Category Archives: children’s books

The things you can learn with a little book-talk

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If I had to name one character who could imagine their way to anywhere, it would be Calvin from the Calvin and Hobbes books by Bill Watterson. This boy and his patient tiger survive all kinds of torments, from boredom to homework to bedtime, by imagining worlds only they can see,where all logic is theirs. The pair of them have made me laugh so much.

What’s the magic? For me it’s the way they explore anything from whatever angle. It looks so easy and obvious when they do it.

Today a group of us older readers tried to dig into the thick web of possibilities that lead in and out of every book. Our brains were sluggish and adult, but we did find a way through to somewhere new by doing a couple of quizzes, each triggered by an incident in a children’s book.

The final quiz was on poisonous creatures. We listed a few, rattling off snakes, spiders, frogs, and fish, but we had no idea about the creature placed right at the top of the list of answers – the male duck-billed platypus. It turns out that this innocent, furry swimmer, with rounded beak and webbed feet, has spurs just above the heels of his back legs with enough poison in them to kill a small animal.

Who knew? We didn’t. Perhaps Calvin and Hobbes would have.

Copyright Georgie Knaggs & The Phraser 2023

This is not my hat – Jon Klassen

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Today I visited a bookstore. My task was to find books on crime and punishment in the adult, non-fiction section. Help was sought and books found, and I was about to leave with my treasure when I remembered another book I wanted to find.

“Oh,” said the weary assistant.

“A children’s book – This Is Not My Hat.”

“Ah,” said the assistant, suddenly eager, eyes brightening.

And this is it. You may have heard of it, but I had not until recently. As it turns out it’s another book on crime and punishment, and it may just be the best of the ones I came out with.

The story involves a hat, a big fish, a little fish, and the question of whether or not the little fish will be a lucky fish. The illustrations are restrained and the story telling minimalist. Together they pulled me right into the dark water with the fish wondering what would happen next, all the drama caught in the side-view eyes.

I think it’s a brilliant book, one you could talk about forever to a child, imagining what might happen and why, and whether or not it should – a classic tale about fishy goings on.

Copyright Georgie Knaggs & The Phraser 2023