Ever since Sophia’s birthday, we’ve had a little problem with her: she wants Princess everything. Most especially books. (Well, and music in the car. I bought her the Disney Princess CDs and I rue the day I did, because all I friggin’ get to listen to now is Judy Kuhn wail about the “Colors of the Wind.” You never know what you’ve lost until you can’t listen to NPR any more.) Whenever we offered to read her a book, she wanted a Princess book, and finally Darin put down his foot: when we’re at the bookstore reading books, no Princess books. He even hates reading them to her at bedtime.
So while we were at Kepler’s the other day we noticed a new book that was co-created by the author of one of our favorite children’s books. Calef Brown did Polkabats and Octopus Slacks, which is hysterical: if you have kids, or you like poetry, or both, run out and buy this book. (Its companion, Dutch Sneakers and Flea Keepers, is good but not superlative; we read Polkabats a whole bunch and Sneakers only a few times.)
The book we found at Kepler’s was Greece! Rome! Monsters! written by John Harris and illustrated by Calef Brown in his offbeat, folk art style. Darin and I have always loved the Greek myths, and we thought Sophia might enjoy this book. Then we opened it up and read a bit and thought, Hmm, descriptions of flesh falling off bones and monsters with three rows of sharp teeth and cutting off the Medusa’s head. Perhaps this is too scary for a three-and-a-half year old.
Wrong again, mater.
Sophia loves this book. She isn’t scared by it at all; she wants to hear it over and over again. If she could get both Darin and me to read it to her before bed, she would. She likes to point out the various monsters in the opening spread and she can name them all. Manticores and basilisks and Cerberus oh my! My little girl isn’t fazed by the tale of the Minotaur in the least.
I found D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths when I was eight and on vacation in Bermuda. Yes, even at eight you couldn’t get me out of a bookshop. And I was looking forward to the day when I would get my kids and copy and sit down with them and discuss the Greek myths with them.
What can I say? That day may be now.
And she hasn’t asked for a Princess book lately, thank goodness.
If you have a tot who needs something a little offbeat, check Greece! Rome! Monsters! out. Or Polkabats and Octopus Slacks. They’re both excellent.
My just-turned-5 daughter is the same way about ‘her’ music in the car. When she was 3 I bought her one of the children’s tape players with headphones for the car. Now that she’s a little older I got her a personal CD player with headphones. She can work that darn thing better than I can. Now she gets her music, I get my ‘whatever’ and I also get the added pleasure of hearing her sweet soprano sing at the top of her lungs to songs I can’t hear. :o)
Try Jules Feiffer’s I Lost My Bear or I’m Not Bobby.
Speaking as someone who was so princess obsessed I thought I’d grow up, travel through time, and become an actual princess – it’s likely to fade. (Consider, I turned out to be a pants-wearing, no makeup, crew-cut, militant feminist.)
Hearty second on “I Lost My Bear”. Try “What is Beautiful” as well.
ll