Whimsy is something fanciful, unusual, or fun; so says the dictionary. It is also an antidote to reality. Not that I ignore the terrible state of affairs swirling around us and the dark threats that are real and should be taken seriously but being fanciful now and then is sort of like gulping a breath of fresh air in a sandstorm, a brief reprieve from events beyond our control.
Maybe whimsy is why I love children’s books and why reading to my child, grandchildren, and kindergarteners was so important many years ago. Yes, I’ve written children’s stories too. Many of the stories were published by various periodicals.
Every now and then Amazon will send me a list of children’s books it thinks might strike my fancy. For example, A Tree in the Trail by Holling C. Holling waited in my Inbox this morning. Now, even though I haven’t been a child for a few years, that title really piqued my curiosity. I have a feeling it is history told in an appealing way.
And then there was Potato: A Tale from the Great Depression by Kate Lied. Not many people alive today remember first-hand the Great Depression but it was a part of history that should not be forgotten. It was a dreadful time for America but stalwart people lifted their heads, did the best they could, and lived through it.
Children’s books do a great deal toward shaping young minds, seems to me. We should be careful that reading fare is all we would wish it to be. The two books I’ve mentioned are based on truth and facts but I love the books that are whimsical. I mentioned a couple of days ago that one of my all-time favorite children’s books is A Turkey for Thanksgiving. by Eve Bunting and Diane de Groat.
I read the delightful The Napping House by Audrey Wood and Don Wood so many times to Sara and Nathan that we all memorized it.
Another favorite is Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco. This teaches a lesson in a most satisfying way plus it has a great recipe for the actual cake.
Anyway, whimsy! What fun! Are cozy mysteries whimsical? I like for my Darcy and Flora series as well as the Ned McNeil series to seem real and believable but I also like them to be fun. I’m always amused when people tell me the stories scare them; their hearts beat faster or they are afraid to go to bed at night while reading them. “What? My cozy mysteries?” I ask. I particularly like the latest Amazon review for Moonlight Can Be Murder:
This book is well written. It held my attention from beginning to end. The characters were well established in each setting. It kept me in suspense and looking forward to the next page. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and was emotionally exhausted by the end. I highly recommend it.
Emotionally exhausted? Now, that’s success! So, perhaps the book is more real than whimsical? No matter. It is just great fun.
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