Rediscovering your favorite kids’ books as an adult

In his new book, “Wild Things: The Joy of Reading Children’s Literature as an Adult,” Bruce Handy makes a case for books aimed at kids not just being a narcotic to put them to sleep, but rather literature in its purest form.

From “Where the Wild Things Are” to “Charlotte’s Web,” Handy revisits childhood classics that still hold up — and a few that don’t. He joins Kurt Andersen to discuss some of their favorite books and offer insight about their creators.

Take “Goodnight Moon” author Margaret Wise Brown, who Handy recalls once saying, “to write for children you don’t have to like children, you just have to like what children like.” And later, Handy and Andersen are joined by their grown kids to revisit their childhood memories with books.