Everything I Need to Know About Christmas I Learned From a Little Golden Book

September 15, 2014
Muldrow, editorial director of Golden Books, returns with a second witty compilation of wisdom inspired by the beloved line of children’s books. In contrast to the vintage artwork—from Mary Blair, Richard Scarry, Eloise Wilkin, and more—the narrative voice is off-the-cuff and modern, moving from a position of exhaustion (“All that baking, the endless cycle of cooking and cleaning”) to one that appreciates the traditions and merriment of Christmas (“So deck the halls! Deck yourselves!”). Muldrow cleverly repurposes illustrations from holiday and non-holiday titles alike to create a book that will resonate with readers young and old. Ages 12–up.

September 1, 2014
Muldrow continues to mine the Golden Books archive, this time with a Christmas focus (Everything I Need to Know I Learned from a Little Golden Book, 2013). "Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year and all, but... // there's just so much to do. / All that baking, // the endless cycle of cooking and cleaning, // and the rounds of social obligations... / when you could be taking a nap. Can we just call the Christmas season what it really is? // Cold and flu season!" Having clearly defined her audience as an adult one, Muldrow goes on to enumerate everything else there is not to like about Christmas, before rallying herself to deliver a pep talk. Strewing her text with exclamation marks galore, she celebrates "The writing, the mailing! / The jolly wassailing!" before taking a turn to earnest sentimentality to touch upon the Nativity and hopes for peace. As in the first of these repurposed compilations, the illustrations outshine the text, with glorious images, mostly lithographs, from such lights as Garth Williams, Richard Scarry, Leonard Weisgard and Mary Blair. Unfortunately, accomplished as the illustrations are, the overall effect is hopelessly white-bread; just two of the 96 pages include images of children of color. Although there are many animals, the relentless parade of idealized white face after idealized white face is downright depressing and, in this year of #weneeddiversebooks, calls the entire enterprise into question. An opportunistic, retrograde novelty. (Picture book. Adult)

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