Child Critics

Being busy getting ready for a trip, and planning to do a mini art show soon after we get home, I’ve decided to re-publish a couple of quick tales from past posts.

Satisfying the Discerning Reader

One woman tells of how she summoned up courage, took the plunge, and became a writer of children’s stories. After all she read dozens to her three young children; she should be able to write them, too. So she penned a few and sent them off.

Joys untold! One of her short stories was accepted and published in a children’s ‘Annual.’

One evening not long after the edition appeared she took the book upstairs when the children were getting ready for bed, informing them she was going to read them a story she wrote herself. “And, see, it’s published in this book now!”

Her three youngsters listened patiently as she read. “Well, did you like it?” she asked after she’d closed the book.

They looked at each other and were quiet for a bit. She watched the wheels turning in their little minds and sensed all was not well. Then the youngest of the three answered, “Well, it was a really good story, Mom. But tomorrow night can we please have a real one?”

Why Isn’t It?

A grandfather took his little grandson to the art gallery one day. With program in hand they wandered through looking at the various displays. They came to one picture and both stood there silent for awhile, trying to make some sense of it.

“Whatever is it?” the little boy finally asked.

Grandpa consulted the program. “It’s supposed to be Sunset over the Lake,” he said in a doubtful tone.

The boy looked at it for another minute. “Well, why isn’t it then?”

These stories….
have been retold from old editions of The Friendship Book of Francis Gay, published yearly in England by D.C. Thompson & Co. There are many interesting little stories & poems in these books and you can often find them at Second-hand shops or used book sales. Current editions can be bought in most bookstores at the beginning of the year.