{"id":42970,"date":"2023-11-07T19:28:53","date_gmt":"2023-11-08T00:28:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=42970"},"modified":"2023-11-07T19:28:53","modified_gmt":"2023-11-08T00:28:53","slug":"review-of-good-books-for-bad-children-written-by-beth-kephart-illustrated-by-chloe-bristol","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=42970","title":{"rendered":"Review of Good Books for Bad Children, written by Beth Kephart, illustrated by Chloe Bristol"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Good Books for Bad Children<\/p>\n

The Genius of Ursula Nordstrom<\/em><\/p>\n

written by Beth Kephart
\nillustrated by Chloe Bristol<\/p>\n

anne schwartz books, 2023. 44 pages.
\nReview written October 26, 2023, from a library book.
\nStarred Review<\/p>\n

Good Books for Bad Children<\/em> is a picture book biography of one of the giants of children’s literature — Ursula Nordstrom, the editor behind hundreds of classics.<\/p>\n

The book begins with some spreads about her lonely childhood, early fondness for books, and time in boarding school. Then she couldn’t afford college and got a clerk job in the textbook department at Harper & Brothers publishers. But that led to meeting the head of the Department of Books for Boys and Girls in the cafeteria. And that led to becoming her assistant. And that led to becoming the head of the department four years later in 1940. And that led to many fabulous children’s books being created over the next decades.<\/p>\n

The author doesn’t give us a list of books she edited. (I would have liked one in the back, but it surely would have taken up too much space.) Instead, she keeps it interesting for child readers and gives us a story behind the publication of several classics: encouraging Crockett Johnson about Harold and the Purple Crayon<\/em>, listening to the first line of Goodnight Moon<\/em> on the phone, laughing with Ruth Krauss over lines for A Hole Is to Dig<\/em>, and more.<\/p>\n

Here’s my favorite spread in that section:<\/p>\n

Sometimes Ursula would find a way
\nto help her writers and artists end their stories.
\nLike when Maurise Sendak
\ncame to her with a tale about a boy named Max
\nwho goes on a wild stomp of an adventure.<\/p>\n

The problem?
\nMaurice didn’t know how to get Max back home.<\/p>\n

“Well, why did Max want to go home?” Ursula asked and asked again.<\/p>\n

“Well, he wanted to be where someone loved him best of all,
\nbut he couldn’t really say that<\/em>,” Maurice said at last.<\/p>\n

“Why not?” Ursula asked.<\/p>\n

It was the perfect question,
\nwhich led to the perfect ending
\nfor Where the Wild Things Are<\/em>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I also love the way the author gets across Ursula Nordstrom’s attitude that children need all kinds of books, because there are all kinds of children out there. Indeed, she worked to make good books for bad children.<\/p>\n

I was already a fan of Ursula Nordstrom because of reading Dear Genius<\/a><\/em>, a book of her letters collected by Leonard Marcus. I’m happy that now children can learn about this lovely person who made a big difference in the world.<\/p>\n

bethkephartbooks.com<\/a>
\nchloebristol.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Buy from Amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Find this review on Sonderbooks<\/a> at: www.sonderbooks.com\/Childrens_Nonfiction\/good_books_for_bad_children.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but the views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.<\/p>\n

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