Children’s books, be it fairy tales, folklore or local stories, are our first introduction to the magical world of literature. They are the first stories we here – they create the idea of ‘narrative’ in our minds. But do they have a greater purpose than that? Why is it that years after we’ve left it behind, Harry Potter books, or Alice in Wonderland still strike a chord with us? Why do we connect with these stories and why do we empathize with their characters? Because these stories represent simple values that resonate deep within our collective consciousness – the universal reaffirmation of our humanness. Here is a list of reasons why children’s books are still relevant for adult and worth visiting and revisiting time and again, why they never lose their relevance.
Why Children’s Books are Still Relevant For Adult?
Act as self-help books for adults
It’s important to remember that children’s Books serve not only to initiate children into the world of literature but also to initiate them into the world of anthropocentric existence. That is the reason a lot of children’s books are as profound and practical as most self-help books – but infinitely more interesting. Even as A Little Princess by Hodgson Burnett teaches us to cope with loneliness, it draws us into a magical world. My point is – reading children’s literature will make you feel happy while also teaching you the simplest but most profound life lessons.
Force readers to reminisce and remember
All books are informative and treasures of knowledge – but children’s books have an edge over others. This is because reading them as adults forces the human brain to connect it with past memories. In turn, this strengthens the cognitive connections between them, enhancing memory. Thus, according to cognitive neuroscience, reading chidren’s books as adults forces you to reflect on your childhood memories associated with them, which in turn causes you to remember them better. This further leads to a more comprehensive assimilation of the wisdom-treasure that they are.
For their simplicity and clarity
Because children’s books are meant for humans not all that advanced in terms of their cognitive functioning, children’s books tend to be simple and clear. They disguise profound truths and wise truisms in the form of easy to follow and relatable parables. They are easy to comprehend since they draw on universal archetypes such as the ‘evil stepmother’ or the ‘virtuous princess’. Plus they often make use of animals as main characters, as in Black Beauty or The Secret Garden. This distills the complex mental mechanisms of humans into an interesting, wondrous and simple framework that everyone can easily grasp. Instead of turning to classics and other books with complicated plots and characters and huge sentences, these books provide a relieving alterantive.
Function as sources of comfort and solace
The purpose of adult reading of children’s books is not purely practical, cognitive or motivational. It can be affective and emotional too. Children’s books have a quality of solace, peace, tranquility and comfort like no other. They are go-to comfort reads, because of the fact that they are reminiscent of childhood. In addition, they are so wholesome and endearing that reading them instantly makes readers happy. Even as they break our heart, as in Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s The Little Prince, they leave us with a smile on our faces. Sometimes they connect us to nature too, like Johanna Spyri’s Heidi – giving is additional comfort
Allow adults to dwell in fantastical worlds
Finally, children’s literature plays an important role in enabling readers to divorce and disconnect from reality. Adult literature, even fantasy, is so rooted in prevalent socioeconomic or cultural elements of reality that it can feel overbearing. Children’s literature makes no allusions to the world outside – it is an island in and of itself. It only serves to convey the meaning of life and humanity to people, rather than allude to the world outside. It thus becomes escapist, allowing us to give flight to our imagination and dwell temporarily in a fantastical world. Plus, it allows us to safeguard the child with curiosity, awe, wonder and imagination within ourselves.
Also Read: Best Speculative Fiction Books About Climate Disasters
