The Children's Books of Randall Jarrell

by Jerome Griswold

168 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1988

Reviews

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an adept appreciation and analysis of the four children's books written by Randall Jarrell (The Gingerbread Rabbit, The Bat-Poet, Fly by Night, The Animal Family) by author/critic Jerome Griswold. Griswold as per amazon's bibliography blog is a specialist in Children's Literature and in American Literature and Culture. Three of Jarrell's books were illustrated by Maurice Sendak ( The Bat-Poet, Fly by Night, The Animal Family) and one by Garth Williams (The Gingerbread Rabbit).

Introduction, Mary Jarrell - 3.5 Stars
The Gingerbread Rabbit - 5 Stars
The Bat-Poet - 4 Stars
Fly by Night - 5 Stars
The Animal Family - 4.25 Stars

[Sem · Rating 2 out of 5]

Worth reading for the introduction by Mary Jarrell and for the Sendak material but otherwise repetitive and mostly unengaging. If I hadn't read Jarrell I wouldn't want to read Jarrell. Also - Freud warning!