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What should be in the ideal children’s library? What books do you give to (your) children? How do you choose them? Have you been disappointed by some books?
Please propose books, precise the age from which a child should appreciate them, make assessments of books, be them positive or negative.
As for me, these are the main selection criteria:
- The respect of the language, of its vocabulary, of its syntax, of its musicality/poetry.
- The aesthetic quality of the book, especially of the albums, suitable for awakening to art.
- The coherence with moral values and traditional markers founding our societies, not by conformity, but to enable the child reader to develop in a healthy and balanced way.
- A positive and optimistic outlook on the characters and situations, real or imaginary.
Since I have a daughter, I have bought a lot of books for her. But I admit the last book I bought for her was a mistake, I bought it too fast. It’s the book Je veux un chien (I want a dog), by the famous Belgian illustrator and author of Swedish and British origin Kitty Crowther:
I bought it because I was seduced by the original aesthetics of the pictures, the colours, and also the topic, because it’s about a little girl who wants a dog and is going to take one from a dog shelter. BUT there’s a problem with the text: the title is already a problem, because saying “je veux” is bad-mannered and capricious, while the little girl achieves her aims with this behaviour… Furthermore, inside the book, the mother tells her daughter she is supid and at another moment, the little girl says something as harsh as “I hate school”…
On the other hand, The Mouse Family, by the Japanese Kazuo Iwamura is a marvelous discovery. It’s about a large energetic and traditional mouse family and values of solidarity and complementarity are highlighted. The soft pictures are full of interesting details. (before 4 yo)
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