When I was younger, much younger, back in the days of Walden Books, I had a collection of beautifully illustrated books. These were glorious "leather" bound hardbacks with gold leafing. They each had a silken ribbon from the binding to use as a book mark. I remember Black Beauty had a navy blue cover, Dracula had a black one, and Peter Pan had a deep green one. I loved those deliciously heavy books with their beautiful pictures and glossy pages.
Well, I grew up and my tastes changed. I was reading Flowers in the Attic and Interview with the Vampire. I was stupid enough to let those illustrated books go in a yard sale. I didn't know that by the time I had my daughter, books like that would be a thing of the past.
Sure, she reads them on her Kindle now, but how great would it have been to have given her those books? For me, those books bridged the gap between children's books and my grown up books. Now I look at her struggling to find books to do the same.
Why is it that we are so quick to shed the things of our childhood? Are we ashamed of them? I would love to go back and kick that younger me. They just don't make books like that anymore and it has nothing to do with the digital age or e-books taking over the world, it has to do with money. Books like that would cost a fortune to print and that's a shame. I guess in more ways than one, I'm missing the books of my childhood.
Well, I grew up and my tastes changed. I was reading Flowers in the Attic and Interview with the Vampire. I was stupid enough to let those illustrated books go in a yard sale. I didn't know that by the time I had my daughter, books like that would be a thing of the past.
Sure, she reads them on her Kindle now, but how great would it have been to have given her those books? For me, those books bridged the gap between children's books and my grown up books. Now I look at her struggling to find books to do the same.
Why is it that we are so quick to shed the things of our childhood? Are we ashamed of them? I would love to go back and kick that younger me. They just don't make books like that anymore and it has nothing to do with the digital age or e-books taking over the world, it has to do with money. Books like that would cost a fortune to print and that's a shame. I guess in more ways than one, I'm missing the books of my childhood.
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