Mrs. Cleary's Neighborhood

photo from roadsideamerica.com

I tried to get to the sculpture garden yesterday but was sidetracked by the awesomeness of Portland’s Library.  Today I am on a mission.  Memorials to children’s book authors are not something you see everyday - their existence seems to demonstrate a community wide devotion to an author who has truly captured the essence of a place in their writing.  Robert McCloskey meets that criteria in his book “Make Way for Ducklings” and is honored with a parade of ducks in the Public Garden in Boston.  The bronze “Hachiko” statue at Shibuya railroad station in Japan is another memorial that appropriately marks the spot where a dog’s loyalty was tested as he waited for his master (more of a tribute to the dog than the author, I suppose).

But Beverly Cleary paints a picture of a 1950s and 60s neighborhood in Portland that readers feel like they can step right into.  Actually I kind of felt like I did live on Klickitat Street I knew it so well.  

Readers have spent mornings with Henry on his paper route, walked to school with Ramona and spent countless hours sitting on the porch steps or playing in the driveway.  The City of Portland recognized Cleary’s great talent and honored her with a whimsical sculpture garden in Grant Park that recalls the simple joy of being a kid.

The project began in 1991 when community members came together and began to raise money to create a memorial (schools and libraries held penny drives to raise money).  A contest was held to find the sculptor and Cleary was asked to be the judge.  She choose artist Lee Hunt who made life size statues of Ramona, Henry and Ribsy.  The bronze statues are arranged in a triangle and Ribsy and Ramona have real water fountains splashing up under their feet - perfect!  Check out these great pictures.  The garden was dedicated in 1995 (over 1,000 people came!) and Cleary spoke about growing up in the ‘hood in the 1930s.  What a beautiful project and a lovely way for the children of Portand to learn about the history of their city and an author who captured a time in America that will never be repeated.