Children's Author: Sandra Boynton
Blue Hat Green Hat, Doggies and Philadelphia Chickens are great fun
Mar 20, 2007
Most expectant parents hope they won't turn into dumbed-down versions of themselves once their baby is born. They resolve to read their children poetry, The New York Times and great works of literature. Then the baby is born, and all bets are off. Having a baby makes a parent give up their vanity and all of their preconceptions and do things wholly because their baby likes them. Luckily, there is a children's book author who writes books that amuse both children and their parents. Her name is Sandra Boynton.
Boynton,54, has been writing her original style of children's books since she was an English Major at Yale in the late 70's. She has four children of her own with husband Jamie. Her books are short, sweet and gently hilarious. They teach little ones counting, the alphabet, colors, and animals. Boynton, who also illustrates all of her books, favors Hippos. However, every animal under the sun makes an appearance in one book or another.
Boynton's books come alive with little twists of humor. For example, "Blue Hat Green Hat" features a series of animals wearing clothing. The last in each series is a turkey with a piece of clothing misplaced. To a little kid, there is nothing funnier than a silly bird wearing pants on his head or socks over his wings. The caption under the turkey is simply, "oops!"
Brilliant.
Another Boynton staple is "Doggies." This one is a counting book and then some. Each dog makes his own barking noise. By the time the reader gets to the tenth dog, they are woofing, yapping, howling and barking ten different barks. Parents on Barnes and Noble.com have admitted to hiding this favorite book from their kids to get a break from all the barking.
Parents who find themselves stuck in a toddler rut reading the staple "Guess How Much I Love You" may want to try "Snuggle Puppy" for a change of scenery. The book is a love song from a dog to its offspring. It's ridiculously adorable. If you want to add an extra touch of fun, you can sing along with the eponymous tune on Boynton's CD "Philadelphia Chickens." The song is track #6, sung by actor Eric Stoltz.
So many children's books are made just for children. Their simplicity can be tedious for adults. Boynton's books, however, are so funny and charming that they never fail to entertain all.
