a great message for my son, who has always been given toys regardless of the gender stereotype behind them.
Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present
tells the story of a little girl trying to decide what to bring for her mother’s birthday, and Mr. Rabbit suggests things too abstract to give as a gift. I like the message behind this book too - that it really is the thought that counts, and that bringing your mother a bunch of grapes because she enjoys the color purple is a lovely idea. The illustrations are by Maurice Sendak, and so quite wonderful too.
BabyGirl has inherited our copy of Some Things Go Together
. This one has nice bright illustrations by Ashley Wolff and loving, rhyming couplings of ideas of things that go together - “Peace with dove, home with love” and “Sand with sea, you with me.”
Sleepy Book
is on the shelf by our rocking chair reserved for bedtime favorites. The illustrations are soft and sleepy, and the words tell of different animals falling asleep. This is a beautiful book that I never tire of.
Happy Birthday, CZ!
