1. “A Light in the Attic”: Shel Silverstein was a master at sneaking insights into children’s poetry. My favorite example, in this book, is the four-line poem “Arrows,” illustrated by a ...

It’s easy to get sentimental about the joy children’s books bring to kids. But picture books must also be read by adults, who, depending on the text, may not be quite as charmed. (My sympathies to ...