Linking up with Denise of Girlie on the Edge today with another Six Sentence Story. Today's prompt: classics.
Words spoken instantly transport me back to childhood. "Kerplink" evokes the smells, tastes, and sights of blueberry picking with Sal; "terrible" needs to be followed with "horrible, no-good, very bad;" "caps" are always for sale for fifty cents; and "I think" is not followed by "therefore, I am, " but rather, "I can," and repeated as a mantra.
The power of classic children's literature turns two-year-olds into "readers," as they recite, verbatim, the words of The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear, and allows exhausted parents everywhere to speak, without even looking at the book, the text beginning with, "In the great green room. . . ."
The power of classic literature also transforms large stone buildings, with their steep entry stairs and heavy wooden front doors, from potentially intimidating structures to welcoming places. I have visited libraries countless times over my lifetime, and each time I tug on those doors, I am lured inside by the awaiting old literary friends and the enticement of new works to discover. The distinct book smell greets me and says, "Welcome home."
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| Photo: An old black and white photo showing the huge stone Central New York City Library, complete with stone lions, Patience and Fortitude. Source |
Words spoken instantly transport me back to childhood. "Kerplink" evokes the smells, tastes, and sights of blueberry picking with Sal; "terrible" needs to be followed with "horrible, no-good, very bad;" "caps" are always for sale for fifty cents; and "I think" is not followed by "therefore, I am, " but rather, "I can," and repeated as a mantra.
The power of classic children's literature turns two-year-olds into "readers," as they recite, verbatim, the words of The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear, and allows exhausted parents everywhere to speak, without even looking at the book, the text beginning with, "In the great green room. . . ."
The power of classic literature also transforms large stone buildings, with their steep entry stairs and heavy wooden front doors, from potentially intimidating structures to welcoming places. I have visited libraries countless times over my lifetime, and each time I tug on those doors, I am lured inside by the awaiting old literary friends and the enticement of new works to discover. The distinct book smell greets me and says, "Welcome home."
'The smell'.... very few like that of the interior of a used-book store on a 'brighter-than-it-is-warm' October afternoon.
ReplyDeleteVery nice Six
Thank you. I wonder if any candle company has tried to make an "old book" scent?
DeleteOh, yes. In my mind, heaven is a library. Some of these i read to my children and they became favorites after i was grown, but favorites none the less.
ReplyDeleteYes, some of those were books I didn't discover until I was a parent, but they are favorites of mine, too.
DeleteI love the smells in the library, too.
ReplyDeleteBooks have a distinct scent.
DeleteWonderful picture! I was lucky enough to walk up those stone steps, sit on them one late afternoon in a spring long ago. Visiting that library was an awesome experience. Loved going there.
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing like walking among the classics and wandering time through books :) Well written Six.
I made that library a priority when I visited NYC years ago, too. Such a great place!
DeleteYou did a great job capturing the power of books. I can't resist a good library! My husband made fun of me when we were house hunting, because I insisted on checking out the libraries in each townwe considered (and I wanted them in walking distance).
ReplyDeleteLove it!
DeleteI love how you wove so many books into your Six! I still enjoy the smell of old books even though inhaling too much of that smell probably isn't healthy. :-/
ReplyDeleteI loved the references to classic children's books! Very cool take on the prompt.
ReplyDelete