Books
10 lessons from children’s books to rediscover as an adult
They may be short on pages, but children’s books certainly aren’t short on life lessons. Here are 10 bits of literary wisdom to rediscover as an adult.
- The power of love – “Real isn’t how you are made... it’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time... then you become Real.” – Margery Williams, The Velveteen Rabbit
- The importance of looking after the planet – “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.” – Dr Seuss, The Lorax
- Happiness is best shared with others – “The Rainbow Fish shared his scales left and right. And the more he gave away, the more delighted he became.” – Marcus Pfister, The Rainbow Fish
- Embrace challenges – “We can’t go over it. We can’t go under it. Oh, no! We’ve got to go through it!” – Michael Rosen, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt
- Always keep learning – “The most important reason for going from one place to another is to see what's in between.” – Norton Juster, The Phantom Tollbooth
- You are the architect of your own life – “Life, with its rules, its obligations, and its freedoms, is like a sonnet: You're given the form, but you have to write the sonnet yourself.” – Madeleine L’Engle, A Wrinkle in Time
- Take risks – “You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.” – A. A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
- Always give it your all – “Never do anything by halves if you want to get away with it. Be outrageous. Go the whole hog. Make sure everything you do is so completely crazy it's unbelievable.” – Roald Dahl, Matilda
- Trust your instinct – “Here is my secret. It is very simple: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince
- Sometimes, life is just hard – “It has been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. My mom says some days are like that.” – Judith Viorst, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Which of these lessons do you think is the most important? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
Related links:
5 books every over-60 should read
6 classic books that were banned
The story behind the Little Golden Books