Minders of Make-Believe: Idealists, Entrepreneurs, and the Shaping of American Children’s Literature

This well-researched book is a lively cultural history of the Western Publishing Company and their bold WWII experiment to create affordable books for children. Learn, too, about the exceptionally talented writers and illustrators who helped create such a memorable series.

Using original source material, letters, and interviews with people who knew her, Marcus creates a compelling picture of the unusual woman who re-invented children’s picture books, especially with her enduring classics, The Runaway Bunny and Goodnight Moon.

Conversations with families provide insight and information into how books are created and the intergenerational impact of illustrating and writing them. From the Rockwells, the Crews/Jonas family, the Pinkneys, the Myers’, and the Hurds – talent seems to run in the family!