Charlize | Week 12 | Throwback Thursday

Absolutely voracious caterpillar with its big, buggy eyes.

Let’s have a little blast to the past shall we?

“The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle may be the book of all time, but I personally enjoyed “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” made by the same duo over the greedy slob of an insect that only ate a SINGLE bite out of one apple, two pears, three plums, four strawberries, five oranges, and other delicacies that would eventually go to waste. The animals that were created of acrylic shapes and the accompanying entrancing chants truly made the book a poetic and artistic masterpiece. I loved seeing all the vivid colors of each animal (particularly the cat with its bewitching violet hues) as they told me about their visions. Tell me more! I want to know what you see Brown Bear! Bestow this knowledge upon my little brain!

Then things got a little more advanced as I started reading works such as “The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse.” There's many renditions of this story, but I adored the illustrated ones with a more texturized watercolor style with a very “homey” feel. A simple, lovely story about two mice that experience each others’ lifestyle for a day before ultimately deciding they’re content with their current way of life. Town Mouse and Country Mouse are so happy, so satisfied with everything they have, lacking the insatiable greed the gluttonous caterpillar had.

As I grew older, I didn’t need color anymore! My attention span was good enough for black and white images! 

And so, shortly after Zootopia became my favorite movie, I became fascinated by Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl. Dahl’s sketchy lines aren’t exactly my favorite, but there’s something just so whimsical about his drawings. The varying thickness of lines, shading resembling ink stains that range from pitch black to a wispy, smokey grey, the plaid overlays that look good on the walls, clothes, and bushes; this “organized chaos” is incredibly fun and full of action. When Mr. Fox’s tail got shot off by the three crazy gunmen, I was so genuinely devastated, jaw dropped from such cruelty. While the caterpillar may be a selfish little thing, Mr. Fox bringing a lifelong supply of cider and chicken and geese and ducks to his family and neighbors by risking his life is genuine selflessness at its finest.

And as time went by, the pictures disappeared. I was capable of reading full books! Without images! 

There are so many stories I can still relish, characters that I grew fond of, worlds that I can vividly imagine. There are memorable words and passages that I read with tears in my eyes, I believe as great stories should be able to make me cry. But there’s something different about those childhood books that are embedded in my brain, worming its way around my mind as I reflect on the literary classics I have read throughout my life.