Synopses & Reviews
This one-of-a-kind collection reminds weary adults not to lose sight of the values and virtues they learned as kids. Here are over three hundred quotations from over two hundred well-loved children's books, such as
Charlotte's Web,
Peter Pan,
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone,
Eloise,
Sounder,
Number the Stars, and
Goodnight Moon, organized by topic, among them Acceptance, Goodness, Family Woes, and Growing Old. On Silence: "I assure you that you can pick up more information when you are listening than when you are talking."--E. B.White,
The Trumpet of the Swan. On Reverence: "Dying's part of the wheel, right there next to being born. . . . Being part of the whole thing, that's the blessing."--Natalie Babbitt,
Tuck Everlasting.
With clever illustrations from Pierre Le-Tan, here is a book to share with a friend or keep by your own bedside. It's the perfect gift for your sister, your mother, your brother, your nephew, your kid's teacher, your daughter away at college, your son in the Navy, your mailman, your priest, for the old lady next door, or for the baby just born. Most importantly, give it to yourself. It will help you remember why you loved reading in the first place.
Synopsis
What the Dormouse Said reminds us that we should never grow so old, or change so much, that we cannot find room in our hearts for the wisdom of children's books.
--from the foreword by Judith Viorst
From What the Dormouse Said:
On Silence: "Perhaps after all it is just as well to speak only once a year and then speak to the purpose."
--Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, Kate Douglas Wiggin
On Pleasure: "Believe me, my young friend, ther is nothing--absolutely nothing--half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats."
--The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
On Acceptance: "The world is full of happiness, and plenty to go round, if you are only willing to take the kind that comes your way."
--Daddy-Long-Legs, Jean Webster
Synopsis
Remember when you thought you could fly? When a hike through the backyard was a big adventure and a bedtime story could conquer your fear of the dark? Well, you're never too old to rediscover the simple pleasures and lessons of childhood--and sometimes it just takes a Peter Pan or a Pooh Bear to point the way.
What the Dormouse Said is the first book to bring together worldly wisdom from more than two hundred best-loved children's books: What does the Little Prince know about searching for beauty? What can Madeline teach us about being brave? And what is Harry Potter's prescription for living well? From such classics as Charlotte's Web and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, here are lessons about lofty matters, like love and faith, and practical matters, like table manners and family woes. These inspirational and witty quotations, from Aesop to Dr. Seuss, from Mark Twain to Judy Blume, remind us not to lose sight of the values we learned as kids--to be courageous, to do good deeds, to respect our imaginations and maybe even to break a few rules once in a while.
About the Author
Amy Gash edits books for grown-ups and lives with her family in New Jersey.Pierre Le-Tan has illustrated many books for children and adults. His work has appeared in leading magazines and newspapers, including the New Yorker, GQ, Glamour, the Atlantic Monthly, and Rolling Stone.Judith Viorst is the author of twenty-five books, including Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day and the New York Times best-seller Necessary Losses. She lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband.
Table of Contents
Foreword by Judith Viorst
What I Learned from Children's Books
Faith and Courage
Defiance
Imagination and Adventure
Animals
Love and Friendship
Practical Musings
Character and Individuality
Family Woes
Acceptance
Eating Habits
Nature
Sadness
Goodness
More Practical Musings
Greed, Envy, Pride, and Sloth
Songs and Stories
Growing Wise
Silence
Hidden Truths
Reverence
Growing Old
Index by Books
Acknowledgments and Permissions