Pablo Picasso said, “We all know that Art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realise truth at least the truth that is given us to understand. The artist must know the manner whereby to convince others of the truthfulness of his lies.” There is some connection between art, creativity, the subconscious mind and the space in which young children hold themselves. The point being, in art, things are not what they seem. There are symbols that lead us to a deeper truth. This is the case with Fairy Tales. We read through Lying, Truthtelling and Storytelling in Children's and Young Adult Literature, by Anita Tarr. We are trying to highlight the importance of "Fairy Tales as nutrition for the soul". Extreme poverty, for example, found in Mother Goose Stories does not promote depression, futility and a future of poverty. It will add to the world-view of the child, organise the experience, grow cognition and the ability to recognise and overcome problems. Poverty in Fairy Tales is often a starting point on a journey of growth and overcoming the odds. As ever, taking away themes of hardship and violence in children's stories doesn't affirm our role as guardian, nor does it protect children from these realities they may face in life. In fact it reduces the likelihood of facing these life-challenges in a positive way.
Books
Tarr, Anita. (2024). Lying, Truthtelling and Storytelling in Children's and Young Adult Literature: Telling it Slant. Routeledge.
https://www.routledge.com/Lying-Truthtelling-and-Storytelling-in-Childrens-and-Young-Adult-Literature-Telling-It-Slant/Tarr/p/book/9781032532332
Otherworld Connections is live every Wednesday 3.00pm-4.00pm Eastern Time on Revolution Radio (Studio A): https://www.revolution.radio/.
https://thesecretkindergarten.com/category/otherworld-connections/
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