The book I remember most from my childhood is The Monster at the End of this Book, starring “Sesame Street”‘s Grover.
But there’s this other book I think about all of the time. It was small, square, and black and had a rudimentary drawing of a peacock on the cover. My mom was a master of character voices (the voice she used to anthropomorphize hers and my dad’s first dog, Gussy, was asked for by name by the whole family: “Do the Gussy voice! Do the Gussy voice!”), and I distinctly remember her reading with her famous gusto, “Green meanies roasting weenies. Meanies jump in yellow jello. They turn into yellow fellows.”
But for the longest time, I couldn’t find the book anywhere online. I would type “green meanies roasting weenies” into every search engine I could find, never with any result. Until one day. I was a college kid working at the Columbus Public Library at the time and happened to Google it during my break for whatever reason. And there it was:
Seals on Wheels by Dean Walley. It turns out the book was printed by Hallmark Children’s Editions for a very short time in 1970 and had long been out of print by the time I read it as a child in the 80s, so my parents must have inherited it from someone else. Newly armed with the title and author, my Internet search began anew, and I discovered a single copy for sale on eBay.
For three hundred dollars.
So now I not only wanted the book for my own memory-keeping, but I wanted to make it my nest egg in case of future tough times. My childhood bedroom had long since been cleaned out by my super-neat father, but I hoped to find it among the things he saved for me in the old wooden toy chest he had made for my younger self and went home one weekend to dig through it. But of course there was no book.
I’ve since had a Seals on Wheels eBay search saved and often get e-mails claiming that a copy is up for auction, but it always turns out to be some sort of seal for a truck tire. You can imagine my heartbreak.
But a real, legit copy turned up today for $50. And then I thought, “Hey, doesn’t Amazon sell used books, too?” So I checked, and it turns out they have two copies! And fifteen copies of the paperback version! FIFTEEN!! For six or seven years now, I’ve been feeling hopeless about this book and wondering if I should’ve just spent the $300 on it when I had the chance, and it turns out I could’ve had it for $30.
Now that it’s within reach, though, I’m scared. What if it’s not as good as I remember? What if it’s too painful to read now that my mom’s gone? Is it better to have my memories, or am I going to kick myself again if I don’t buy this thing?
Here’s the very insightful conversation Kamran and I had about the issue:
Not so helpful.
12 Comments
BUY IT. Because if you don’t, I will. I will buy two copies. And then I will save one for you until you decide you want it again.
This post made me tear up a little bit. I prefer to think that’s because your writing is so evocative, not because my hormones are about to choke the life out of me.
I am so nostalgic about books my parents read to me as a kid. In fact, like you, I still have certain passages permanently lodged in my brain, “Big T, little t, what begins with t? Ten tired turtles on a tuttle tuttle tree.”
There are two books especially that I’m going to have to go on a quest for because I need them for my own daughter (or really my own sanity).
So I say yes, buy it. Definitely.
So, do tell, did ya get it?
I can recall reading a collection of short stories which i checked out of the library around 1976. I can not recall the name of the book, but it changed the way i looked at the world, and changed the way i wrote. The library is no one there, or I would go back and ask for records. I’ve tried looking up and down and wish I found it. My point is DO IT!!
I LOVE the IM between you two. Will you please get married and procreate a child to read to already?
PS: I would like to be invited.
K – now that THAT’S out of the way.
I also loved the monster at the end of the bed, and found a copy at the thrift shop for my kids, but neither of the ladies took to it. Funny how that works. My persona favorite of all favorites (besides anything by James Marshall) is The Big Orange Splot.
My house is me and I am it. My house is where I like to be and it looks like all of my dreams.
A must read, IMHO.
I’ve purchased 7 calculators and 2 slide rules on eBay just because I used them when I was younger.
BUY THE DAMN BOOK.
Also, smoochies.
I think this is my first comment ever, though I’m a big fan of all your blogs! You also made me cry, as I share the whole “Dead Mom” thing with you, and I struggle with similar issues. Have you ever seen the Ted Talk by JJ Abrams? Basically, as a kid his uncle bought him a box of magic tricks, and he put it on his shelf and never opened it. Even today he still has it and just loves to imagine what’s inside, more than knowing what’s inside. So that’s what I would do: Buy the book, put it on a shelf, and never read it. Ever.
I got mine on amazon for about $35. More than I’ve spent on other kid books, but I had to have this one. I say you buy it. My kids really aren’t into it, but I still smile every time I read it.
You have to buy it! I don’t really have a good reason why but…you have to. I know you are all “I hate babies” (except my forthcoming offspring whom I know you will adore), but if there ever is a baby Katie out there someday, you will want this book for her. I promise.
Buy it! It will be as good as you remember, promise. When I go home to visit my family, my sister and I spend hours in her son’s room reading all the books we loved as kids that she got for him, and it’s a LOT! We spent summers at the library participating in summer reading programs, and there are sooooo many great books I loved that my kids will be getting some day. And they are ALL as good as I remember!! Makes me want to go to the library and check out all the Judy Blume books they have!!
Please get it. But this is coming from someone who is trying to get all the Sweet Pickle books because Mom read them to me when I was little and I loved them. It will still be a good book to you because of the memories. And you’ll regret it if you don’t.
Being allowed the last smiley is what love is all about.