Last time I visited, I was with two of my favorite people. One was sitting on the floor of the travel section, his long legs criss-crossed and a stack of fantasy destinations in his lap. The other leaned against the check-out counter, her glasses sliding down her nose as she seriously discussed the merits of various young adult titles with the kind woman perched on a stool on the other side of the counter.
Me? I was hanging out in the children's books.
My latest find? The Eraserheads (Kate Banks and Boris Kulikov).
Here are a couple of lines from the story that make me smile:
- Often a letter was too large, or sometimes too small.
- But suddenly, the boy ran out of space.
- "Hooray for mistakes," cried the owl.
The strength of this story, though, comes in its illustrations. All of the action takes place on Max's desk (one I'd love to recreate), and it's clear, even amidst the math and vocabulary homework spread across the surface, that the boy's true love is art. Or maybe it's imagination ... or adventure.
I wonder what my true love is? Or my students'? Or those two lovely people I spent the afternoon with at Circle Books? What do the eraserheads love? What is their purpose? How about mine ... and yours? And is a mistake something that should be crumpled up and thrown on the floor? What are the consequences of ignoring them? Can -- or should -- they be redeemed?
Most importantly ... if I was an eraser, would I be an alligator, owl, or pig? Got it -- turtle.
Time to poke out my head and pour more coffee. And then, perhaps drive down to Long Boat Key for another visit to Circle Books.
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