Rita Golden Gelman

A cumulative rhyme describes the choppy cheese, sloppy sausages, gloppy tomatoes, and floppy dough that are cooked into a pizza and enjoyed by dozens of mice.

A lonely mole's animal friends find his hole too dark and small for them, but in Ms. Mole he meets the perfect companion to share his life. Features rebuses throughout the text.

In 1987, Rita, newly divorced, set out to live her dream. She sold all her possessions and became a nomad. She wrote a book about her ongoing journey and, in 2001, insisted on putting her personal e-mail address in the last chapter—against all advice. It turned out to be a fortuitous decision. She has met thousands of readers, stayed in their homes, and sat around kitchen tables sharing stories and food and laughter.

In this essay...