Good books

I like a good book (I enjoy a good biscuit, too--aren't they yummy?) and I appreciate good writing. Not that all the books I read are considered great literature, but that's another story. Now, while you can't always judge a book by its cover, more often than not, you can make a pretty decent choice by a quick perusal on the back.

Now that we're getting into lots of children's books, I am discovering the same is not necessarily true. I pulled out a book the other day with a lovely cover with a title like "Little Big" or some variation thereof. As we started to read through it, however, I discovered some really, really bad writing. How hard is it to identify something that is either big or little I wonder? The book made no sense. Not that I need sense. Timmy and I both enjoy some superb little gems that make no sense at all, but this one had no flow and was nonsensical in a way you don't want a children's book to be.

It surprises me sometimes what books get published. It seems like there are quite a number of kids' books that get published, assuming kids don't need substance. Timothy certainly knows what he likes and doesn't--one of his current favorites is "Ten Minutes to Bedtime", a book with fantastic illustrations of vacationing hamsters, attending the bedtime routine of a little boy. It is mesmerizing for both of us.

Here's to sitting down with a good book!