Thursday, July 18, 2013

Everything I Need To Know I Learned From a Little Golden Book, by Diane E. Muldrow

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A humorous "guide to life" for grown-ups!

One day, Diane Muldrow, a longtime editor of the iconic Little Golden Books, realized that, despite their whimsical appearance, there was hardly a real-life situation that hadn't been covered in the more than 70-year-old line of children's books—from managing money, to the importance of exercise, to finding contentment in the simplest things. 

In this age of debt, depression, and diabetes, could we adults use a refresher course in the gentle lessons from these adorable books, she wondered—a "Little Golden guide to life"? Yes, we could! Muldrow's humorous yet practical tips for getting the most out of life ("Don't forget to enjoy your wedding!" "Be a hugger." "Sweatpants are bad for morale."), drawn from more than 60 stories, are paired with delightful images from these best-loved children's books of all time—among them The Poky Little Puppy, Pantaloon, Mister Dog, Nurse Nancy, We Help Mommy, Five Pennies to Spend, and The Little Red Hen.  

The Golden greats of children's illustration are represented here as well: Richard Scarry, Garth Williams, Eloise Wilkin, J. P. Miller, and Mary Blair, among many others. Sure to bring memories and a smile, this book is a perfect gift for baby boomers, recent grads, lovers of children's literature—or anyone who cherishes the sturdy little books with the shiny cardboard covers and gold foil spines!





How cool is this book idea?  I was psyched to read snippets of books I loved as a kid that have been updated for grown-ups. 

What I received, however, left me scratching my head in bewilderment.  Is this supposed to be funny?  witty?  charming?  Did I just get a bum ARC?  The file I received was all of 11 pages long and comprised a single sentence over a handful of pages:

Is your life starting to feel like a circus?
Don't panic...
Today's a new day.
Frolic.
Daydream.
Work hard.
Play hard.
Believe in Santa Claus...
love at first sight...
and that your ship will come in. As long as you do, your life is bound to be Golden!

Um... okay?  I'm not really sure what this is supposed to be.

I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review.

2 comments:

  1. Holy moly. I loved Little Golden Books when I was younger. After reading the synopsis I'd say you definitely didn't receive the full ARC. That sucks you didn't get the full book, because this really does sound awesome. I'll have to keep my eye open for this book once it is actually released.

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    1. That's what I'm hoping. I really want to read the whole book and love it!

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