Happy Banned Books Week!

I look forward to Banned Books Week every year. I'm not sure why since we read just about everything in our house, so really every week could be banned books week. Maybe it's because I don't like being told what I can and can't do, especially when it comes to what I can and can't read so I revel in it. I especially like the thought of reading banned books to my kids in front of the people who wouldn't approve.

Last year I read Charlotte "And Tango Makes Three" by Justin Richardson. It's probably one that I will read to her over and over. Right now it's just a picture book about some penguins to her but I'm hoping that as she gets older, she'll get that it's about family.

This year, we read Maurice Sendak's  "In the Night Kitchen". It's just a fun book. A little strange, like a dream that didn't quite make sense but you enjoyed all the same. Apparently, the reason why people try to ban or censor it is because there's a young, naked boy in it. An illustration, not a real photo, which makes it even more ridiculous. The first time I read it to Charlotte, I was surprised she didn't point it out. She didn't seem to think it was strange that he fell out of bed, out of his clothes, and into some cake batter. The part that stuck with her was the bakers singing "Milk in the batter! Milk in the batter!"

Sendak himself didn't see what the big deal was. In his interview with Terry Gross on NPR, he said,

"Well, the hell with that. I mean, I didn't set out to cause a scandal. I set out to do a very particular work where he had to be naked in order to confront a particular dream he was in. You don't go into a dream wearing Fruit of the Loom underwear or PJs. You go tutto. You go yourself, your being, and that's why he was naked, and it was idiocy. It was incredible idiocy what went on over that book for many, many years about Mickey being naked. "

And he's right. For kids, being naked is totally normal. My 1 year old son loves it. I swear he's happier when he's not wearing pants. A friend of mine who has 2 boys told me she has a hard time keeping clothes on them. They're toddlers! They're happy and free! I see nothing wrong with it, as long as they're not peeing all over my floor, in the privacy of our own house.

So to celebrate the end of this week, we read the book morning, noon, and night. After dinner, Charlotte helped me make a couple mug cakes. Pouring the milk into the batter was her job. Cake topped with vanilla ice cream and mini chocolate chips. Then the kids took a bath. They were naked. Then they weren't. And now they're asleep, hopefully dreaming some strange but happy dream that involves cake.