📌 Diane's Magical Bookshelf
An appreciation post to my mom's friend, Diane Garrett Brem, and her wonderful sharing of her special book collection
This is a part of the “memorials” series I envisioned after re-reading my favorite Capote story. I started with some of my memories of my great aunt Mary Florence (whom we all called Pitty Pat).
Today, though, I’d love to talk about my mom’s friend Diane Garrett (later Garrett Brem). Though we were only close for a few years, she really had a profound impact on me, especially regarding picture books, and I wish I could share that with her now1.
Diane was a lovely, if reserved, lady who was kind and proper. Nowadays, proper gets used as roughly “buttoned-up” (and usually to denote a little judgment about it, as in “too buttoned-up”), but she wasn’t that kind of proper. I guess what I mean is, sure, her house was quiet and tidy, and the fringes on the rugs were straightened regularly. But she was also super sweet and reminded me of no one else as much as the Caroline Ingalls (Laura’s “Ma”) character from the Little House on the Prairie television series. She was serene.
Most importantly, Diane was a book lover, and, different from anyone else I knew (and even though she didn’t have kids at the time), that love extended into gorgeous picture books. She had a stash of incredibly fantastical and artful ones that I was allowed to look at (assuming I was careful!) while she and Mom caught up at her house. There was about half a shelf’s worth, and these were nothing like the staple- or glue-bound picture books our poor library had for children’s borrowing. These were clearly special.
Particular favorites of mine on her enchanted shelf were:
My very favorite: Uenuku and the Rainbow, retold by Chia Hearn Chek (part of the Moongate Collection, which I have since collected myself over the years)
The Rainbow Goblins by Ul de Rico (more about that, below)
She also had a copy of Where the Wild Things Are, though that was a book I owned2 myself (thank you, Grandma Louise!), so I tended not to worry much with that one when visiting Diane. (Time was of the essence, people! I needed to return to my extensive gnome-ology studies—stat!—before time was up!)
Besides picture books, the same bottom bookshelf contained many of the chonky “coffee table” type books she had—mostly on ocean life and wildlife (from what I remember). Those, too, I found enchanting, though they were filled with photography instead of illustration and are much harder for me to recall in my advanced years.
When we found out we were moving, I surprised everyone—especially myself—by asking Diane (and, honestly, what cheek!), could I keep the copy of Uneuku? I think Diane was shocked that I would ask that (and that my Mom, unusually for her, kept quiet when I did—maybe also out of shock). Put entirely on the spot, Diane hesitated—but ultimately said yes. (I mean…the gall of me.) But I think I was genuinely worried I would never be able to read that story again and must have figured the ends justified the means. 😂
Anyhow, before you think I’m a terrible person, here’s the good news: I treasured her copy until I was in junior high—when my mom told me she had recently heard from Diane. She was going to be a mom! I was so happy for her that I went and got the copy of the book and asked Mom to mail it back to her so she could read it to her baby. So, Diane did eventually get her wonderful book back.
And, left with a Uneuku-shaped hole on my own bookshelves, a few years later, I took to a new thing called the Internet, and, lo and behold!, I could now buy my own out-of-print copy with babysitting money! Whoo hoo! That set me off on my Moongate book collecting, and I’ve never looked back (they really all are incredible books).
Later still, when I finally made it to New Zealand and saw the land of Uenuku myself, I can’t even describe how moved I felt—to feel something that seemed so magical on Diane’s bookshelf, finally, in real life. I wish I could have shared that with her, too.
Your “so grateful for the generous Dianes in the world” friend,
Elayne
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Here’s an old book review of The Rainbow Goblins, in which I couldn’t help but talk about this book’s connection to Diane.
In Ul de Rico's The Rainbow Goblins, the greedy Rainbow Goblins love to drink the colors from rainbows, and their appetite has no end. But, when the flowers decide that enough is enough, they, and Rainbow, will never be the same.
The main thing you should know about this book is that when I say the art is unforgettable, I mean it. Color is expertly wielded, sure, but there is also drama, cinematic scope, and landscapes dotted with the tiniest details. In fact, it's so cinematic, I'm astonished it hasn't been made into a movie or short yet.
The Rainbow Goblins is where fantasy meets allegory meets hallucination--but in a good way? (So much so that it inspired an entire album of music by both Primus and Japanese jazz fusion musician Masayoshi Takanaka.)
The first time I saw this book, I was a preschooler at my mom's friend Diane's house. Diane loved gorgeous picture books and had a small stash that I was allowed to look at while they caught up, so long as I was super careful. I don't know how old I was the first time, so I’m not sure if I read all the words, or mostly the pictures. Either way, this one was a particular favorite!
From the striking cover (I mean...really...does it get better?) to the opening title page that only as an adult did I realize to be a Last Supper kind of thing, to the characters themselves--Indigo, in particular, is a fan of mooning the reader, while Orange and Red seem to be a couple--it is just. so. extra. Even the endpapers are showstoppers--hand paintings that mimic marbling, all pouring from botanical-painting-level flowers (I mean...who does that?)
In his book bio, Ul refers to himself as "Count Ulderico Gropplero di Troppenburg" (Was he really a Count?). One thing that IS undoubtedly true is that he also dabbled in the movies, including design contributions to The Neverending Story (checks out).
In researching this book, I discovered a sequel, The White Goblin--which I will now have to scheme into my hands somehow. 😊 But this week, The Rainbow Goblins is the #picturebook I'm most currently jealous that I didn't write. ❤️ 🌈👺🪣🌻🌊🐦🌈 #bookrecommendations #kidlit #bookrecs #pb #vintage #art #1970s #1980s
Unfortunately, she died of cancer in 2007.
I could probably name all the books I owned at this age: Where The Wild Things Are, A Tiny Family, The Giant Jam Sandwich, The Monster at the End of This Book, and Walt Disney's Treasury of Children's Classics, along with half a dozen Walt Disney Read-Along Books (which came with accompanying cassette tapes—my favorites, by far, were The Haunted House and Cinderella). I also had a scant handful of Little Golden Books, including The Saggy Baggy Elephant and The Poky Little Puppy. Needless to say, most of the books I read were still to come once we moved to Shreveport, and I finally attended a school with a library inside of it. I made up for lost time, then, though!
though I had access to plenty of books, you keep identifying spectacular ones I’ve never heard of!!