I set out to find a new ensemble for an upcoming interview and ended up discovering all-manner of clever things for Harper Marie (my soon-to-be-born step-granddaughter)—mostly books—for which she is years away from being ready.
I bet most of you didn’t know (or care) that Anthropologie has a children’s section--small, but with a nice variety of merchandise, including an interesting collection of children’s books. What first caught my eye was a pop-up version of Le Petit Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery). I know, a pop-up version sounds kind of awful . . . and it actually was kind of awful. But there was also a charming little book, originally published in the 1930s, called Manners Can Be Fun (Munro Leaf). As I stand on the edge of becoming a step-grandmother, I hear this book calling to me, and apparently, so have many other grandmothers. If you take a look at the reviewers' comments on Amazon, a number of them mention with fondness their grandmothers’ role in bringing this book into their lives.
The back flap of the dust jacket recommended three other titles: This is London, This is New York, and . . . This is Paris. My heart leaped! I had forgotten about this series by Miroslav Sasek , introducing world travel to children. Barnes and Noble was only a few stores away. I knew that title had to be on the children’s bookshelf in my new house.
My son, Joseph, was a late talker, but I distinctly remember hearing him say “Eiffel Tower.” One of the books we frequently read together was Babar Loses His Crown (Laurent de Brunhoff). In this particular adventure, Babar (the elephant king) and his entire family are taking a trip to Paris. His crown goes missing but turns up at the Paris Opera. In pursuit of the crown, the family makes its way around to various Paris landmarks, including the top of the Eiffel Tower.
All of these children’s books related to Paris and a civilized life brought to mind another favorite—Madeline (Ludwig Bemelmans). Those of us of a certain age may recall seeing a film version of Madeline on television. Its earliest appearance was in 1952 as a short subject film in theaters. It was nominated for an Academy Award (best short subject—cartoons) but lost to a Tom and Jerry cartoon (sigh).
I’m sure none of you is surprised that some of my favorite children’s books have a French connection. Poor Harper Marie; I’m afraid her fate is sealed. Well, maybe not. I don't think anyone would mistake Joseph for a Francophile, nor is he known for his manners. (Heavier sigh)
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