Omnivoracious

The Making of a Bestselling Children's Book

In children's books there are those rare gems that come out of the gate like the literary equivalent of a coveted holiday toy, but unlike those talking Elmo's and Cabbage Patch dolls (for those of you old enough to remember) these books are also destined to stand the test of time.  Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site is one such book.  It came out in 2011 and was one of our Best Picture Books of the Year--it hasn't slowed down since.  Today, the newest book from the same author and illustrator team comes out, Steam Train, Dream Train, and it is wonderfully different.  In fact, Steam Train, Dream Train, our Best Picture Book of April, has, in my opinion, the potential become even bigger than it's predecessor. It's rhythmic, engaging, and beautiful.

Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site was the first book by an author who was by profession a graphic designer, but also the mother of two young boys.  We wondered what life has been like for her, winning such high acclaim and success with her first book.  Sherri Duskey Rinker had this to say:

In 2009, I was a typical, exhausted working mom. I had a three year old and a seven year old; I was sleep-deprived and stretched too thin.

As a graphic designer for more than twenty years, I was SO over it: budgets, corporate politics, marketing speak, revisions, hot deadlines, late hours, disrupted weekends and vacations—all of it. What was once a lovely career was now drudgery (kids change everything, right?), and I was often grumpy and resentful about the whole thing. I sometimes prayed for a better option, but I often felt like my pleas just scattered to the breeze, unheard.

My boys were the bright spot in every day. I was awful about honoring bedtimes—evenings were the only time I really had to spend with them, uninterrupted. My husband scolded halfheartedly, but we laughed, played, talked, cuddled, and, finally—way later than we should— settled in to read before bed.

Still, I was exhausted. I felt like those dolls that close their eyes when you lay them down, as though only the distance to the nearest horizontal surface stood between me and unconsciousness. But my little one, especially, wanted to talk. About trucks. (Inspired by our reading, of course.) He thanked God for them (ALL of them, by name, each and every one), asked which was my favorite, and wondered how much each one could lift or carry. Remember that cool one we saw today? He’ll drive that when he gets big. How much longer ’til he’s big? Don’t forget about that new one he wants for his birthday. He needs to remind Grandpa he wants the yellow one not the red one. One is broken; Daddy will need to fix it. He needs another loader for a job he has tomorrow; he’s working overtime on a big project. Can we buy a new loader? Aren’t crane trucks super awesome? . . . And on, and on . . .

One night, after I’d fallen asleep in his bed and, hours later, stumbled across the hall into my own, I received a gift: It occurred to me that what we needed was a truck book melded with a goodnight book. The idea for Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site hit me like a fastball (title and all), and I got a total adrenaline rush pondering it.

SO: I wrote it, I sent it, I signed a contract—and it sold. And sold BIG. (Really big.) Like, #1 New York Times bestseller big.

Now it’s 2013. It’s hard to express how much has changed. I visit schools to talk about my books and my life.

Teachers give me introductions that I’m sure must be meant for someone else. Little girls hug me on their way out, and little boys ask for my autograph and high fives. Kids make me thank-you cards out of construction paper and color pictures for me to take home and hang on my fridge.

AND, I get paid. Seriously: How can you beat that?

I see my name on bestseller lists with amazing, talented, legendary writers. No one has yet realized that I’ve infiltrated their group without credentials, so I’ll be acting like I belong (and excitedly e-mailing the lists to my dad) until I’m caught and exposed as a fraud.

I’m signing books NEXT TO LOIS EHLERT, author of the famous and fabulous Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (which, btw, was the first baby thing I bought when I found out I was pregnant). Okay, I’m sure she still has no idea who the heck I am, but that’s not the point.

I email one of my idols, Judy Schachner (writer/illustrator of the FAB SkippyJon Jones), AND SHE EMAILS ME BACK. Really — I kid you not.

Taye Diggs tweets that he and his son love my book (insert teenage-girl shriek here)!

A friend of my mother-in-law calls to tell her that she has just seen my book mentioned by an actress in an article in Good Housekeeping which creates quite the commotion, and elevates me to a B-level big shot among the suburban grandmother crowd.

