www.hcc.mass.edu says
Many people write books for children. And, there are many great books written every day. i happened to notice several newly published books that have been written by people who are famous for something else entirely. This made me ask: Why would otherwise famous and successful people write a book for children?
Well, let's look at a few examples. John Lithgow, known for his role on TVs "Third Rock From the Sun", has written a few books for children. His latest, Micawber , is about an artistic squirrel who learns to paint with his tail by watching an aspiring artist copy masterpieces at an art gallery in New York City. The central character, Micawber the squirrel, obviously displays the curiosity of all children, a curiosity which blooms into creativity. So, while he appears to be a squirrel, he is really a symbol for all children who desire to create their own worlds.
Another example is Jerry Seinfeld's Halloween . Seinfeld, usually known for his adult humor (who can forget that gang, George, Kramer, and Elaine?) now brings us back to our childhood. In a way, he reminded me of Bill Cosby and his recollections of his father and his brother Russell. Halloween, where the main focus is "get the candy!" The costume, in Jerry's case, Superman, was merely a means to the end, causing more trouble than it was worth. Every child of every generation will identify with this.
A third book jumped out at me. The author is well known to all of us. Well, not maybe his name, but certainly his creations. Charles Addams is best known for his creation of The Addams Family, the television show of the 1960's and the movies of later years. But, before that, Addams illustrated a book called The Charles Addams Mother Goose. And now these stories have been reissued in what Stephen King has called "a rediscovered treasure." The Mother Goose rhymes are not changed. It's the pictures that are unique here. If you know what the characters of The Addams Family look like, then just visualize them in the settings of Mother Goose rhymes. The results are hilarious.
The question remains: Why write children's
books when you're so tremendously successful at something else? Well, I'm
sure most of these authors have their own answers. But, to me, it seems
that no matter how far you travel from childhood, no matter how much you
grow, you always find that the best memories, the best lessons come from
those early years. And, the best way to leave a legacy is to write about
it.
--Robert
Stoddard