The Big Green Book

By Robert Graves

Illustrated by Maurice Sendak

Copyright 1962

Not long before writing Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak illustrated this book for early readers.  In it, an orphan boy who is unhappy living with his aunt and uncle finds a book of magic spells in the attic.  He launches a plan to teach his guardians a lesson.  After turning himself into a little old man, Jack cheats his aunt and uncle out of “about a hundred thousand dollars” and their house in a game of cards and forces them to become his servants for life.  He plays other pranks too, including making his uncle’s fingernails grow through the palms of his hands. “Ow!”  Eventually, Jack turns back into himself, freeing his guardians and allowing them to remain in their home.  

This is a strange tale – certainly not the same type of plot as your typical easy reader book today.  But I can see why a child would be captivated by the story.  What child wouldn’t love to find a book of spells?  Lacking the ability to control most of what happens in their day-to-day lives, a child could imagine all sorts of possibilities for spells to cast.  

 This story reminds me that any book can be magical for a child if it reaches him at the right moment.  In this case, an unhappy and lonely little boy finds a book in the attic.  This one happens to be a book of spells.  Regardless, any book has the power to transform.  Escaping temporarily into a fictional world just might give one the strength and rest to endure hardship and pain in the real world.