Philosophical Fiction Vol. 3: Children’s Books
Children’s books are not only for children, in fact I think they might be more useful to adults sometimes. I think this to be so true that I often times will gift a children’s book to a friend who I think might benefit from it, and I have shelf space in my personal library dedicated to children’s books. Keep in mind, I have no children. These are for me, and for anyone who comes looking for advice. Where there is any problem I always say, ‘There is a book for that.’
Trying by Kobe Yamada
This is a very important book. I think everyone should have a copy in their library, regardless of how old you are, regardless if you have children or not. I gift this book often to adult friends and family who are trying their hand at a new career, graduating, stuck on a dream but never moving forward with it. This book takes things back to the basics. I feel that as adults we are always complicating things with lengthy self help books and ted talks. Sometimes we need simple language, something straight forward, a simple reminder of things we already knew but have forgotten.
Trying is a story about a boy who is fascinated by a sculptor and his magnificent works. The boy wants to do what the sculptor does, so he tries, and he fails. He wants to quit but the sculptor tells him to keep trying. And so the boy keeps trying, and failing, but each time there is improvement. It still isn’t good enough for the boy, he wants to quit again. So the sculptor takes the boy on a walk to his garden, his garden of failed sculptors and he shares with the boy this little secret: “The truth is, we are all failures. The dreamer, the doers, the creators. . . Being a failure means you loved something. You cared. It means you stepped forward, you didn’t hold back; you tried.”
Kind of reminds you of that scene in ‘The Haunted Mansion’ where Eddie Murphi’s character is stuck in the mansion, he was trying to break out to save his family but he is sitting there, defeated. The crystal ball woman rolls up and asks why he is moping around. Eddie says he has tried this, and tried that, nothing is working, what else is he supposed to do? ‘Try again.’ The woman says, and his next attempt, he breaks free.
‘Yes,’ the sculptor replied, ‘disappointment hurts. But failure is temporary, and in many ways, necessary. It shows us how something can’t be done, which means we are a little closer to finding out how it can.’
And remember that things take time.
‘A river cuts through rock, not because of its power, but because of its persistence.’ - James N. Watkins
“When we make it safe to fail, we make it safe to succeed.”
They Boy, the Mole, the Fox, & the Horse by Charlie Mackesy
‘What’s the bravest thing you’ve ever said?’ asked the boy. ‘Help.’ said the horse
‘Asking for help isn’t giving up,’ said the horse ‘it’s refusing to give up.’
This books is about friendship.
‘Doing nothing with your friends is never really doing nothing, is it?’ said the boy.
It centers around 4 characters: The boy, the mole, the fox, and the horse. Each one with its own personality, some bubble, some quiet, but all very lovable. They are on an adventure to help the boy find a home & along the way the form a bond, creating a home of their own, just the four of them. They learn a lot about each other and in doing so they learn a lot about life.
‘one of our greatest freedoms is how we react to things.’ said the mole.
‘I can’t see a way through,’ said the boy
‘can you see your next step?’
‘yes.’
‘Just take that,’ said the horse.
This book touches on many things we might come across in our own journey. It’s many quotes simple philosophies you might carry with you.
I’ll leave you with this dedication from Kobe Yamada to his own children:
Dear Shale & Ever,
May you doubt your doubts,
challenge your challenges
& dream your dreams.
Love, dad