Oh Wonderful, Wonderful, Most Wonderful

As you get to know me better, you will find that my relative inexperience in the realm of children's literature (particularly the more scholarly aspects) relegates me to a childlike status. I go wandering about, drool coursing down my left cheek, cupcake firmly gripped by a grubby little hand, in about and through all the interesting kiddie lit-related places I should have known about from the start.

Today's not so miraculous discovery is the National Center For Children's Illustrated Literature. Okay, so nobody tease me too terribly, but I had no idea this existed. I know! I know! I should be ashamed to wear the moniker of Children's Librarian, be shamed publicly by Maurice Sendak himself (perhaps in front of the Alice In Wonderland statue in Central Park), and be fed to a thousand angry toddlers, and so on, and such. Back to the world of reality, this place is amazing. First of all it's in Abilene, Texas. Now I was born and raised in Kalamazoo, Michigan and I have spent almost exactly three years here in NYC. And three years, should anyone ask, is just the right amount of time to fall under the mistaken presumption that everything relating to one's profession, be it beekeeper or Chief Statistician of the National Safety Organization, should be located in Manhattan. I'm still recovering from the knowledge that the Eric Carle museum isn't on West 54th Street or something relatively convenient (though the first ever Carle Honors WILL be at that location on September 25th).

Back to the NCCIL, in spite of its distance (read: from me) it's just lover-ly. Is it a coincidence then that when I went to take a peek at their Permanent Collection, the very first item I saw was the a book we'd been discussing earlier this week? Kismet, no?