People build statues of heroes. The Greeks built statues of Hercules and Adonis. Â The British built statues of Nelson and Churchill. Â The Egyptians, Colossi of Memnon. Â We Americans build statues of our heroes, too. Â Like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr.
Heroes usually only get statues when they’re dead.  And, when a person travels hundreds or thousands of miles to see a statue, sometimes looking isn’t enough. Sometimes, he or she wants to touch it.  And it’s always lucky to touch a hero statue.
But should you?
The short answer is most of the time.  As long as you are respectful of local customs and traditions and it’s not prohibited by local law, I say do …
Truth is, until that very moment, I’d never even heard of Struwwelpeter. Â But, with a cover illustration equal parts bewitching and bewildering, I was desperate to learn more and made a mental note of the book’s title as interior photography was not allowed. Â Immediately upon my return to Edinburgh later that week, I scoured every secondhand bookstore in town until I finally unearthed this beautiful 1940 hardback edition.…