My Other Car is a Pencil

Reverb Broad's 12/09/11 prompt: What was your favorite children's book?



My mother will NEVER be on the television show, Hoarders.   Bless her, she truly knows that things are just things, and it's our relationships that matter and are what we need to hold on to.  If you ever met my parents, you would be shocked that their house is not stuffed with books.  They are prolific readers.  My mom was even a reading specialist in one of the area high schools.  But they were always very frugal with money, and we spent a lot of time at our public library.  We even checked out artwork, something apparently not all public libraries let you do according to my friends who grew up in other towns.  When I was a kid, Whitewater's Public Library felt like this huge, imposing building with big steps and tall ceilings.  I suppose the actual shelving area was quite small, which is why they built a new library, with all the modern touches a "library of today" needs.  But I was sad to say goodbye to that big old building where I spent much of my childhood.

So I'm not sure if we didn't own a copy of my favorite book, or if it was donated or given away.  I knew for sure, though, when I was Christmas shopping at a Waldenbooks one winter break from college, that we no longer had Richard Scarry's "Best Storybook Ever."  So I bought it for myself (likely with my parents' money they had so frugally saved so they could send me to college).  Ironically, it's still at my parents' house.  I guess my mom either figured out that it was very special, or she just thought it would be something the grandchildren could enjoy.

I still love going through those stories:  Chipmunk getting ready for his birthday party, Daddy Bear pretending he doesn't see Little Bear on top of his shoulders, Nicholas the bunny curling up in his hollow tree to dream about the spring.  And I love all the cars made out of weird objects: pencils, pickles, ketchup bottles.  It was such a joy to finally get to share them with my own children.

Now, I did not inherit my mother's ability to let go of clutter.  I'm hardly a hoarder, but we do have a house stuffed with books, toys, and (too often) baskets of unfolded laundry.  My children don't go to the library as frequently as we did, but we also have fun trips to Barnes and Noble and Westfield Comics.  I will eventually donate most of the books they have outgrown, but my sentimentality will force me to hold onto a few (let's face it, dozens) of our favorites:  Goodnight Moon, The Runaway Bunny, all Dr. Suess, all Eric Carle, Leo Lionni, Curious George, Mo Willems, Winnie-the-Pooh, Harold and the Purple Crayon....  Hmmm, maybe Hoarders will be paying me a visit someday after all.