Books

These 9 Picture Books Will Remind You Who You Are

Have you ever reread some of your old favorite picture books? If you haven’t, I really recommend that you do. Not only are children’s books nostalgic and beautiful and so refreshingly easy to read, but they pack some serious philosophical punch. You don’t even have to implement any of your higher education training to find the symbolism here.

Every time I read a picture book, I am stunned by how gracefully the writers and illustrators manage to convey universal truths — like the significance of gratitude, and the wonders of your imagination, and the importance of heeding your instincts — without pretension. Kids have no time for that stuff. And neither, I can guess, do you.

So when you’re caught in a tight spot — including, but not limited to: FOMO; existential ennui; accidentally eating an entire sleeve of Oreos and sincerely regretting doing so — try reading these nine picture books for consolation and inspiration. They’ll remind you of your roots and teach you how to be better. Plus: so many pictures! So few words! Such massive font! Can’t ask for much more than that.

Image: Salem (MA) Public Library/Flickr

'The Carrot Seed' by Ruth Krauss

No one believed that a little boy’s carrot seed would grow into a carrot plant (carrot plant?). But — spoiler alert — grow into a carrot plant that little seed did. Remember how firmly you believed that your dreams would come true as a child? Remember that now. Perseverance, my friends, isn’t a virtue: it’s how you prove the people wrong.

'The Snowman' by Raymond Briggs

The Snowman tells the story of one boy’s imaginary friend, the titular snowman, who melts just a day after they’ve begun their torrid platonic love affair. When you’re suffering FOMO, or can’t find anyone to hang out with, hearken back to your childhood: your life was brimming with people who wanted to hang out with you! Okay, those people were very possibly imaginary, but then just take a moment to marvel at the palliative power of your imagination! And anyway, if Beyoncé is to be believed, you can be your own best friend.

'Doctor De Soto' by William Steig

Although gifted dentist Dr. De Soto, who happens to be a mouse, refuses to treat dangerous animals (it even says so on the sign), he’s coerced by a particularly charming fox into curing the carnivore of his disgusting mouth problems. No surprise, then, that the wily fox tries to eat his adorable dentist. If you’re ever in a situation where you’re feeling weird about someone — someone who seems dangerous, or like they’re trying to take advantage of you in some way, or whose aura is just totally murky — take a cue from Dr. De Soto’s mistake and heed your instincts. Get that person out of your life and your own luminous aura.

'Roxaboxen' by Alice McLerran

Remember how excited you used to be to become an adult? As kids, my sister and I would literally pretend to answer phones and write checks and type on computers all day. We were very modest children. But now, many of us wish we could just fill in coloring books and eat melty cheese all day every day. (Oh wait: you can!) When being over the age of eight is getting you down, peruse Alice McLerran’s Roxaboxen, and remember how desperate you were to be able to drive a car. See? Adulthood can be fun! Ish!

'The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Junk Food' by Stan and Jan Berenstain

Oh, the junk food binge. We did it as kids, and we’re bound to do it again as grown-ass ladies. But putting yourself into a food coma will never, ever make you feel good: when you binge way over the healthy limit, it’s easy to forget that you love yourself. Your body is your beautiful, sexy, non-denominational temple: treat it with care, and just eat till you’re satisfied.

Unless you just ran a marathon, or birthed a kid. Then you can eat however much you want.

'Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day' by Judith Viorst

Why is Judith Viorst’s 1987 picture book so perennially popular? Because kvetching. Everyone kvetches. Everyone needs to kvetch. Even small children. And sometimes, kvetching about really awful days when the subway isn’t working and it’s 9500 degrees outside and your pit stains are beginning to resemble one of the Great Lakes, just whichever one is the biggest, makes you realize that, actually, you’re still alive. You live in a city that provides public transportation, no matter how AGGRAVATING it is. You have a shirt that you can sweat through. So, things can’t really be that bad. Right?

'George and Martha' by James Marshall

One of my favorite Paulo Coelho quotes goes: “When you say ‘yes’ to others, make sure you are not saying ‘no’ to yourself.” This is a cardinal rule of being a human and also having friends, which hopefully go hand-in-hand (if not, see Slide 2). James Marshall’s adorable book George and Martha teaches five key lessons for being a good friend, many of which include being honest with each other — even if that means saying “no,” like when George tells Martha that, no, he actually does not care for her split-pea soup. “Honesty is the best policy” is the most cliched of all the cliches, but it’s actually a good rule to live by.

'The True Story of the Three Little Pigs' by Jon Scieszka

Jon Scieszka’s take on the story of the Three Little Pigs, which is narrated from the perspective of the Big Bad Wolf who was simply suffering from a head cold and gale-force sneezes at the time of the crime, teaches us that there are two sides to every story. If you’re in an argument with a friend or co-worker or SO and are intent on making them the bad guy, don’t make assumptions about their motives: consider the factors that could be going on with them and that may be unknown to you. Maybe they’re just cranky today.

'Frederick' by Leo Lionni

While the other mice collect food to prepare for the winter, Frederick chills on his rock, gathering sun, colors, and words. The other mice are understandably vexed, but they forgive Frederick for his free-spirited ways once the cold, dark winter comes, and Frederick is prepared to regale them with stories and poems. If you’re a dreamer or an artist or just kind of lazy sometimes, it’s really easy to feel pressured by your seemingly higher-functioning peers to “do” stuff. But we need thinkers just as much as we need go-getters, and, hey, you never know: maybe your hours spent watching Netflix will inspire you to write your own story or screenplay.

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