Revisiting Childhood Stories
Think of the first stories you read as a child. Stories you read probably include Grimm's or Hans Christian Andersen's tales. For girls, not for boys. As a girl, I read tales written by Western writers that have been translated in Korean language—story of the matchstick girl who sells match sticks in the cold months of winter; heartfelt story of a sick family member terminally diagnosed to the fall of the last autumn leaves of a tree outside that changes its fate by his daughter who draws a leaf onto the tree to save him. And stories of animals as main characters, the Three Little Pigs, for example, each pig built his houses made of haystacks, flimsy wood, and bricks. These stories have become familiar to most readers: Jack and Jill, Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Little Red Riding Hood. Stories have become part of our culture and deeply remains in our culture —in literature, movies, and merchandise. The stories touch the lives of many children's heart with an emotional story line.
Children's books can liven a child's imagination. Reading stories throughout my childhood has sparked a strong imaginative light within me. Yes, stories have morals to teach to children. Children read parables that send messages —be cautious around strangers, especially the ones with sharpened canines; put forth hard work to see your efforts pay off in the story of the wolf that comes by to 'puff' and 'blow' the pig's houses down as the house built of bricks withstood while the rests that were shoddily made fell apart; have compassion for our loved ones and our neighbors by helping them.
The stories are moving to our emotions. These are called poignant. They help our imagination create; creating develops our minds to perform beyond its capabilities. Had I not read stories as a child, I may not have grown to interest in people, cultures, and travels. The habits we acquire young help us grow our minds in the future. The following stories takes us by different travels: Frances Hodgson Burnett's A Little Princess spends her school days in India because her father is British; The Jungle Book takes place in the wild African jungles; L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables takes place in a large open terrain that is found in North America, but has been inspired by the rural plains of New London in Canada.
As I reread some of the stories of my childhood, I see differently how authors uses words in painting a picture for its reader. Contemporary children's books have rhymes and alliteration. Find alliteration and rhymes in book like Dr. Seuss and Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. It is up to the reader to imagine the scenes and the look of the characters. Reading helps children think—and to think clearly, creatively. They can also make a child into an influential speaker. An example of a well-read child is Oprah Winfrey, who read the Bible growing up, and today she is one of the most influential talkers in the media. Imagination creates innovative minds that invent new models, and theories that can solve old and new problems. Hence the root of my imagination lies here: children's books.
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| Little Red Riding Hood walking in the woods. |
Children's books can liven a child's imagination. Reading stories throughout my childhood has sparked a strong imaginative light within me. Yes, stories have morals to teach to children. Children read parables that send messages —be cautious around strangers, especially the ones with sharpened canines; put forth hard work to see your efforts pay off in the story of the wolf that comes by to 'puff' and 'blow' the pig's houses down as the house built of bricks withstood while the rests that were shoddily made fell apart; have compassion for our loved ones and our neighbors by helping them.
The stories are moving to our emotions. These are called poignant. They help our imagination create; creating develops our minds to perform beyond its capabilities. Had I not read stories as a child, I may not have grown to interest in people, cultures, and travels. The habits we acquire young help us grow our minds in the future. The following stories takes us by different travels: Frances Hodgson Burnett's A Little Princess spends her school days in India because her father is British; The Jungle Book takes place in the wild African jungles; L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables takes place in a large open terrain that is found in North America, but has been inspired by the rural plains of New London in Canada.
As I reread some of the stories of my childhood, I see differently how authors uses words in painting a picture for its reader. Contemporary children's books have rhymes and alliteration. Find alliteration and rhymes in book like Dr. Seuss and Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. It is up to the reader to imagine the scenes and the look of the characters. Reading helps children think—and to think clearly, creatively. They can also make a child into an influential speaker. An example of a well-read child is Oprah Winfrey, who read the Bible growing up, and today she is one of the most influential talkers in the media. Imagination creates innovative minds that invent new models, and theories that can solve old and new problems. Hence the root of my imagination lies here: children's books.
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