Envision giant pain-in-the-ass client, the one that makes your stomach sink just seeing their name appear in your inbox: “Hi, Celia, thank you so much for your interest in utilizing my design service for your project, but I’ve been rapidly phasing out my graphic design business in order to focus more on my books/writing/appearances.”—And, in case you were wondering, it feels JUST AS FABULOUS to hit that “send” button as I always dreamed it would! Goodbye, Sunday Night Dreads!

 My best friend calls to tell me that my book is a question on “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.” I’m pop culture?

A few splurges: an Hermes scarf . . . or two . . . or three (But, hey, still eBay . . . I’m still me.) an adorable (and arguably functional) little Louis Vuitton bag (again, eBay); afternoon tea with (surprise!) an overnight stay at the Ritz with my husband, both boys and both grandmas, including an amazing view, room service EVERYTHING, and my little guy’s first sighting of a bidet. (Which he now thinks is a household essential, and he cannot believe we will not get one.)

I’m heading out on a national promotional tour for my second book, Steam Train, Dream Train. (I just like to say that because I think it sounds cool.) This time, the creative process was far more collaborative between Tom and me, and I offered feedback on the sketches, as he did on the verse. And, beneath my calm façade, there are moments when I hear myself internally gush: “Tom Lichtenheld’s actually asking my opinion!”

I still clean the house and pick up socks. I still spend half my life in a car driving the boys everywhere. I still help with homework, fret over what we’re having for dinner and make the calls that go, “Doctor, I need to bring him in. This rash does NOT look good.” We still laugh and cuddle past our bedtime, but it’s no longer because I haven’t seen them all day.

I haven’t lost sight of the fact that I’ve been amazingly blessed. I’m grateful every day for my wonderful family and an incredible new career. I’m just stunned and thrilled beyond belief to be standing here, and the only thing I know for sure is this: I can’t wait for the next chapter.

---Sherri Duskey Rinker

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

Today is a Seuss-tacular celebration of reading, thanks to the annual National Education Association's "Read Across America" event.  Some classrooms celebrated yesterday with pajama parties and read-a-thons while other kids are sitting down with their Seuss books today, on what would have been Theodor Seuss Geisel's 109th birthday.

This year the Seuss character representing the event is Bartholomew Cubbins, from The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins, published 75 years ago. Recently there was a story about Dr. Seuss' collection of hats that he kept in a special closet behind a bookcase--back in 1937 in the Springfield Union News Seuss' sister remarked, “Ted has another peculiar hobby—that of collecting hats of every description. Why, he must have several hundred and he is using them as the foundation of his next book.”  And, of course, you know what book came next...

The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins book cover got a swanky new makeover for it's 75th anniversary but the classic Seuss story remains the same.  If you've never read it, I hope you'll give it a try--a spoiled prince, a poor village boy, and an astonishing number of hats add up to a lot of fun.  Are you celebrating Read Across America today?  What book(s) are you reading?

 

Best Picture Books of 2012

Choosing the best picture books of the year is one of my favorite things to do as I stare down the close of another year.  It's so fun to go back through and enjoy the books all over again--even the ones I haven't stopped reading for months (those are truly the best!).  Here are the Top 10 and you can see all 20 of the best picture books of 2012, in best-selling order, here.

 Editors' Picks for the Best Picture Books of 2012

1. This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen: Klassen's award-winning book I Want My Hat Back was a big hit in 2011 and his new one is every bit as fun.  This is Not My Hat flips the story so this time it's the thief we are following--in this case a little fish who steals a bowler hat from a very large fish--as he tries to get away with it.  I love this book so much because the illustrations effortlessly tell much of the story and the ending invites conversation as both fish go into the tall weeds and only the big one comes out.  With his hat on.  What happened to the little fish?  Maybe he got eaten, maybe they had a talk and he gave it back, maybe he dropped the hat and escaped.  It can be different every time, limited only by a child's (or parent's) imagination.  I chatted with Klassen a few weeks ago in the Amazon offices and he drew while we talked--you'll recognize the turtle from the first book and the crab from the second.  You can see the video after our #10 pick below.

2. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce: Joyce has had a busy year--the animated short film version of this picture book won an Oscar (!) and he published the next 3 books in his terrific new chapter book series, The Guardians of Childhood--you may also recognize that title from the movie adaptation out now.  The Fantastic Flying Books...is a picture book for book lovers, sharing an appreciation for stories, however they are told, and illustrated in wondrous detail.

3. Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by James Dean and Eric Litwin:  Pete the Cat is a new favorite around my house, and for good reason.  Pete is laid back and loves to tell a story with a song.  In Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons, Pete does the math (in song, of course) on how many buttons he has left after yet another one pops off until the final button goes... but it's still not the end (Pete still has a belly button!).  Really fun to read aloud, and a big hit with the PreK-K set.

 4. Olivia and the Fairy Princesses by Ian Falconer:  This is one of my favorite Olivia books so far.  In true Olivia fashion she wants to be different and this time she's eschewing the pink princess trend that all the girls (and a couple of boys) are following.  Falconer's illustrations are brilliant and I particularly love how Olivia tries on princess alternatives and goes through a Martha Graham phase.  Pure Olivia fun with a great message about identity and self-confidence.

5. Big Mean Mike by Michelle Knudsen and Scott Magoon:  The picture book version of an often told story--a character with a hard exterior is found to be hiding a heart of gold.  Mike is a tough, leather jacket wearing bulldog who keeps finding fuzzy white bunnies hiding in his big, loud, muscle car.  He tries to resist their cute little bunny faces but at last he just has to give in and enjoy their company.  I love the message about standing up for friends in the face of the "in" crowd and not judging people by their exterior.  And there are bunnies wearing sunglasses.  Need I say more?

 6. Llama Llama Time to Share by Anna Dewdney:  LLama Llama always hits the right notes and sharing is an ideal topic for toddlers on up who can relate to Llama's dramas.  Dewdney gets the dynamics of little ones sharing--and then suddenly deciding they no longer want to--often with the result we see in the book of the very toy being fought over ending up broken in the struggle. All's well that ends well for Llama and Time to Share is worth reading over and over.

7. The Cloud Spinner  by Michael Catchpool and Alison Jay: Alison Jay's illustrations have a special quality of being beautifully detailed but the feel is warm and simple--her style is easily recognizable and she's one of my favorites. Jay's images perfectly embody a soft and heartfelt environmental message that touches on greed and preservation of resources.  Best of all, it's the kids in the story who see what is happening and take action.  Every time I read this book I think of someone else I want to give it to.

 8. The Adventures of Little Nutbrown Hare by Sam McBratney: Guess How Much I Love You is still a favorite with parents and kids so having a new Nutbrown Hare story this year is really exciting. In each of the four stories that make up Adventures...budding independence is tempered by parental support and reassurance that makes the Nutbrown Hare books relatable and timeless.

 9. The Duckling Gets a Cookie!? by Mo Willems:  The Pigeon is joined by an adorable little duckling who gets what he wants just by asking...politely. Duckling and Pigeon are both sides of the coin and it's easy for little ones to make the connection between using good manners and kindness rather than a temper tantrum to get what you want--whether it's a cookie or a friend.

 10. I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King Jr. and Kadir Nelson: Kadir Nelson's stunning illustrations accompany the full text of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s historic "I Have a Dream" speech in a new picture book that includes an audio CD of the original speech from 1963 .  King's words and Nelson's images are a powerful and breathtaking combination that has award-winner written all over it.

 

 

Amazon Talks to Jon Klassen, Author of "This is Not My Hat"

Amazon Asks Melissa d'Arabian, Author of "Ten Dollar Dinners"

One of the absolute highlights of the Amazon Books team's trip to New York for Book Expo America was meeting Melissa d'Arabian at the Food Network Kitchens--and noshing on fantastic food from her new book, Ten Dollar Dinners. Based on her Food Network show of the same name, which she's been doing since she won The Next Food Network Star in 2009, her book has an ingenious system she designed to help a home cook make delicious dinners for four people--for under $10. (And yes, that does include dessert.)

A mom of four young daughters (born within three years!), Melissa earned an MBA from Georgetown University, but her passion for streamlining her family's budget is hard-wired from her childhood. Her single mom raised Melissa and her sister while putting herself through college. She recalls a time when the only thing left in the fridge was a jar of pickles, so they stayed up late making candles to sell so they could buy groceries.

