When we pick a child’s literature in adulthood, the mysteries of closets leading to enchanted lands and tales of triumph sound unrealistic. However, we often forget to pay homage to the new world of imagination it opened for us and how much it has taught beyond the real world.
Whether it is the victory of light over darkness or simply understanding to appreciate our own unique traits, every children’s book has a moral. The reason behind the phenomenal picturesque illustration and making everything into a character has an even better agenda.
A developing child’s mind is prone to imagination. Rather than tucking it away, these children’s books celebrate it by showing things from their perspective. Hence, making comprehension easier and allowing them to remember through visual memory.
In this excerpt below, we will recall some of the lessons every child learns from these children’s books and the elaborate illustrations accompanying them.
The Magic Of Illustration In Children’s Literature
Illustrations have a few purposes in a children’s book. Here are a few of them:
- Before a child understands texts, they understand colors and caricatures. The illustrations help fuel that into enhancing their learning.
- It is easier to remember the texts when a child remembers the illustrations. Therefore, when they connect the pictures in their books to the real world, it is easier to build curiosity and perception. Two of the most important skills for cognitive development.
- The vibrant colors and characters help improve their concentration. Plus, a child can only develop this through still pictures and texts. Moving pictures (although great illustrations) can cause excessive stimulation at such an age when they are still developing.
- It is easier for the child to comprehend if a picture follows the text.
How Children’s Literature Has Evoked Life Lessons
Children’s books, even though they showed talkative woodland creatures, and fairy tale characters whose existence is still in question, did teach us some good moral lessons. Here is how children’s books have evoked life lessons among us and why every parent should encourage their child to read these books. Do find some of the best free online books for kids to read!
1. The Division Between Good & Bad
Children’s books always deal with the simplicity of life. By proxy, trying to entertain the simple minds of a child. Therefore, one will always find contrasting characters in portraying what is good and bad.
There is no gray area in a children’s book; sometimes, it is a huge requirement to prevent children from finding loopholes. The best part about these books is that it allows the child to root for the good guy by always showing the triumph of good over evil.
Whether the hero is on a mission to save the world or the evil being one’s own falters in moral conduct, preventing them from being a good friend. At the end of the book, the good side is shown with courage and honesty.
2. It Gives Role Models
As a child’s mind develops, they start losing the initial connection with their parents. This is their time to start finding tribes. People they can socialize with or people they can look up to. In general, the initial companionship for many comes from the characters in a children’s book.
Since most of the stories are relatable, i.e., portraying a girl or boy their age going on a worldwide adventure or fighting the evil germs of the flu to get their physical fitness back.
They find role models in these characters along with a sense of togethership. This provokes them to act in the same manner as these characters. Parents are always advised not to expose their children to violence through stories or television.
Imitation is the strongest in this age, and it can shift to a positive side with good literature.
3. They Teach Life Lessons
It is said that whatever a child learns from the age of 1-5 is the strongest. This is why we never forget numbers and the alphabet and why we form principles based on the initial manners we learn from our elders.
Along with the surroundings, the stories a child reads have a great impact on their mind. The lesson at the end of the children’s book might sometimes be hidden behind whimsical delights, but with parental guidance, it is easier to remind them.
The story might be about friendships between woodland creatures, but the subtle message is:
“A day without a friend is like a pot without a single drop of honey left inside.”
A lesson that we carry forward to this day!
