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.
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