Her mom's inventiveness in not just putting food on the table but actually feeding people taught Melissa an invaluable lesson that she passes on to other families every day. This story from Ten Dollar Dinners is especially poignant as we head into the holidays:

"Waste was never a temptation in our house. That said, my mom still wanted to teach me the joy of hosting others, something we rarely had the budget to do. I vividly recall the first time we invited her girlfriends (and their daughters) and my friends (and their moms) over for a ladies' holiday cookie and hot cocoa party at our home in Tucson, Arizona. Even though we had no cushion cash to be throwing a party, we still managed to put together a beautiful celebration on a shoestring budget. We decorated the Christmas tree, ate cookies, drank hot coca, and sang songs around the piano. It was simple and lovely. That single experience taught me how beautiful it is to cook for people. Not to just make food pretty on a plate, but to really make friends and loved ones happy by creating something delicious just for them. My mom passed away when I was twenty years old, and to this day, I still hold our holiday cookie and cocoa memory close to heart--in fact, every December I now host a mother-daughter holiday tea with my four girls and their friends and their mothers."

We asked Melissa about her favorite books, what she treasures, the best place she's eaten recently, and what's she's up to next.

What's your elevator pitch for Ten Dollar Dinners?

It's about so much more than cooking with inexpensive ingredients! It's a full philosophy of spending with purpose and managing our resources wisely while nourishing our bodies.  

Which new cookbooks or chef memoirs are you most excited about?

I can't wait to read Marcus Samuelsson's Yes, Chef and Michael Symon's Carnivore.  

What’s the best place you’ve eaten recently?

I had an incredibly special dinner at Uchi in Houston... truly one of the best dinners I've ever had.  

What's been your most memorable author moment?

Opening the envelope that had the very first copy of my cookbook in it. I opened it with my husband, very delicately, as if it were fragile.  

What other talent would you most like to have (not including flight or invisibility)?

I'd love to be a genius at organization. (To do that, I think you have to be able to really think in 3-D, and I'm very linear.) 

What are you obsessed with now?

Doing splits. I'm almost there!  

What's your most treasured possession?

My grandma's confirmation bracelet. She gave it to me as my "something old" at my wedding, and I wear it all the time--unless I'm filming Ten Dollar Dinners. She passed away last month, so it's extra special now.  

What's on your nightstand?

They Poured Fire on Us from the Sky: The Story of Three Lost Boys from Sudan by Benjamin Ajak, Benson Deng, and Alephonsian Deng.  

What's next for you?

After book tour, I'm settling into the new school year with my four daughters--and then get straight back to work on Book # 2!

Thanks for visiting us at Amazon, Melissa! We wish you all the best.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mari Malcolm, Melissa d'Arabian, and Neal Thompson

Llama Llama No More Drama

Who knew a llama, of all things, would become such a beloved children's book character?  I wouldn't have guessed it but in Anna Dewdney's hands Llama Llama--and his mama--is a favorite with kids and parents, and I always look forward to seeing what she's going to tackle next. 

The llama love started with Llama Llama Red Pajama, a story about bedtime fears and separation anxiety, and that is the appeal of these books--preschooler issues and drama that are oh-so-familiar, a llama mama that real moms can relate to (she gets annoyed sometimes, just like we do), and resolutions that make sense.  Dewdneys' illustrations are bright, adorable, and expressive, as you'll see in her latest picture book, Llama Llama Time to Share, (now there's a good topic for toddlers and preschoolers!).  Author and illustrator Anna Dewdney answers some questions about Llama Llama, including what we can look forward to next, and you can check out an exclusive sketch of an illustration in process below (above is the cover in progress).

Q&A with Anna Dewdney:

Q: Llama Llama is the quintessential preschooler.  What got you so interested in creating a character for this age-group?

A: I find very little people infinitely interesting…they are all about honesty.  Preschoolers are pretty straightforward; they don’t mess around. Although they sometimes make up elaborate fantasies, they are completely honest emotionally.  The life of a preschooler is full of drama, intense circumstances, and new experiences…it can be scary.  I’m a mom, too, so I’ve witnessed most of these experiences first hand with my children.

Q: You recently introduced a new character in Llama Llama Time to Share--Nelly Gnu.  Why a gnu as opposed to any other type of animal?

