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November 12, 2003
BRUNDIBAR
Brundibar is an opera that was performed (55 times) by children at the Nazi concentration camp Terezin. Though I'm not a big fan of opera, I've always liked the music of Brundibar. I never really understood the full story, though, until now.
Says Amazon.com:
Brundibar is the tale of a brother and sister who are desperately trying to get milk for their sick mother. They race to the village center, only to discover that they need money to buy milk. Unfortunately, all the money in town seems to be going to the nefarious hurdy-gurdy man, Brundibar. Enter three talking animals and 300 willing children (bearing balloons stating "WE DON’T MIND SKIPPING SCHOOL"), and things start looking up for little Aninku and Pepicek.
Yea for Maurice Sendak (illustrator) Tony Kushner (author) for adapting the story into a picture book! Maurice Sendak is perhaps one of my most favorite children's book author/illustrators. He's most known for , which always creates quite a rumpus with young readers. But my personal favorites are , , and , which I've been collecting on and off for a while now.
In case you can't tell, I adore children's literature. I've been collecting picture books and adolescent literature for many years now (so much so that I really need a dedicated bookshelf for them).
My personal top 10 favorites (this week):
- (Beverly Cleary)
- (Lillian Hoban)
- (Vera B. Williams)
- (James Stevenson)
- (Sandra Boynton)
- (Judi Barrett)
- (James Marshall)
- (Judith Viorst)
- (C.S. Lewis)
- (Norton Juster)
Posted by callalillie at November 12, 2003 2:27 PM | Fun Stuff
did you ever see "I'm Really Rosie," the cartoon movie featuring a lot of sendak characters? my favorite as a child was Pierre, the boy who only said "I don't care." he was like a children's version of Bartleby, the Scrivener, but with a lion.
Posted by: Jimmy Legs at November 12, 2003 3:44 PM
Hmm...I'm not sure. But I do remember Pierre. I think that I had a tape or a record of Chicken Soup With Rice...I remember it very clearly.
Posted by: callalillie at November 12, 2003 4:15 PM
Did you ever read Harold and the Purple Crayon? That's on my top ten list, along side many of yours...
Posted by: kar at November 13, 2003 8:45 AM
I love Harold! I just was limited by my top 10!
Maybe I should do this once a week...
Posted by: callalillie at November 13, 2003 9:00 AM
My mother noted last night that all of the books on my list were literature that I was given as presents from my parents as a child. Traditionally, my mother and father gave me at least one book a birthday...with a great inscription wishing me happiness on that event. Now my childhood books read at a timeline...it's kind of neat.
My most recent birthday book, The Cook's Bible, says something like "Happy 20-something Birthday! Here's a bible that you will actually use. Love, Mom & Dad."
Posted by: callalillie at November 13, 2003 9:19 AM
