A Case for Reading Picture Books as Adults

Hello there!

Summer is here and so are the summer holidays. How are the little ones and you faring? At Champaca, we spent the last month reflecting on the year that was and charting our journey ahead.

In the month of April, at Champaca, we are highlighting and reading stories about the Partition of India – an event that caused pain and trauma on both sides of the border. For adults, we have a great curation of books, a film and an online event, but how does one broach this difficult topic with children? 

Good picture books, such as Mukand and Riaz by Nina Sabnani, can gently open up complex themes for children by providing context and focusing on the friendship that existed between two boys, Mukand and Riaz, during the India-Pakistan Partition. Join us on April 2, Sunday for a storytelling event with Mukand and Riaz, conducted by Nayanika. This is a free-for-all event for children, 8 and above,

A case for reading picture books as adults

At Champaca, we recommend picture books to parents and children alike. Read on to find out why!

• Children’s books have many layers: Revisiting children’s books in adulthood can yield subtexts that one missed as a child. Looking at children’s books with a fresh/old pair of eyes makes one spot nuances and details that were not obvious before. We all grew up thinking the Grinch was a grump, who sought pleasure from destroying others’ happiness but revisiting Dr Suess’s The Grinch Who Stole Christmas as an adult makes us wonder if Dr Suess was giving us a parable on consumerism.

• They help articulate emotions: Shaun Tan’s The Red Tree and Micheal Rosen’s Sad Book are deeply moving stories that introduce the emotion of despair. In The Red Tree, a child journeys through a dark world and Micheal Rosen’s Sad Book is about the death of the author’s son. As children, we are often caught up with the story. We follow the pictures and look at how the characters play out. Though a child can identify the emotional dimensions of the story, rereading them later in life, as adults, can help one articulate what we feel while reading. Through its simple narrative and detail-filled pictures, revisiting Micheal Rosen’s Sad Book, especially after a personal bereavement can help an adult break down a complex emotion such as grief and provide catharsis/relief.

• Throwback to simpler times: As adults, sometimes we yearn for simpler times. Picture books contain simple language, and beautiful illustrations while being evocative at the same time.

• Visuals: We are a visual species. Picture books can provide a rich sensorial experience that is calming or stimulating.

• Curiosity and Joy: Is there an age limit to curiosity and joy? We think not! Picture books are a lot of fun! Wasn't it hilarious when Ammachi (Ammachi’s Glasses by Priya Kuriyan) washed the cat and wrung it dry? And in case you were wondering about bees' poop, The Poop Book by Thejaswini Apte-Rahm says that it's yellow and bees poop as they fly! 

You can find these books and more at our Champaca Children’s Library. You are most welcome to dig through our collection along with your little ones!

 A Slice from History…Animal Libraries

What has 10 legs, 2 tails, 6 eyes and is full of stories? The Biblioburro or the donkey library! For decades Colombia has been struggling with violence due to conflicts between various paramilitary groups, criminal gangs and the government.  Luis Soriano Bohorequez lived with his parents in Magdalena province which was one such place facing severe violence. Soriano got a high school degree and wanted to teach, convinced that education would help people break out of the cycle of poverty and violence. But what progress could he make when people were too poor to buy basic necessities let alone books? So Soriano got to work. He started with seventy books of his own - textbooks, encyclopaedias and some other novels. He bought two donkeys, named them Alpha and Beto, loaded them with books and took them to children, no matter the distance. Eventually, people came to know about him and book donations poured in. He now has about 5000 books! If you are interested to know more, you may want to read Biblioburro, a picture book by Jeanette Winter!

Image Credit: Goodreads