What the Dormouse Said

Wisdom from children's books

A few years ago while visiting friends in the Twin Cities, we stopped at Patina (we always stop at Patina) and I saw this book. This wise, nostalgic, moving little book. 

 
Whenever I'm in need of a little inspiration, I turn to What the Dormouse Said. I keep it on my bedside table and, when I feel the need, carry it with me in my tote bag du jour. It's filled with quotations from over 200 beloved children's books, old and new — everything from Peter Pan to Charlotte's Web to Eloise to plenty of titles I'd never even heard of. 

The quotes are divided by topics such as "Faith and Courage," "Practical Musings," and "Acceptance." On more than one occasion, I've referred to The Dormouse when I can't find words of my own — say, for a sympathy card. It's marvelous how these words we read as children still hold value for us (reluctant) grown-ups. 

Some of my favorites:

"If tomorrow the sky falls, have clouds for breakfast. If night falls, use stars for streetlights." _If You're Afraid of the Dark, Remember the Night Rainbows, Cooper Edens, 1979

"Perhaps, after all, romance did not come into one's life with pomp and blare, like a gay knight riding down; perhaps it crept to one's side like an old friend through quiet ways."
_Anne of Avonlea, L.M. Montgomery, 1909

"Piglet was to excited at the idea of being Useful that he forgot to be frightened any more." _Winnie-the-Pooh, A.A. Milne, 1926