Like many readers, maps in books have always fascinated me. I once knew someone who collected books only with such maps. One of the most famous maps, the treasure map found in Stevenson’s Treasure Island, was drawn first, and the story written around it. One of my own early books, Who Stole the Wizard of Oz?, a mystery, has, as its primary clues, maps from well-known childrens’ books, The Wizard of Oz, Winnie The Pooh, Treasure Island, Through the Looking Glass, and The Wind in the Willows. My book was inspired when I came upon an atlas of fantasylands. What a book by which to travel! This comes to mind because my forthcoming book, Sophia’s War, will have not just one map, but two. Such maps not only illuminate the story, but seem to give a singular sense of reality to a narrative. In a very special and literal way, maps provide a way of following a story. Or perhaps the best stories follow a map to explore new worlds.
3 thoughts on “A map to explore new worlds”
I just wanted to thank you for this post. I did a google search on “Wind in the Willow” blogs and yours came up, but it addresses one of the topics I will be exploring in my Children’s Literature blog (my final assignment for my summer university course). My topic (I think) is going to be Mapping the Geography of Children’s Books through Imagination or something like that–I’m still fleshing it out! I, too, have always studied maps: The Hobbit, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and Wind in the Willows will be some of the books I am covering.
Dear Nancy Gazo:
Thanks for your response. You might enjoy looking at my book—if you can find a copy—of Who Stole the Wizard of Oz. Something I wrote years ago. The point is, it is a mystery, and the essential clues are to be found in the maps, maps from well-known children’s books. The book was never produced well. I suspect the book designer never read the book, so never understood how crucial the maps were.
A forth coming book, Sophia’s War, will have 2 maps, but they are real places.
I’ll add this to my ‘books to buy’ list and look forward, with anticipation, to your forthcoming book. Let us know when it’s published!