Library of the Early Mind: A Film About Children's Literature

Exploring the effects of books and reading on early childhood, Library of the Early Mind examines how children's literature impacts our lives from an early age. Directed and produced by Edward J. Delaney and co-produced by Steven Withrow. The film features nearly 40 prominent authors and illustrators talking about their work and the creative process
     Many of us have a favorite book -- or books -- from childhood that impacted us deeply and continue inform our lives. For Adam Gopnik, one of those books is The Story of Babar, the Little Elephant (1931). The book, which has been under fire for a number of years by scholars, is often viewed as an "implicit endorsement of the civilizing effects of French colonialism." In a New Yorker article, Freeing the Elephants: What Babar Brought (September 22, 2008), Gopnik explores the scholarly criticism regarding Jean de Brunhoff and his famous character, Babar. The article serves as inspiration for the film.