Winnie-the-Pooh and Beatrix Potter, too

Let's start our reviews of children's literature with some of the best known British classics: "Winnie-the-Pooh" by A.A. Milne, Beatrix Potter's complete animal tales, and "The Wind in the Willows" by Kenneth Grahame.

There may be two groups of readers out there in my blogosphere. Those who say "we know they're classics; we've already heard about them." Secondly, those who say "we know they're classics; our kids prefer the Disney version." I'll try to take an approach that interests both audiences.

We all know reading is fundamental, and in fact, makes you smarter in nearly every other academic area. But we don't read because we want smart kids. Or, at least solely for that reason! We read because we want them to have a love of language; a broad-based foundation for understanding their world; warm memories of family times together; quiet, focused activity; creativity and imagination; even a step-up in learning a variety of communication skills.


I recently read a short article on the effects of reading on our minds. What I did not realize before (although in retrospect it makes sense), is that reading boosts vocabulary (and therefore language and communication) more dramatically than talking, listening, or (of course) television. Kids are far more likely to encounter a wider variety of words and more rare words on the written page, than in talking with their well-educated parents! Even children's books themselves have a more sophisticated set of word usage than your average conversation. Not only does reading boosts general knowledge, it even protects against misinformation from mainstream (i.e. television) media. Finally, senior citizens who read help protect their mind against memory loss and aging. In fact, senior citizens generally score higher than college students in knowledge and vocabulary as well as logic and deductive reasoning! (if you would like to see this article, try http://momshomeroom.msn.com/ and under the reading category look for "What Effect Reading has on Our Minds.")

But recall, we don't read because we want smart kids; we read because we want to raise critical thinkers with a broad world view. How does classic children's literature help us accomplish this?

Frankly, the richness of story, the depth of character development, the imagination and use of vocabulary in these books are unsurpassed. Simply put, they have no contemporay rivals!

Take Winnie-the-Pooh for example. Where else do our children learn it's okay to be gloomy; you are still loved and welcomed as a peer and friend. Some of their acquaintances may be perfectionists like Rabbit, egocentric like Owl, timid like Piglet, or lovingly dimwitted like Pooh, but together they build a welcoming community. This is similar to Sesame Street but with more story and vocabulary. Like as not, your children will identify themselves in one of the characters and feel warmly accepted into Christopher Robin's world.

For parents to read frequently and enthusiastically with their children it helps to find material that is engaging for an adult mind as well. Read any of these classics and you will find multi-layered stories that appeal to both young and old, as well as humor, wit and clever word play. This is what keeps 8 year-olds coming back to stories their 3 year-old siblings are reading on Mom's lap.

The Beatrix Potter tales are especially charming in this regard. I challenge Moms and Dads to read "the tale of squirrel nutkin" with his impertinent riddles and not chuckle when he lands in old owl's waist-coat pocket. or try "the tale of two bad mice" as they fly into a rage upon discovering the play-food in the doll's house is merely made of plaster. the disaster that follows causes the little girl to declare she'll get a doll dressed like a policeman, but the nurse says, "i will set a mouse-trap!"

These classics build morals and consequences right into the humor we all enjoy. we laugh at mr. toad's frivolous exploits in "wind in the willows," but our children would not like to emulate his behavior as it results in painful consequences. they would probably enjoy, however, taking part in the brave battle to turn the weasels and stoats out of toad hall. beatrix potter's "tale of ginger and pickles" gives a very timely explanation of and the result of debt. as well, peter rabbit is an obvious example to our kids of what happens when we fail to follow instructions. the harm is relatively mild and certainly humorous; we can all laugh at these characters and lessons are passed on without heavy-handed lecturing. i don't even have to draw any conclusions for my kids. A few days later when i suggest they wouldn't want to behave like peter rabbit in a given circumstance, the message is received without further moralizing.

The vocabulary comes along for free, a more useful bonus than the toy in a happy meal! it can't be a bad thing if our kids learn that drake is another word for male duck; or that quantities mean 'a lot'; or that lots of children used to eat 'porridge' and hardly ever complain about it.

As our kids get older, these classics give way to frances hodgson burnett's "the secret garden," c.s. lewis' chronicles of narnia, tolkein's middle earth. introducing our kids to challenging, rewarding literature at a young age spoils them for anything less as they mature.

Why is it the English manage to create such masterpieces seemingly effortlessly? that is a debate for it's another blog someday, but it probably has to do with the lengthy history of island, multiple cultural influences, even education standards.

If you've been through all the beatrix potter stories and have a child that would love more, try thornton w. burgess's animal adventures. sometimes referred to as the beatrix potter of america, burgess wrote more than 4o short books in the first half of the 20th century. titles include "the adventures of ol' mistah buzzard," "old mother west wind," "the adventures of reddy fox," "the adventures of peter cottontail" as well as many, many more. some public libraries carry these, or try dover press. also in the tradition of beatrix potter, burgess was a self-taught naturalist and the Audobon Society maintains his Massachusetts property as a nature center.

Following in the steps of "wind in the willows" i would recommend e.b. white's "charlotte's web," "stuart little" and "trumpet of the swan." Some kids never outgrow lively animal adventures.

I treat the Doras and Sponge-Bobs of children's literature the same way I treat Santa Claus at christmastime. Our kids need a smattering of it, as long as it doesn't overshadow the more substantive meaning of the event.