“Gnu” is a funny word.  You can say it either way:  “new” or “guh-new”, although most folks say it with the silent “g”.  Most of Llama Llama’s friends are “wild” animals, so it made sense to have his new friend be one, too.  Also, how cool is it that this little girl has a mohawk and a goatee?  Seriously, she’s a cutie…even though she is a gnu.

Q: Mama Llama saves the day in all of Llama Llama's adventures.  What do you think is Mama Llama's best quality and why?

A: Mama Llama isn’t perfect; it’s challenging to be a parent.  But she loves her little Llama Llama, she knows him well, and she does her best to help him out with the tough stuff.  Her best quality is probably that she understands him and loves him, even in the midst of his meltdowns.  She tries to be patient…she knows that it is challenging to be a preschooler, too!

Q: What's next for Llama Llama--will he ever grow up?

A: Llama Llama will grow and change…all children do!  But will we ever see him as a grown up llama? I doubt it.  I’m having too much fun with him as a little guy.  His next challenge is to deal with a bully – that book comes out in a year.  I’m working on it now.

Q: What's your process for creating the Llama Llama books?  Do you write the words first, sketch first, or paint first?  How does it all come together in the end?

A: I get this question a lot, since I both write and illustrate the books.  The answer is that the whole thing comes together rather like a collage…or (to use a Llama Llama metaphor) like a quilt.  I usually start with a feeling or sensation (“I don’t WANT to go shopping!” or “I’m scared by myself in the dark!”) and go from there.  I usually have a few snippets of language that I really like, and then I weave them into a few lines of text.  By that time, I’m usually sketching the characters at the same time. 

After months of weaving the text and the images, I’ll usually stop for a few weeks to focus on the text, and then draw a set of images to go with that text.  However, once that first book “dummy” is created, I’ll still go back and forth on the images and text almost until I start painting the final pictures.  And I’ve been known to change the text while the book is in production, too (which my publisher finds a little stressful!).

Do We Need Books About Bullying?

Sadly, I think we need books about bullying now more than ever, and since October is National Anti-Bullying Month, it's a good time to talk about it.  It used to be just name calling, maybe getting pushed around on the playground or at school, but now there is cyber bullying and a lot of the bullies seem to be girls. 

I love the movie Mean Girls because it shows both how ridiculous (and often insecure) a lot of the bullies really are, but also how alluring being part of the "in" crowd can be--even when doing so goes against the values that seemed so clear before the inner circle beckoned.  I have a young daughter, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a kernel of anxiety in the back of my mind about throwing her into the fray of school where the mean girls live.  Funny that it's never occurred to me she could be one...

It's hard, it's depressing, and it's scary, but bullying is a fact of life for today's kids, and there are, thankfully, some good books on the subject--both for kids and parents.  Here are some of the ones I really like, and I hope you'll share any that you like.  After the list you'll find a brief word from Patricia Palacco, the author of Bully (a great book for kids), about why she wrote it.

• Odd Girl Out
• Bully: An Action Plan for Teachers, Parents, and Communities to Combat the Bullying Crisis
• The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander
• Blubber
• My Secret Bully
• Confessions of a Former Bully
• Bully
• Letters to a Bullied Girl
• Dear Bully
• Eighth Grade Bites
• Stand Up for Yourself and Your Friends

Patricia Palacco on why she wrote Bully:

As a child I had great difficulty learning. I was often the object of ridicule, name calling and teasing. I’ll never forget how that felt. I am now a children’s author and illustrator of over 85 books. I visit over 300 schools a year.

Bullying these days has taken on a new more soul destroying dimension among some students. They now use their cell phones, computers and lap tops to launch school-wide campaigns against innocent individuals. These devices are used as instruments of torture and torment.

It is for this reason that I wrote and illustrated my new book BULLY. My hope is that parents will read this book with their children and discuss what may be happening at their own school. I feel that we all need, as parents, to be more vigilant as to what our children are using these devices to accomplish. No matter how different anyone is, they have value and deserve to be treated with respect…not ridicule.

