I can remember my excitement on nights before Scholastic Book Fairs. It was hard for me to sleep beforehand, as if it was the first day of school. I would ask my mother for a few extra dollars in hopes of finding the perfect book or trinket to bring home. Browsing up and down the aisles my eyes would cover the shelves. Finally, my hands stop on a book larger than most. The cover was filled with many different objects as if they had been spilled from a junk drawer. The title read, I Spy, and the next line, “A Book of Picture Riddles.” I had found my winner, the book I would spend hours looking at in search of what was hiding.
We all come across items that bring back a sense of nostalgia. The sights that snap me back to my adolescence are the vibrant books of Jean Marzollo. Especially my personal favorite the Spooky Night edition. I look back on these books and think about how much I loved the challenge to find what the artists had crafted. It was not until I heard about the death of Jean Marzollo, this past Tuesday, that I began to investigate deeper what these books meant to me and others.
Marzollo wrote many books for young children, translated in over 20 different languages. All containing a message, skill or puzzle in the pages. In her photographs taken by Walter Wick, objects were placed in an artistic and eclectic manner that helped create the unique and signature style of the books. They were also adapted into video games. I remember getting my hands on the mouse and the clicking that took place as I searched for the hidden objects became a sound of comfort.
Marzollo had a love for educating that was evident in her work. She attended the University of Connecticut for her undergrad and received a master’s degree from Harvard in teaching. She worked with Harvard’s “Upward Bound” program and had served on a school board. Marzollo has worked on many programs relating to child development and learning. With her extensive knowledge, being both a student and a teacher, it is no surprise that her works turned out to have enormous success.
I am now in my 20s and I can still recall the joy I felt when flipping through the pages of one Marzollo’s books. The skills I was developing on a small scale while reading these books have shaped and molded the way I look at life today. I consider myself observant and look at the challenges I face as a puzzle. These puzzles can be frustrating and solutions may take longer to present themselves. I have learned that asking for the help of those around me can lead me to the answer using their guidance as clues. I have learned that looking away from the picture and having patience can do wonders.
Jean Marzollo and her books have made an impact on my life and provided a fun, creative and educational outlet for me as a young girl. Instead of fearing the huge labyrinth we call life, I now can recall opening the pages of her books, and prepare for the feeling of glory that sits just on the other side of discovery.