Children’s books have a lot to teach us

By Bill Fox/Columnist

I recently realized that there are a lot of quotes from children’s books that could teach us a lot, especially at this time of year. Here are some of the favourites I found.

• “What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas… perhaps… means a little bit more!” – How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Dr. Seuss
• “You must never feel badly about making mistakes… as long as you take the trouble to learn from them. For you often learn more by being wrong for the right reasons than you do by being right for the wrong reasons.” – The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
• “I don’t understand it any more than you do, but one thing I’ve learned is that you don’t have to understand things for them to be.” – A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
• ‘What day is it?’ asked Winnie the Pooh. ‘It’s today,’ squeaked Piglet. ‘My favourite day,’ said Pooh. – The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne
• “When someone is crying, or course, the noble thing to do is to comfort them. But if someone is trying to hide their tears, it may also be noble to pretend you do not notice them.” – A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
• “You’re mad, bonkers, completely off your head. But I’ll tell you a secret. All the best people are.” – Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
• “Words can be worrisome, people complex, motives and manners unclear. Grant her the wisdom to choose her path right, free from unkindness and fear.” – Blueberry Girl by Neil Gaiman
• “If ever there is tomorrow when we’re not together… there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” – The House of Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne
• “It doesn’t happen all at once,” he said. “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t often happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.” – The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
• “Watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you, because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” – The Minpins by Roald Dahl
• “Keep all your promises, don’t take what doesn’t belong to you, and always look after those less fortunate than yourself, and you’ll do well in the world.” – The Dragon of Lonely Island by Rebecca Rupp
• “There is nothing sweeter in this sad world than the sound of someone you love calling your name.” – The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
• “I wished she’d never stop squeezing me. I wished I could spend the rest of my life as a child, being slightly crushed by someone who loved me.” – Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
• “We all can dance,” he said, “if we find the music that we love.” – Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae
• “Sometimes, I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
• “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” – The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
• “Reading never wears me out.” – Olivia By Ian Falconer
• “The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it.” – Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
• “Believing takes practice.” – A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle