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"Lima beans would be illegal." When asked how to go about making a perfect world, that's what Amanda Fox, age 11, told writer and artist Robert Bender--and that was just for starters. Shamelessly exploiting the intelligence, honesty, and guileless wit of the nation's youth (and apparently having a heck of a time doing it), Bender asked over 100 kids, mostly between the ages of 7 and 12, ... More

"Lima beans would be illegal." When asked how to go about making a perfect world, that's what Amanda Fox, age 11, told writer and artist Robert Bender--and that was just for starters. Shamelessly exploiting the intelligence, honesty, and guileless wit of the nation's youth (and apparently having a heck of a time doing it), Bender asked over 100 kids, mostly between the ages of 7 and 12, the same question: "What do you think would make our world a more perfect place to be?"

From the silly to the touching to the inarguably wise, the children's responses are all here, accompanied by Bender's own youthful, exuberant illustrations. Some of these kids' ideas may need some fine-tuning ("In a perfect world I wish I was Dracula and I would suck blood.... I would give it to the hospitals and some people might feel better"), while others probably hope for too much ("No little brothers that run around in circles screaming, shooting you in the head with Nerf guns"). Still others seem entirely reasonable ("I would like peas and quiet"), and a few are heartbreaking ("A perfect world to live in is if I could have my father to be here with me. He died of a heart attack. It would be a better world because there is no one here to call me Stinker"). Not a new idea, to be sure, but one that never fails to delight when done well. (Ages 7 and older) --Paul Hughes

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