At The Library: Gone But Not Forgotten
We’ll Always Have Ramona and Ralph S. Mouse
By Leslie Williams, Pauline Robinson Branch Library
On behalf of your neighborhood libraries, I would like to thank you for all of the support and love you have shown us this past year. We were anxious to reopen after being closed due to the pandemic, and didn’t know what to expect. Our Park Hill community has shown us nothing but love. Your excitement over all things books make us proud to serve you and thank you so much for all that you have done for us.
I have a lot of memories, good and bad, from this year. One of the sad memories I have is the passing of several prolific children’s authors: Eric Carle, Gary Paulsen, Beverly Cleary and Jerry Pinkney. My colleague, Judith Berquist and I wanted to share our reading memories of Ms. Cleary and Mr. Pinkney.
Beverly Cleary
As shared by Judith Berquist: I read Beverly Cleary’s Mouse and his Motorcycle when my son was very small. He enjoyed all her books, and so did I, as the illustrations were wonderfully created. The way she wrote about Ralph S. Mouse as a personified character with real life emotions and kept my son entertained with his suspenseful adventures. Some of the stories had Ralph concerned about someone else teaching my son about compassion. Ralph is also daring in remedies for various situations even when he is scared. I think Beverly Cleary created stories that will last the test of time with easy reading and characters that appeal to young readers. Cleary died on March 25, at the age of 105 and is best known for her books about Ramona Quimby, Henry Higgins and his dog Ribsy, Ralph S. Mouse, and many more. She wrote books that display an uncanny understanding of life as a kid.
Jerry Pinkney
As shared by Leslie Williams: I first became introduced to Jerry Pinkney’s books when I was taking a children’s literature class. I remember being in awe of his illustrations, because it was nothing like I had ever seen before. The medium he used, watercolors, were vibrant. His drawings and colors tell the story almost as well as the words on a page. My favorite books illustrated by Pinkney are Mirandy and Brother Wind and The Lion and the Mouse, for which he earned the Caldecott Medal in 2010. The Caldecott Medal recognizes the preceding year’s most distinguished picture book for children. It is awarded by the Association for Library Service for Children, a division of the American Library Association. Throughout his career, Mr. Pinkney illustrated more than 100 books. He died on Oct. 20, at the age of 81.
If you are interested in reading — or re-reading — books by Cleary and Pinkney, visit denverlibrary.org and search our catalog. Both the Pauline Robinson and Park Hill Branch libraries have reopened. The Pauline Robinson branch is at 33rd Avenue and Holly Street, and the Park Hill branch is at Montview Boulevard at Dexter Street.
