1 June 2014

Childhood...



...is an own world for itself. It’s one of the most beautiful and magical periods of our lives (of course there are many, many unfortunate children out there but that would take a lot more time to cover…). 

At that age you believe you can be anybody even anything and do limitless things. Each child creates a unique world with themselves as the main character. This world is very much based on other influences such as parents and family and the words they speak, their friends and everyday experiences (which can be easily turned into great adventures) or what they see on TV and of course read in books. 

They work with all their senses and gather various ingredients to bake a cake of childhood. On the one hand, they’re like a sponge – absorbing everything around them. And on the other hand, however, they’re very fragile and the least disturbing event, word, or image can add a bitter flavour to their cake. It can lose its coherence and burst like a bubble. Recreating it is hard work. 

Sometimes, as it happens, a person comes and eats their cake, leaving them standing unprepared on the threshold of adulthood. Other times, they’re enjoying their cake too long, saving the last bit, unwilling to accept that it should have already been eaten.

I think that children’s literature is very important because it both shapes and entertains children. There’s space for them to both get lost in the worlds behind the words, and to receive the moral of the story in a nice subtly wrapped–up bundle. Therefore, authors of children’s literature should choose their words carefully and wisely.