Classic Children’s Books Worth Reading as an Adult

By Atiyeh Taghiei.

Books have an undeniable impact on the shaping of minds regardless of a reader’s age. Still, countless surveys have been conducted that prove younger children who have an increased exposure to books from birth thrive in academia and develop stronger critical thinking skills as adults. This suggests that the brain’s rapid development in early life can be positively molded with an early introduction to literature.

Bibliotherapy has been developed and introduced as a means of helping children that struggle with social interaction, sometimes arising from disabilities such as autism, and has been tested to improve attitude and reduce aggression in a recent study conducted by the University of Cincinnati.

Jessica Bowman, whose research was included in this study, noted that “Parents also reported that their own feelings about reading literature were established when they were children, and continued into adulthood.” This provides insight to the importance of instilling a drive for reading at a young age.

However, that’s not to mean that it’s ever too late to instill a passion for reading!

For those who need a push in the right direction, the simple formatting and likability of books targeted towards children can be a good start. Often overlooked as menial, many of these children’s books are filled with metaphors that might not be appreciated to their fullest by young children.

Without any further ado, here is a list of five children’s books worth reading again as adults.

1. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.

A book impossible to summarize in a few lines, The Little Prince is told throughout the course of eight days, as the narrator is stranded in the desert. The narrator, a crashed aviator, attempts to repair his plane, and the little prince whom he meets in the desert recounts a series of tales. The prince begins by describing life on his tiny home planet and the valuable lessons he learned visiting planets en route to Earth.

2. The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf.

Ferdinand, an unusual bull, teaches the valuable lesson of always marching to the beat of one’s own drum. While the other bulls snort, leap, and butt their heads, Ferdinand is content just by sitting and smelling the flowers under his favorite cork tree.

3. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig.

Sylvester’s story begins on a rainy day when he comes across a magic pebble that can make wishes come true. When a lion frightens him on his way home, Sylvester asks for a wish with unintended consequences, realizing in the end that there is no place he’d rather be than with his family. Interestingly, this Caldecott award-winning book has been banned for its portrayal of police as pigs.

4. The Empty Pot by Demi.

A Chinese emperor teaches honesty through hosting a contest to decide upon his successor, in which children compete to see who grows the most beautiful flowers using the seeds given by the emperor. On the final day of the contest, it seems on the surface that many children have won the contest, but there is only one true winner.

5. Chike and the River by Chinua Achebe.

Eleven-year-old Chike’s childhood dream is to cross the Niger River to the city of Asaba, but he doesn’t have the sixpence he needs to pay for the ferry ride to the city. After a series of adventures to make it to Asaba, he realizes that life there is not all he dreamed of, and gets caught up in a criminal’s scheme.

Atiyeh is a contributor to the Bookselves Blog.

Originally published at bookselves.wordpress.com on February 10, 2016.