Customer Reviews

Everything I Need to Know I Learned from a Children's Book

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I found a new book to "dip into" when I have a few minutes or need something inspirational to read - Everything I Need to Know I Learned from a Children's Book by Anita Silvey. I guess on some level, this could be said for the majority of people in the world. Most of us learned to read from children's books, and that was the starting point for everything else we have learned. But...that is not the point of Silvey's terrific book. It's a 230 page collection of small essays by people from across the professional spectrum about how they were inspired by a favorite children's book. The emphasis is on how the book continues to resonate in their lives today. It's interesting to see what people chose to write about. So far, my two favorite essays are Gregory Maguire's on The Diamond in the Window by Jane Langton and Sherman Alexie's comments on The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats.

My only complaint is that I wish there was one line at the bottom of each essay identifying the writer. I knew most of them, and of course, they are all identified in the back, but just flipping through and stopping to see that Stan Lee was inspired by the Poppy Ott books was tricky. With all respect to Mr. Lee, I did not know who he was. I do now. He is associated with Marvel Comics. But I had to flip to the back of the book to find that out. I wish there had been a quick identification under his name so I didn't have to keep flipping back and forth. No problem though. It doesn't take away from this wonderful book.

I was especially excited to see that I share a favorite book with two distinguished people. Before looking at Silvey's book, I thought about what book I would choose. That took 2 seconds: Charlotte's Web. And it turns out that both Louis Sachar and Eric Rohmann felt the same way!

This book is a compilation of interesting comments from famous people about the impact of a specific children's book on their development. Each 2-3 page section includes an excerpt from the children's book, a brief biography of the author, and then the commentary by the famous person regarding their appreciation for the book. Addendum material includes: brief biographies of the famous people, a selected list of books by contributors, a booklist of recommended books categorized by subject, and indexes for contributors and the book excerpts. I wish the presentation had been a little more appealing.

The adults in my family loved seeing old favorites and being reminded of the good times we had sharing them. We found many books new to us to share with our beloved little ones.
This book works on many levels. Seeing what others gained from favorite books makes you think more about what you gained. This adds depth and thought to the sheer fun.

This book is edited by the eminently qualified Anita Silvey, a former Horn Book editor and publisher at Houghton Mifflin. It's divided into six sections entitled: Inspiration, Understanding, Principles & Precepts, Vocation, Motivation and Storytelling. Each entry has an essay about the book by the contributor, an anecdote about the actual book and/or author, an excerpt from the book itself, and a picture of the book. There's also a heading that states a lesson learned. As much as I wanted to devour the book all at once, I found that it's a book to be savored over many sittings.

There are so many fascinating people featured, and each one of their books is an interesting choice. For instance, the author Sherman Alexie chose Ezra Jack Keats's The Snowy Day, because "it was pretty much the only children's book that featured a protagonist with dark skin...It was the first time I looked at a book and saw a brown, black, beige character--a character who resembled me physically and spiritually, in all his gorgeous loneliness and splendid isolation." The lesson Alexie learned: "People might want to listen to me too."

Or there's the entry by author Judy Blume talking about Madeline being her favorite book. It was checked out from the library, and she loved it so much she hid it from her mother so she wouldn't return it to the library. As she says, "I thought the copy I had hidden was the only copy in the whole world. I knew it was wrong to hide the book, but there was no way I was going to part with Madeline." The lesson she learned: "To understand other people-and myself."

Or there's heart surgeon William C. DeVries, who contributed to the development of the world's first artificial heart. His choice was The Wizard of Oz. His favorite character was the Tin Woodman who states, "For my part, I will bear all the unhappiness without a murmur, if you will give me a heart." DeVries goes on to say that he has thought about those lines "many, many times." Lesson learned: "Brains, heart, and courage--the brains, heart, and courage within me."

