NEED TO KNOW
- Julie Andrews and her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton are opening up about their favorite books
- The pair recently co-wrote their new children’s book The Great American Mousical, released Tuesday, Oct. 21
- Their favorite books include popular children’s books, memoirs and historical fiction
Julie Andrews and her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton are opening up about the books that inspire them.
As the mother-daughter duo celebrate the full-color re-release of their children’s book The Great American Mousical, which came out Oct. 21, the pair are opening up about their favorite books. “I’ll read almost anything that catches my fancy,” Andrews, 90, told Page Six, adding that she picks up books anywhere, “from my garden to my bed, an airplane or an armchair.”
“Books are in every room of my house,” Hamilton, 62, told the outlet. “They are my friends, my advisors, my constant companions.” While they both appreciate the whimsical storytelling of children’s books, the authors also enjoy memoirs and historical fiction. Discover Andrews and Hamilton’s favorite books below.
‘The Little Grey Men’ by Denys Watkins-Pitchford
The Little Grey Men by B.B.
NYRB Kids
This children’s book about the “last three gnomes in Britain” tells the story of Sneezewort, Baldmoney and Dodder as they embark on a journey through the forest upstream to find their brother Cloudberry, who left their woodland home in search of adventure. Andrews recounted first reading the 1942 children’s classic at 9 years old.
“It is a beautifully written nature study focusing on the last four gnomes living in Britain. This book has influenced my own writing ever since I first read it, and I was proud to help republish it in the States several years ago,” Andrews told Page Six.
‘The Golden Compass’ by Philip Pullman
‘The Golden Compass’ by Philip Pullman.
Yearling
Published in 1995, The Golden Compass went on to be adapted into a film in 2007, which starred Nicole Kidman, Ian McKellan and more. The story follows a young girl named Lyra as she journeys through a fantasy world to find her friend Roger, who she believes has been taken by a powerful force.
Hamilton called it “possibly my favorite book of all time,” adding that “It’s magnificently written, and manages to be both a gripping adventure and a meditation on the nature of the soul at the same time,” per Page Six.
‘The Once and Future King’ by T.H. White
‘The Once and Future King’ by T. H. White.
Ace Books
The Once And Future King, originally published in 1958, offers a contemporary retelling of the Arthurian legends written by Thomas Malory in 1485. Malory’s identity remains uncertain.
“Terence Hanbury White transcribed those books for modern readers, and it eventually became the basis for the lovely musical ‘Camelot’ by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe, which I was so fortunate to be part of in my youth,” Andrews recounted to Page Six.
‘The Phantom Tollbooth’ by Norton Juster
‘The Phantom Tollbooth’ by Norton Juster.
Bullseye Books
When a boy named Milo goes through a tollbooth that appears in his room on an average day at home, he is met with a series of punny quests — including jumping to the Island of Conclusions, learning about time from a ticking watchdog named Tock and rescuing Rhyme and Reason.
Hamilton recounted her love for this 1961 children’s book, saying “it was the book that made me fall in love with reading as a child. The idea of a word market, where words have flavor and scent and texture, so captured my imagination that I think it’s why I’m a writer today.”
‘Act One’ by Moss Hart
‘Act One’ by Moss Hart.
St. Martin’s Griffin
Act One is playwright Moss Hart’s autobiography that details his New York City childhood and storied journey to Broadway. Originally published in 1959, the book is widely regarded as a portrait of a pivotal moment in the entertainment industry. The book was adapted for the screen in 1963, and adapted into a Broadway show in 2014.
“It is about his early life as he struggled through extreme poverty to eventually become the beloved, prominent man that he was. In my view, it captures an era and the world of musical theater in an unparalleled way,” Andrews told Page Six.
‘Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear’ by Elizabeth Gilbert
‘Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear’ by Elizabeth Gilbert.
Riverhead Books
Big Magic, published in 2015, follows Eat Pray Love author Elizabeth Gilbert’s journey to find creative inspiration in a changing world. Hamilton said she turns to this book “again and again” in her writing life.
“It reminds me of and re-roots me in the mystery and wonder that is the creative process,” Hamilton told Page Six.
