The Grown-Up Day 
Jack Kent ~ Parent's Magazine Press, 1969
I have so much good stuff to share that sometimes my brain gets in fights over which one to do first. And sometimes, just when I think I've run out of books to highlight, I'll go searching the shelves to find a dozen more books I still have yet to write up. Today was one such day, but happily, Jack Kent won out.
Today I'm a grown-up
And I'm a grown-up, too!
We're very busy doing
What we grown-up people do.
A girl and a boy in mommy/daddy garb make up an elaborate game of grown-up, and, apparently, grown-up people shout orders and nag manners and kiss boo boos and take kids to the zoo. Sounds about right, no?
My favorite line of all...
And now we're at the lake.
We're sailing in a boat.
Baby John fell overboard
Too see if he could float.
He only drowned a little.
He didn't even cry.
We're having milk and cookies
While we wait for him to dry.
Not to worry, Baby John is just a teddy and in the end the also-ran parents are back in Mommy's lap being little ones themselves before the day is over. Ah, if they could just stay little 'til their Carter's wear out.... sigh.
Also by:
Jack Kent's Twelve Days of Christmas
I Was Walking Down the Road
The Grown-Up Day
The Fox and the Crow
The Biggest Shadow in the Zoo
The Animobile Book
Jack Kent's Book of Nursery Tales
Dooly and the Snortsnoot
Mr. Meebles
Cindy Lou and the Witch's Dog
Clotilda
The Blah
Jack Kent's Valentine Sticker Book
The Bremen-town Musicians
Round Robin
Just Only John
Fly Away Home
Fat Cat
Piggy Bank Gonzales
Socks for Supper
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OH I love this. Where do you find all your books?
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely book - were we to read it, I am sure there will be many a chords touched there!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, I totally remember this story! When you are on your thrift store hunts, you should keep your eyes peeled for 70s and 80s copies of Cricket magazine. My family had a subscription from the first issue until my youngest brother was 17...about 20 years. I was so sad when my mom sold them all at a garage sale the next year. We pored over those early ones like they were actual books.
ReplyDeleteI loved this story and I dont' remember the cover, so that means it was from Cricket! Sigh, the good old days. My favorite part was the doll having her head taped back on.
I was inspired to find the book I remembered with similar illustrations; "Socks for Supper."
ReplyDelete-Thanks!
i have been seeing crickets for sale... i need to remember to keep that in mind. thanks fro the tip!
ReplyDeletewhere do I find all my books?
ReplyDeletemostly thrift shops
sometimes yard sale/estate sales
occasionally used book shops
and then online when I want something specific.
Do I ever know the feeling you've described here!?!
ReplyDeleteLOVE the work of Jack Kent!!!!
When I googled for this book, I got you. My niece was born in 1980 and I had this book from a yard sale. I read it to her and her older brother when I babysat over and over again. And YES...He only drowned a little, he didn't even cry. We're having milk and cookies while we wait for him to dry!!! One of my favorite pages, too. If I was a really nice Aunt, I'd give them the book to read to their kids... or find them one somewhere and keep mine!! Going do a post on this today!!
ReplyDelete