--Patricia Polacco

 

Grab Your Book, It's Read for the Record Day

This whole week is a celebration of Read for the Record, highlighting the need for quality early education, but today is the day for everyone to enjoy a group read of Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad.  To mark today's special reading event, David Soman, illustrator of the popular Ladybug Girl books shared the early sketches below of Butterfly Girl and Dragonfly Girl in progress, and a full-color character study of the whole Bug Squad as you'll see them in Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad.   Last year 2.2 million people participated in Read for the Record and I hope 2012 is even better!

A Never-Before-Seen Olivia Illustration

I'm a huge fan of Ian Falconer and his spunky picture book pig, Olivia, so when I heard there would be a new book this year I couldn't wait to see what he would come up with.  In Olivia and the Fairy Princesses, Olivia is over the whole pink princess thing and she's flying her independence flag like never before--illustrated beautifully (of course!) in her sense of style (I particularly love the Hepburn-inspired ensemble) and career considerations--of both the princess and non-princess variety. We chose Olivia and the Fairy Princesses as a Best Picture Book of September and learned some interesting tidbits in our exclusive Five Questions with Ian Falconer below. As an added bonus he created the illustration you see here especially for this post.  As if I didn't love him enough already...

FIVE QUESTIONS WITH IAN FALCONER:

1.Olivia gives some serious thought to what she’d like to be instead of a princess--what did you want to be when you were a kid?

I'm not sure that I had any career in mind ( as in " I want to be queen."). I always wanted to make things; to draw pictures, build forts and tree houses, make rafts and boats ( I was fascinated by Kon-Tiki), make costumes. My father was an architect--he could build anything--and had a wood shop at home with huge power saws etc. which he, insanely, let me use, and my mother taught me how to use a sewing machine--really use a sewing machine--homemade Halloween costumes were a huge part of the calendar.  I could make all kinds of things with my hands and that's basically what I do now. I can cook too.

2. What’s the best piece of fan mail you’ve ever gotten?

I don't even know where to start with that one, I've had so many letters. I did get one suggestion for an Olivia plot--from a boy--that had her playing football, with her making " touchdown after touchdown." It was also illustrated, with yardlines, ball trajectories, goalposts, stadium... Ha.

3. If you could have one superpower, what would it be? (Flight and invisibility are off the table)

Apart from the ability to eliminate new, generic, glass walled, high rise condominium developments (and the developers) in Manhattan by simply glaring at them, I would like to be able to draw like Rembrandt or Picasso. Not a lot to ask is it?

4. Did you create the illustrations for Olivia and the Fairy Princesses one at a time or work on multiple spreads at once?

A children's picture book has a set number of pages, so the whole book must be planned out-- which drawings and which words go on which page--before you can start finishing drawings. I start by getting all the drawings and the text on the right pages--usually with simple sketches and post-its (so they can be moved about)--and then start to do more detailed pencil drawings on good paper that will then be the basis for the finished drawings. So it goes in stages, the whole book being done to each level of finish at the same time, together. The first stage is the hardest. Because of the page limits, if you decide to move a page, or make a single page into a double page, it disrupts all the other pages in the book. Very tricky.

5. Which is your favorite spread from the book, and why?

Oh, I'd have to say the Martha Graham spread. It is, I think, graphically very elegant and it is utterly absurd and funny as well. I like the international princesses spread as well. Well, really, of course I like them all. They wouldn't be in the book otherwise!

Willy Wonka Goes Digital

Today Roald Dahl would have been 96 years old and on this special anniversary readers of Kindle books are getting a Golden Ticket of sorts--for the first time ever eight of Dahl's most beloved titles are available as eBooks.

Topping the list of Roald Dahl favorites is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Who can forget the moment when half-starved Charlie Bucket and Grandpa Joe see the wonder of Wonka's factory for the first time?  The glistening sugar boat taking them down a melted chocolate river; candy inventions that we can almost taste in their description (I still want to try that gum...); the Oompa-Loompas wacky songs accompanying the exit of each over-privileged child as greed gets the best of them?  The setting is the stuff childhood dreams are made of (and let's be honest, I would still be thrilled to visit Willy Wonka's chocolate factory), but I think Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is magical and timeless because, in this story, good things happen to good people, the poor triumph over the rich, and dreams really do come true.

