From: Julie Cummins <juliecummins>
Date: Wed, 24 May 2006 09:43:02 -0400

I have to share this tidbit with everyone about The Family of Man that Miriam Budin and Melody have credited with having a powerful effect on children.

While researching an article on Leo Lionni I learned that he was the designer and visual force behind the exhibition and catalog for The Family of Man. The tentacles of children's books and their creators reach far, don't they, and how wonderful for all of us.

Munro Leaf touched me as a child. While cleaning out my mom's house last year, I found a treasure: a spiral bound notebook in which I had pasted on each lined page one of his "Watchbirds" from a school newspaper, probably weekly. The black, white, and red line drawings visualized such cautions as: "This is a sass-backer; This is a won-t share; This is a meany; This is a never-put-away." Does anyone else of my generation remember these?

And one last thought. My favorite childhood book was The Little Rabbit Who Wanted Red Wings, and to my delight, I found one at an antique show last fall. Serendiptity at play. Hmmm, does that make me an antique?

Julie Cummins Former Coordinator of Children's Services, The New York Public Library; Former Editor-in-Chief, School Library Journal
Received on Wed 24 May 2006 08:43:02 AM CDT