October 9-15, 2003

cover story

Children’s Books

by Harriette Behringer

Boy Meets Boy

By David Levithan Knopf, $17.99, ages 12 and up

Being gay has had acceptance problems. The love that dare not speak its name, said Lord Alfred Douglas, Oscar Wilde's lover.

Americans have matured into acceptance of human differences. This novel's hero, Paul, relates to that acceptance.

Paul's story begins in kindergarten, when the teacher tells him he is definitely gay. (His parents got used to it.) He is elected third-grade class president. His slogan: VOTE FOR ME I'M GAY. His platform: pro-recess and anti-gym.

His high school is a bit bizarre: The football quarterback is also homecoming queen; gay cheerleaders ride their Harleys to pep rallies.

When Paul falls deeply in love with Noah, a new boy in town, a tender romance begins. (No graphic sex here, only a few kisses.) Will Paul forsake Noah to return to Kyle, his bisexual ex-boyfriend? See for yourself.

This witty, upbeat story will please open-minded readers who wish for a hate-free humanity.

How I Became a Pirate

By Melinda Long Illustrated by David Shannon Harcourt, $16, ages 4-8

Pirates are more fun than monsters, and they are real.

While digging on a sandy beach, young Jeremy sees a pirate ship. The pirates tell him they need such a digger to help them bury their treasure. So he joins the crew, learns how to sing sea chanteys and says down the hatch before digging into food.

After many adventures he discovers that pirates don't read bedtime stories or get tucked in at night. So he returns to home sweet home.

A happy ending to a neat story, with wild and wonderful illustrations by a Caldecott Honor winner.

The Witch’s Children

By Ursula Jones Illustrated by Russell Ayto Henry Holt, $16.95, ages 4-8

A plethora of Halloween books surrounds us. Here's one of the best.

The witch's children go to the park, working magic everywhere. They turn an ice-cream truck into a golden coach, pigeons into footmen and their own sister, Gemma, into a frog!

Suddenly the children remember they don't know how to break the spells! Luckily, the youngest child says a bit of magic. She opens her mouth wide and yells mommy.

The mama witch appears and makes everyone normal. The children fly home on her broomstick. It's a bit of magic a lucky child can imitate: calling for mama in distress.

Many young children have nightmares about Halloween monsters. Not here. The witch and her kiddies are smiling and sweet.

Babar’s Museum of Art

Written and illustrated by Laurent De Brunhoff Abrams, $16.95, ages 4-8

Light the torches. Bang the drums. A new Babar the Elephant book is here, by the famous author who has kept the spirit of Babar alive for 50 years.

In this fascinating story the town railway station is no longer in use. Babar and his wife, Celeste -- true preservationists -- decide to turn it into a museum with art inspired by the world's greatest artists.

And here's the kicker: Each painting has elephants in it. Imagine Mona Lisa with an elephant face and trunk! Botticelli's Birth of Venus? Also an elephant. Plenty of painters: Rubens, Goya, van Gogh, Dali, Cassatt, Whistler, Picasso, Pollack and many others. Scores of masterpieces, and for the art history-challenged, there's a list of paintings included. Funny. Fascinating.

Babar's children learn that art doesn't have to be old or pretty. It doesn't have to be or mean anything. There are no rules to tell us what art is, says Babar.

This book will enrich the lives of both adults and youngsters -- and also remind us that going to art museums is delightful.

Geography of the World

DK Publishing, $29.99, ages 7 and up

In a recent national survey, middle-school children were asked to identify Mexico on a map. About 75 percent of them confused it with Canada.

But understanding cultural and physical geography is essential for world understanding. What most people know about Iraq, the cradle of civilization, for example, is almost nil.

This fat (303 pages) book is both valuable and fascinating. Clear country-by-country maps are supported by facts about each country's population, language, religion and currency. More than 900 photographs enhance the pages.

Essential to learning at home and at school, this reference book is as important as a dictionary. Both adults and children will treasure it.