James and the Giant Peach was Dahl's second book for children and is one of my all-time favorites--my sister gave me a beautiful hardcover copy (like this one) a couple of decades ago (our mom had to read it to us over and over when we were kids) and it remains one of my most cherished possessions.  In James and the Giant Peach, James Henry Trotter becomes an orphan at the age of four under totally bizarre circumstances and is packed off to live with his horrible aunts Striker and Sponge.  But like Charlie Bucket, "fabulous, unbelievable things" happen to James and he finds himself on an incredible journey inside a giant golden peach, in the company of anthropomorphic insects--including a centipede with a shoe fetish--who love and care for him and to whom he is not a burden but a blessing. I can't look at a peach without thinking of this story, and it makes them all the sweeter for it.

Roald Dahl is an icon of children's literature and I could go on and on about the unique pleasures of each of his children's books, their film adaptations (Johnny Depp or Gene Wilder as the best Willy Wonka?), Dahl's early life as a WWII pilot, and later work as a screenwriter (for Ian Fleming's You Only Live Twice and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) and author of adult books.  But instead I will leave you with the titles that I hope to see on the Kindles of my fellow airplane passengers and bus riders in the coming days (full disclosure: I totally eavesdrop on other people's reading material).  If you have a favorite Roald Dahl book to share with other Omni readers, let us know.

Below are the Roald Dahl Kindle books and you can see more of his books here:

• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

• Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator

• James and the Giant Peach

• Danny, Champion of the World

• George’s Marvelous Medicine

• Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

• Fantastic Mr. Fox

• The Twits

 

Three Books That Make Me Terrified [scared sh*tless] to be a Father by Justin Halpern

With Father's Day only a day away, we thought the perfect person for a guest post would, of course, be Justin Halpern, bestselling author of Sh*t My Dad Says and his latest book, I Suck at Girls, which we loved so much we made it a Best Books of May selection.  In this exclusive essay Halpern shares his thoughts on the lessons of fatherhood he took from books by Upton Sinclair, Richard Price, and Cormac McCarthy.

I grew up in the eighties and early nineties in front of a television.  On TV, fatherhood breaks down in to two categories: The dad who loves his kids and shows up to all their graduations and sporting events, and the irresponsible dad who has an alcohol problem, seems like he’s turned the corner, but ultimately disappoints his child.  When presented with those two options, the answer seemed easy.  “I’ll be the good dad who loves his kids!”  Then, in eighth grade, I read Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle.

 Although this book is probably best known for its depiction of turn of the century meatpacking producers and the immigrants who worked there, for me it was the first book I read that detailed how much responsibility came with having a child.  Sinclair uses Jurgis, the patriarch of an impoverished Lithuanian family and puts him through hell, a hell Jurgis accepts because he needs to provide for his family.  There’s not even a question in Jurgis’s mind that he needs to keep working, even when the bottoms of his feet are infected and rotting.  Then, finally, after Jurgis loses family member after family member he sets out on his own and for the first time in the book, the character expresses some level of happiness even though he’s a hobo. 

Sure, maybe most took it as a commentary on the dream of capitalism that America was selling, but I took it as Sinclair grabbing me by the shoulders and screaming “Fatherhood is a prison!  RUN!”  I would have signed up for a vasectomy right then and there if they had offered it to fourteen year olds. 

Being a father is much different in the twenty-first century.  Parenting techniques are debated to the point where many people, including myself, tend to take for granted our most basic duties as fathers; to keep our children alive.  The Road by Cormac McCarthy reduces fatherhood to it’s the bare essentials. The father in this story doesn’t worry about whether or not he should try attachment parenting.  Instead he worries about whether or not a roving band of cannibals will toss his son in a basement and eat him while he’s still alive. Reading this book will remind you of the primal obligations of fatherhood.

Hopefully when you’ve finished raising a child, they’ve become an upstanding citizen and someone you’re proud of.  Unfortunately that doesn’t always happen.  Richard Price’s Lush Life is largely a story about cops and inner-city kids, but what stood out to me was the relationship a Detective named Matty had with his sons who end up committing a very stupid crime.  Price does a beautiful job of showing us a father trying to come to terms with his own mistakes for the good of his children, something I hope I will be able to do someday.

--Justin Halpern