As I've read through this book over the last week, I must admit that I've gotten a thrill each time I've opened it. The books run the gamut from the classics (The Secret Garden, Huckleberry Finn) to the sad (Where the Red Fern Grows, The Yearling) to the silly (Go Dog Go, The Cat in the Hat) to the more obscure (The Animal Book, The Story of Mankind). And each one passed on some little nougat to a child long ago. Every time I sat down to read an entry, I felt like I was being rushed back to the time I first discovered the magic of reading.

Each entry features an essay describing the impact of the book on the respondent, an excerpt with illustrations, and background material on the author and the work. (A previous review stated that the reader has to flip to the back of the book for information about the respondent, but they are also given a brief description on the actual page of the essay at the end of the background section.) It's a beautiful book meant for savoring and revisiting. It also makes readers think about the books that made an impact on their own lives. An excellent gift for teachers, librarians, and children's book lovers of all ages!

A rather interesting catalog of thoughts from a pretty wide variety of people... from the not so well-known to the well-known. I pick this up from time to time, more as inspiration than anything. What I find most interesting (and I only speak for myself) is that the lesser known individuals have more profound things to say about their earlier experiences. And at the end of the day, it helps me remember that I put together books for everyone - not just some big name (although it's nice to know a lot of us from all different cultures share similar experiences early on in life in terms of what shaped their reading). I just want to be a part of that continuing into this millennium...

An inspirational collection of essays from leaders,
artists, authors and even comic book writers who recall
their favorite children's book and the impact it had on
their lives. This book can be read by people of all ages
and each essay is accompanied by illustrations and an
exerpt from the selected books.

This book is sweet,
comforting, inspiring and even unexpected. Usually books
full of essays are boring and after a few pages are put
down and never touched again. However this collection of
essays is unique and honestly, although this is a slang
word, very cool. I couldn't put it down. When I read it it
gave me a warm fuzzy feeling in the pit of my stomach and
put a sweet smile on my face. It is also a must read if
you are looking for wholesome children's novels that teach
a life lessons for your daughter or son.

Reviewed by a young adult student reviewer
Flamingnet Book Reviews
Teen books reviewed by teen reviewers

I can't think of anyone more knowledgeable about children's literature, authors, illustrators, and the art of writing than Anita Silvey, former Horn Book editor and publisher at Houghton Mifflin, who is now writing, teaching, and speaking all over creation. Her latest project has been an ambitious undertaking. Remember the book All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum? Silvey has taken the notion even further, interviewing an eclectic mix of 110 distinguished politicians, teachers, sports stars, scientists, artists, and other leaders in their fields to find out what children's books resonated in their lives and had an impact on them.

A handsome, hefty book, it includes, for each contributor, an essay about his or her connection to a chosen book; a description of the book, and revealing anecdotes about the author; the cover; an excerpt from the book; and, if it's an illustrated book, a sample picture. Each entry is headed by a lesson learned; for Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., whose reading of Jean Craighead George's My Side of the Mountain when he was a boy led him to choose a career as an environmental lawyer and advocate, the heading reads: "To take up ecological stewardship." Children's literature icons Maurice Sendak and Chris Van Allsburg both chose the same book: Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson. Sendak's lesson is "Just let the kid do his own thing," while Van Allsburg's is "I could create my own world." NPR commentator Lynn Neary learned from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee that " . . . truth is not a simple thing."

The essays are fascinating; the excerpts will make you want to read some of the books all over again. Back matter includes notes on each contributor; a selected list of books written by them; a Recommended Booklist which includes all of the books mentioned, divided by types or genres; and an index of contributors, book titles, and authors.

TIP FOR TEACHERS AND LIBRARIANS: This will be browsers' heaven for adults, though you'll find some selections just right to share with your kids, like the tribute to Miss Nelson Is Missing by Lynda Johnson Robb and the accompanying hilarious description of how James Marshall illustrated it. Have them talk about and/or write their own essays about the books that changed their lives and why.

Judy Freeman
Reviewer, [...]

I know I will enjoy the book. It will encourage me to read books I have never read and may give me suggestions on what to buy for others.