Darling illustrations, cute storylines, and a touch of humor for the grown-ups – what more could a child’s book want? Very little, actually, and Sandra Boynton has hit the nail on the head. Her books are delightful and entertaining, and as a parent, I don’t mind reading them over and over again, unlike many other books on the market.
Take, for instance, my very favorite Boynton, which is “But Not the Hippopotamus.” The first page reads, “A hog and a frog do a dance in the bog. But not the hippopotamus.” The hog and frog look joyful as they hold hands while sloshing in the mud, and the hippo looks at them wistfully from behind a tree. As the book progresses, we see animals shopping for hats, drinking juice, and eating ice cream, all without the hippopotamus. The little turned-down corners of her mouth really make you feel for her.
Then one day, the animals invite her to join them. The page reads, “Then the animal pack comes scurrying back, saying, Hey! Come join the lot of us! And she just doesn’t know. Should she stay, should she go? But YES the hippopotamus! . . . But not the armadillo.” As the hippo dashes away, looking triumphant, the armadillo is left standing alone. It’s such a silly story, but it touches the heart and makes you feel for these animal characters, giving a subtle message about the importance of including others. There really should be a sequel about the day the armadillo feels like he belongs.
Another story by Boynton is “Oh My Oh My Oh Dinosaurs.” A story about opposites, the faces on these dinosaurs are priceless.
“Dinosaurs happy, and dinosaurs sad. Dinosaurs good and dinosaurs bad. Dinosaurs big and dinosaurs tiny. Dinosaurs smooth and dinosaurs spiny.” We continue on, seeing pictures of each of these types of dinosaurs, until we reach, “Dinosaurs looking right at you, to say goodbye because we’re through.”
In a board book construction, these stories are just the right size for small hands.
I can’t leave the subject of Sandra Boynton without mentioning “Grunt: The Pigorian Chants.” For those of you familiar with the Gregorian Chants, you’ll get a big kick out of this. On the front is a picture of a pig dressed like a monk, and the CD that accompanies the book plays songs such as “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” in the style of the Gregorian Chants. I think children would find it boring, but I gave it to my husband for his birthday a few years ago and we rolled on the floor laughing.
So whether you like pigs or armadillos, give Sandra Boynton a try. You may enjoy her even more than your kids do.
