What the Dormouse Said : Lessons for Grown-ups from Children's Books

Rating:
Summary: A Nice Little Book
Review: A good concept & a nice little book. I'd like to see this idea expanded into a larger work, with more children's books used as sources, & with subject & title indices. It'd be even better then!

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful, Charming Book
Review: I just happened upon this book in my local bookstore, and I feel lucky really. It's a gem. Filled with wonderfully witty and wise quotations from childrens books through the ages. The quotations brought back lovely memories of my own childhood and my own childhood reading. They also reminded me of how beautiful and eloquent and wise the simple thoughts are from great children's literature. Thank you, Amy Gash, for putting together such a thoughtful and moving collection. I plan to buy many as gifts for friends and for my own children's teachers. There's a lot to learn from children's literature--wisdom and perspective and, perhaps most of all, a sense humor. I can't think of a better introduction to the world of children's literature--and what it has to offer to grown ups too--than What The Dormouse Said.

Rating:
Summary: misleading
Review: this book offers no "brilliant insight" - it is just a list of quotes the author found interesting. The organization is loose and reading even a couple pages of it is choppy at best.

Rating:
Summary: misleading
Review: this book offers no "brilliant insight" - it is just a list of quotes the author found interesting. The organization is loose and reading even a couple pages of it is choppy at best.

Rating:
Summary: a fun read for all
Review: This is a delightful collection of quotations that anyone who loves children's books will enjoy. Sources range from Alice in Wonderland to Winnie-the-Pooh to Narnia to Harry Potter. The book is divided into chapters, including Imagination and Adventure; Animals; Character and Individuality; Greed, Envy, Pride, and Sloth; Songs and Stories. There's an index of titles so you can look up your favorites. Here are a couple of my favorites: "Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing -- absolutely nothing -- half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats." ("The Wind in the Willows"); "If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." ("The Hobbit").

Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: This is a really awesome idea. There are truly so many gems out there. Most of them you will remember reading too. I would like to see an even more indepth version with more children's books. But, what an awesome start. This could start the next great "Chicken Soup..." or "...for Dummies" movement in books.