“When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I have been found doing so. Now that I am fifty, I read them openly. When I became a man, I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.” – C.S Lewis

For Mums, we don’t need to wait until we are fifty. Diving back into children’s literature is
one lovely aspect of having kids of your own. The themes in children’s lit are profoundly
simple. Unlike adult novels they usually cut through all of the clutter and deal with what
really matters; love, friendship, family, adventures, new beginnings and final goodbyes.

Last year, to my complete surprise, my very dear Uncle passed away. He was the best type
of uncle because he was also a friend. He had no children of his own, and so he was even
closer to the nieces and nephews. He was someone I looked to for advice and someone
who loved myself and all my cousins unconditionally.

Around this time, I started listening with my children to E.B Whites Charlotte’s Webb. It was
the unabridged version, read aloud by the author himself. His voice matched the story, and he brought to life this world of Wilbur the pig, his friends in the barn and in particular his
friendship with Charlotte the grey spider.

There is so much to love about this book, which in my humble opinion, is written to
complete perfection. White described the book as a “hymn to life.” These words really unravel what is happening in the story, even though two deaths hang over the whole plot.

Wilbur flicks between relishing his young life, to fretting and dreading the fatal death he
discovers must come to every pig. In the end Charlotte, Wilbur’s most loyal friend, does die.
With my uncle’s death in mind, I remember weeping quite a few tears at that spider’s death.
(Please excuse me for revealing the plot!)

We all read novels for different reasons. Often, it’s for an escape from our lives which can
be complex and overwhelming. One way to really find relief is in children’s novels.  Your
kids will also have the benefit of spending time with you and hearing the stories themselves.

To understand love and friendship, read The Little Prince. That book is really the ultimate
example of expressing truths with perfect simplicity.

For a truly “feminist” novel read Anne of Green Gables; Anne is such a fierce example of an intelligent, creative and kind girl, who as she becomes a woman, works hard to be a better person.

At Easter you could read The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe; Aslan’s grief as he goes to be killed, will help in understanding the feelings of Christ as He is crucified.

And definitely, if you’re a Mum, read Charlotte’s Web. The spider gives Wilbur some advice, which I still repeat to myself and my children quite regularly. She tells him to

“Never hurry
and never worry”.

So perfectly true. Too often I’m inclined towards the opposite mantra, always busy and always stressed. It can take the conversation of a pig and a spider to remind me of a happier way.

~ Clare Horsfall

Clare lives in the Blue Mountains, is a wife to Tom and a striving-to-be-less-busy mum of four, ranging from 6 years to newborn.