April 8th, 2008 - Childhood Favorites
For some, growing up with our favorite books entow has kept us in love with reading. I stumbled upon a few titles at an indepent bookstore in Lakeland and thought I’d post a few. 
If you’ve read them before — enjoy!
Happily ever after stories didn’t interest me as a child — mostly because they ended right after the wedding. Anyone that has parents, knows the real drama doesn’t start until after a couple gets married.
That’s why my #1 pick would have to be The Frog Prince Continued by John Scieszka with illustrations by Steve Johnson.
The story is cute enough for children to enjoy (8-12) but has a lot of references to actual marital problems. A classic example: The Princess (the frog prince’s wife) is tired of his “froggy” habits, she is lonely at the castle, and their connection has dwindled.
The story takes an interesting twist when the Frog Prince tries to make a drastic change which includes: a gingerbread house, a witch, a spell, dark woods, spells poison apples, et cetera et cetera.
The illustrations in this book are amazing! It’s a great book for kids or Disney movie pessimists.
A happier genre of children’s book would have to be Mercer Mayer’s Little Critter Series. Little critter isn’t really a specific type of animal, more like mix between a hairy beaver and a fat porcupine. His adventures are fun and entertaining and every one teaches kids a lesson.
Little critter books are my #1 series of book — mainly because there is a book for any little lesson you can think of: The New baby, Just so Thankful, Just a school project, I was so Mad, I just Forgot, and (a really cute one about careers and growing up) When I get Bigger .
There is (my favorite) Happy Easter, Little Critter, which is pictured the the left. These are just a few of my childhood favorites — but I’m sure there are more! Children’s Books rock my literary socks!