I was very sad to learn recently that my favoritre illustrator, Michael Hague, passed away.
The books we read as children shape our identities in a way that no other reading does; through them we imagine different worlds and meet characters that we come to know as lifelong friends.
My godmother lives in the same area in Colorado that he did, and she sent me books that were inscribed by him.
There's something extra special about books that are signed and personalized, because it's as if that book was meant for you, and only you. I had plenty of books when I was a kid, but these always had a special place on my bookshelf.
The book I remember reading a million times is Alphabears, authored by his wife Kathleen Hague and illustrated by him.
The dustjacket is long gone and every time I touch the faded red cover, I am transported back to my little bedroom with the bright blue walls, reading it to my brother, or to a friend, or just by myself.
The other book I read very often was East of the Sun, West of the Moon. It's a Norweigan fairytale and it features a clever heroine who rescues a prince, who has been trapped in a different bodily form by an evil troll. It always kind of reminded me of Beauty and the Beast, and you can see from the tears around the dustjacket that this copy was used quite a bit.
Perhaps my favorite book illustrated by Michael Hague is The Velveteen Rabbit. I knew his illustrations before I ever saw the original ones by William Nicholson. This story is one that has influenced my personality and life and career more than most, and I grew up 100% believing that toys carry the memories of the children who have loved them. (And of course, the Toy Story movies have only reaffirmed that whimsical notion.) The book is my childhood copy, and the framed picture is one that I sent to him and asked him to sign when I was pregnant, and it hung in John's nursery for years.
We visited my godmother in Colorado back in 2009 and it was a wonderful coincidence that he was doing a signing at a bookstore for his newest book at the time, Little Bittie Mousie. I bought a copy of that book for myself, as well as one for my niece, who was only a baby at the time.
It was a highlight of our trip, and I am so grateful that I got to meet him in person; we often do not get the chance to meet the people who create the things we love so much.
Rest in peace, Michael Hague.
Thank you for seeing so much beauty in the world, and sharing it with the rest of us through your books.
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