Minh Le is amazing. From a Harvard Man to a Harvard Graduate to a Blogger devoted to “Picture Books from a Somewhat Grown-Up Perspective” called Bottom Shelf Books.
Why the Bottom Shelf?
The bottom shelf of the bookcase is where I keep all my picture books. That way they’re accessible to any little ones that might be around. But that doesn’t mean that kids are the only ones that can enjoy them. Afterall, they are my damn books.
Why Picture Books?
As the old saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words but weighs significantly less.” I love reading as much as the next person, but there are only so many hours in the day. For example, why spend weeks (or months) reading David Foster Wallace’s indulgently long Infinite Jest when you could spend minutes reading Crockett Johnson’s Harold and the Purple Crayon which is basically the same story? (minus the prescription drug abuse.) It’s really just a matter of efficient time management.
Picture Books and Intellectual Growth
While it is great to invoke the heart and spirit of your childhood when reading a picture book, that doesn’t mean that you have to revert to the mentality of a child. Like all books, picture books have layers of meaning that only the individual reader can peel away. What makes picture books unique is that you can use them to chart your intellectual growth. As an exercise, pick a favorite picture book that you read as a child and read it again every couple years to see how your experience in the world has altered your reading. You will probably find that you’ve gotten dumber with time. But the sooner you realize this, the better.
