This collection gathers essays by Selma Lanes on the masters of children's literature that she most admires: Maurice Sendak, William Steig, Edward Gorey, L. Frank Baum, Tomi Ungerer, Jack Keats, Margot Zemach, and one editor of genius, Ursula Nordstrom. What concerns Ms. Lanes most is the integration of text and image, the abilities of authors and artists of picture books to somehow change our perceptions. In a larger sense, she asks, What makes some children's books work and others fail? How does art for the young reflect, distort or create a social perspective? No popular medium in our time has been as experimental, inventive, and simply alive as children's books.