November is Picture Book Month! I have posted previously (here, here and here… oh, and also here) about pagan-friendly children’s books, and their value in spiritual formation. In more general terms, though, I am just a big fan of well-written children’s books, fiction or non-. When done properly, a children’s book (particularly those for the younger set) is an exercise is distilling *all*, and more importantly *only*, the information that is actually necessary for the reader/listener to understand the story or topic; I’d like to see Robert Jordan or Stephen King try to write a picture book, just to see if they could use that few words! :)
One of the greatest joys of my life over the last 11 years has been reading to my daughter; and while the books have changed (we’re currently reading Pratchett’s Small Gods), the value of the time spent together doing something we both love continues to be immeasurable. If you have a child in your life, please – read to them! If you don’t, I urge you to find one, or several – your local library branch would probably be happy to set up a storytime.
In the meantime, though, on the topic of children, here are a couple of things you can use to warp them forever!
sightless among miracles 
The acolytes on the bus go:
“Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn!”
“Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn!”
“Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn!”
I bought this book for Donna back in Charlotte:
http://www.amazon.com/Tuesday-David-Wiesner/dp/0395551137
Wonderful art, and of course it was all about the frogs!
— Feral Boy
Something else to leave “deep” scars: http://www.creators.com/comics/6/84148_thumb.gif