In children’s books, we can always find a lot of imaginations in them. There are always unexpected things happening in the books. Like in the Caldecott Honor Book, What do you do with a tail like this? It is illustrated by Steve Jenkins and written by Robin Page. In this book, the illustrations and questions in the materials are interesting, and easily to get echo from the younger kids. Parents also find the book interested when they interact with their children. They surely get a lot of joy from this book. The replies and book reviews from the parents on the webs gain many positive impacts and opinions on this book.
On the currently book markets, we have many different varieties of books for every age’s children. For the past three decades, there was one called “Juvenile literature” on the market. This kind of books especially designed for younger adults, because they are between in a vague situation. They don’t think they are little kids anymore, but they haven’t reached the levels of the adulthood. They need another set of books for them to read. For these age group of children, they like advantages or mysteries which will bring excitement in their lives. The recent published series from J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter, are extremely popular around the world. I am also a fan of this series. I read all 5 books already with my younger brother who is a young teenager. They have been translated in many languages, and pass to the children and adults everywhere. Not only the children love the characters and the stories of the books, grownups are also crazy about everything related to the series. This series is a typical juvenile literature for younger adults and adults too. Inside of the books, the authors describe how the main character, Harry, takes adventure with his friends, and how they fight in the magic world. Every detail and the move of the character do attract the readers, including me.
According to Natalie Babbitt in Happy endings? Of course, and also Joy (1970), she stated that books for adults are serious in intent whiles books for children are designed to amuse. But she also believed that idea is only an assumption and nothing more. In the Public world, there are many serious stories for adults and truckloads of children’s stories intended only for pleasure, but the reverse is just as true. There is no clear boundary between the children’s books and the adult’s readings. Some people think that the children’s stories always end with a happy ending, and there is no sad thing in the context. The assumption is wrong, and lack of evidences. There is really no difference where emotional themes are concerned. In children’s books, we can find love, hates, and others emotions as well. Same things we can get in the adult’s literatures. The only difference is how the author describes the theme and delivers the theme to the readers. Most of the word usages in children’s literature are straight forward, and without a lot of hidden messages. Therefore, the young readers don’t have to guess what the passages mean.
When the authors prepare to write the books for children, they usually have a theme or a message to deliver to the readers. The theme is to educate the students and develop their critical reading skills in the future. Jay William, a children’s book writer, also stated in his article, looking for pattern, “They (children’s books) are dreams, the images of possibility, the endless stories we all tell to ourselves.” Unlike the adult-book writers, the children’s books writers mostly have warm hearts, which are easily to open to people, and listen to people. They use the greater simplicity tones to connect with the young readers, and the special effort to avoid abstractions. For these authors to write a children’s book, they need to put themselves in a position as children. The task for these authors who write the children’s books is not only to make money, but also to educate and teach the next generations. They have an important responsibility. From Jay William’s article, looking for pattern, he stated that, “When I write for children, it is for the child I once was, along with a few children I know now. I cannot write for a vague, faceless audience- the audience to which a hack address himself- I can only speak to real audience.”
The Arnold Lobel Book of Mother Goose illustrated by Arnold Lobel. Arnold Lobel was considered to be one of the most important children's author/illustrator of the 20th century. I believed that this book must accompany many children’s hearts when they were little. From my belief, a good children’s book should last for great period of time, just like The Arnold Lobel Book of Mother Goose. It is everyone’s bed time stories when going to bed. It might be the first book your mom or dad read to you. This book must contain a lot of memories for many adults and children. That is a good children’s book all about.
Some movie companies even produced the movies which are from the famous children’s books. Recently we have “Harry Potter series”, “the Cat in the Hat”, and all other Disney’s fairy tales movies in the market. All these movies not only attract the young audiences, but also attract all ages of people. That’s because the stories are touching and meaningful to people. Everyone can accept the stories.
For in the long run it is children themselves who decide what they want. For every book is a message, and if children happen to receive and like it, they will appropriate it to themselves no matter what the author may say not what label he gives himself. I believe that a good children’ book should be suitable for all ages of readers. No matter how old the readers are, they should all enjoy the books as anyone else. Pamela Travers also thought that grownups are a very important part of children’s literature. Because when the grownups choose the books for the children to read, they should also know the details of the books, and what is the theme for the books. Books are so important to influence the children, and a good children’s book is hard to identify. Children’s books are not only the colorful pictures which to entertain the children’s hearts, but also contain meaning passages to educate children’s souls.
-
Turner, S (1989) Bad books for children- What are they? Emergency Liberian, 15-18
-
McNeill, J (1972) When the magic has to stop. The Horn Book Magazine.35-40
-
Tunis, J.R. (1986). What is a juvenile book? The Horn Book Magazine, 22-26
-
Babbitt, N. (1970). Happy ending? Of course, and also joy. The New York Times Book Reviews (Part 2), 1-50
-
Williams, J. (1980). Looking for Pattern. The Signal approach to children’s books. 13-22
