Werewolf: Death in Childrens Stories

Death in childrensstoriesWerewolf.co.nz September Issue Original ArticleBy Gordon Campbell Rosetta Stone outlet Theres so much crap in childrens bookshops andchildrens tolerance of what is put in front of them is soimmense, it should not be abused. Thats why it seemsworth singling out some of the enduringly good books that,thanks to librarians and online purchasing, are stillavailable.Maybe the only thing worse than the adults being wacky kind of childrens book is thetype of book that seeks to convey an explicit moral lessonto its captive audience. The result can easily end uphammering into children the message that we shouldntjudge people by their skin colour, destroy the earth to makea buck, or disobey the Lord. Youd hope childhood could bespared from dogmas disguised as entertainment, for a whileat least. In defence, some people would argue that everygood story has some sort of (a)moral lesson to convey. Inthe New Yorker magazine last month for instance,Judith Thurman argued that the Little House books of LauraIngalls Wilder have carried a lot of unspoken politicalfreight: " [They are] a poster family for Republican 'valuevoters': a devoted couple of Christian patriots and theirunspoiled children; the father a heroic provider and benigndisciplinarian, the mother a pious homemaker and an exampleof feminine self-sacrifice." Which is true and also kindof irrelevant to their qualities as stories.Because ofthis factor - one persons moral tract can be anothersrattling good yarn - I have ruled out of the argument anymerely Rosetta Stone Japanese implicit morality tales. Otherwise, wed all belooking sideways at everything from Robert McCloskeys1930s classic Make Way for Ducklings to ArnoldLobels equally classic Fables in which Lobelset out to rewrite Aesops Fables with a more modern ( oreven post-modern) sensibility in mind. Lobels fable ofthe ostrich in love actually has it both ways. It conveys a moral while simultaneously spoofing the attempt to doso. Lobels lovesick ostrich is too crushingly timid toget beyond writing love letters, and to actually talk to theobject of his adoration-from-afar. Regardless, he lives anemotionally satisfying life all week, just thinking aboutit. Moral : Love Can Be Its Own Reward. To be fair, the pitfalls of seriousmoralizing are hard to navigate. As a consequence, most ofthe race-and-gender assertive, Christian or environmentalistchildrens books never find an audience much beyond thechildren of the already converted. All of which makes SusanVarleys Badgers Parting Gifts a fairlyextraordinary exception. Rosetta Stone Portuguese Certainly, a hefty moral isbeing imparted in this book : death is final, and whatendures are the memories of the departed held by the living.Yet the story and its illustrations are up to the task. Bystorys end, the message flows directly andnaturally from the narrative. Yes, people die, and sometimesfor the very old ( this book suggests ) death can be arelease. Badger though, lives on in the memories and in the gifts of experience that he has passed on to his youngfri. Thanks to Badger, one of them has learned how tomake paper dolls, another to skate, another how to knot atie. These may not be the earth shaking accomplishments thatchange society, but they are the kindnesses that burnbrightly in the memory. Pretty weighty topics for a fourto eight year old audience? Well, maybe [ Rosetta Stone Software ] so. But an awarenessof death (and the anxieties it generates) are part of achilds consciousness from an early age. These days aswell. Given that the boomer generation had its own childrenrelatively late, it is likely their grandchildren will losetheir grandparents correspondingly early. In that situation,I cant think of a better book to allow children anopportunity to talk about their grief, and anxiety. Thegently amusing illustrations hit just the right note ofcomfort, and re-assurance.