Where Childhood Never Ends

By Michael T. Kaufman
Published: October 2, 1993

THINGS were busy at the Day Care Center on the top floor of the Van Etten building of the Bronx Municipal Hospital. In the intermediate class, the one for 3-year-olds, a little boy in brown overalls who said his name was Superman took a visitor by the hand and led him to a box with plastic animals.

"This is the biggest dinosaur," he said. "Grrrrr," he said showing his own teeth. Then he picked up a zebra and had it fight the purple dinosaur, making the creatures dance and bashing their heads together. When the fight stopped he brought the animals close so that their faces touched and he made a kissing sound. ...