This week marked the release of Chris Ware’s unbelievably wonderful graphic novel Building Stories, which we (and everyone else) have been awaiting with bated breath for many months. The graphic publishing event of the year, the book is truly a world you can get lost in, and decidedly not one that you can appreciate on an e-reader — or even on your computer. Inspired by Ware’s effort, we’ve collected a short list of books that will restore your faith in the power of the printed… Read More
Maurice Sendak
Famous Authors’ Funniest Responses to Their Books Being Banned
As you might have already heard, it’s Banned Books Week, and booksellers, librarians, and literary critics of all kinds are taking the opportunity to celebrate their favorite once-banned (or oft-banned) literature. But what do the authors themselves have to say about all this? After the jump, we’ve collected a few of our favorite hilarious responses from authors when their books were banned or challenged — because when there’s a challenge, why not challenge right back? Click through to hear what visionaries like Mark Twain, Harper Lee, and Maurice Sendak have to say to those who would deprive the world of their… Read More
The 20 Most Beautiful Children’s Books of All Time
[Editor's note: It's Labor Day, so your devoted Flavorwire team is taking a break. To keep you entertained, we're leaving you with our most popular features of the summer months. This post originally ran July 9th.] Ever since Chris Van Allsburg’s birthday last month, we’ve been feeling a surge of appreciation for the plethora of beautiful picture books in our lives. In fact, we think some of the loveliest illustrations we’ve ever seen have been in books (or maybe that’s just the association with a great story talking), so we decided to round up a few of the most beautiful children’s books — at least according to us. Keep in mind: we’re going for beauty, not iconic status — so Tenniel’s Alice drawings and a few other iconic, innovative illustrations, while dear to us, don’t make the cut. Leaf through our picks for the most mindblowingly beautiful picture books after the jump, and since we can only draw from our own personal knowledge and tastes, and we know there are scores upon scores of gorgeous children’s books out there (thank goodness), be sure to add any other favorites of yours to our list in the comments! … Read More
Even Maurice Sendak Worried About Not Being Tolstoy
In 1961, a 33-year-old Maurice Sendak, tasked with illustrating one of Tolstoy’s books, wrote to his editor Ursula Nordstrom — the publishing legend behind in children’s literature — expressing some trepidation about his own artistic abilities in the face of the great Russian writer; specifically, he complained that Tolstoy and Melville filled their books with furniture,… Read More
9 Unintentionally Terrifying Children’s Books
In retrospect, many of our beloved children’s books were a little creepy. Well — maybe we’ve watched Psycho a little too recently, but a missing page from Love You Forever could easily reveal some Norman Bates-type sentiments, don’t you think? And what’s with all these cheery books about characters drowning in food? Last month, we brought you ten terrifying children’s books from around the world, and now we’ve gathered a selection of creepy stories that weren’t intended to be interpreted as such. Check ‘em out after the jump, and hit the comments to suggest other popular kids’ books with unexpectedly eerie connotations. … Read More
A Collection of Brilliant and Inspiring Letters From Famous Authors to Their Young Fans
Earlier this week, we pointed you towards a fantastic letter from Robert Louis Stevenson to a little girl, posted over at Letters of Note, wherein he bequeathed her his birthday. Though we are guilty of being fond of literary ephemera in all of its forms, we have to say that we particularly love reading letters written by authors and sent to their young fans, whether they consist of advice, encouragement, or just gratitude. We think something about the way an author writes to a child is very telling, and even more than that, we know how much of an impact such letters probably had on their recipients, a thought that fills us with warm goodness. Click through to see our small collection of inspiring, cheeky, and lovely letters from famous authors to their young fans — you might just find that they work just as well for kids of all ages. … Read More
10 Important Life Lessons We Learned from Children’s Books
This week, one of our favorite children’s book authors and illustrators of all time, Chris Van Allsburg, turned 63. Allsburg’s books were formative literature for us as children, so to celebrate the author’s birthday, we were inspired to think about all the life lessons we learned from children’s books — both picture books and early chapter books — that still stick with us. After all, the things you absorb at a young age can form the foundation for the person you will become, so we think it’s nice to look back and see if we can trace our morality to an evil French dentist and his dog. Click through for some of the life lessons we learned from our favorite children’s books — and let us know which morals you’ve held onto in the comments. … Read More
Flavorpill’s Guide to Movies You Need to Stream This Week
Welcome to Flavorpill’s streaming movie guide, in which we help you sift through the scores of movies streaming on Netflix, Hulu, and other services to find the best of the recently available, freshly relevant, or soon to expire. This week, we’ve got films from Ryan Gosling, Colin Farrell, Keira Knightley, Mel Brooks, Bill Murray, Diego Luna, Gael Garcia Bernal, and Robin Williams, plus new documentaries and an ‘80s classic. Check them all out after the jump, and follow the title links to watch them right now. … Read More
Famous Artists Pay Homage to Maurice Sendak
For such a determined curmudgeon, Maurice Sendak was one popular guy. Case in point, Dangerous Minds just tipped us off to the fact that over the weekend the Sunday Review section of The New York Times featured a lovely visual tribute to beloved children’s author from a group of artists who included
Watch Uncensored Outtakes From Colbert’s Maurice Sendak Interview
Like everyone else you know, we’ve been grieving over the loss of legendary children’s book author Maurice Sendak all week. But our sadness was momentarily lifted when Stephen Colbert aired a few extra outtakes from his outstanding interview with Sendak, which we originally fell in love with back in January. The outtakes are just as hilarious as the sections that made it onto the original program, but they’re also incredibly touching, showing Sendak’s less crotchety, more grandfatherly side. ”I think childhood is a period of great torment,” Sendak says. “We learn all these things — what is and what isn’t, what you can do and what you cannot do, and it’s hard, it’s really very hard.” He goes on to say that the best thing a parent can do for a child is “love him or her… take them for what they are.” Indeed. Yet again, Mr. Sendak, you are dearly missed. … Read More
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