Grownups Never Understand Anything By Themselves

What the Dormouse Said: Lessons for Grown-ups from Children’s Books
– collected by Amy Gash

Hopefully you love it already, just from the title. Curious? Good.

This charming book is full of wise snippets from classics like Little House on the Prairie, Sounder, Winnie the Pooh, and Charlotte’s Web. The back cover describes it as, “Wisdom and Whimsy from Harry Potter to Beatrix Potter.”

My favorite bit of praise for this little gem came from the "Colorado Springs Independent":

“The perfect gift for your sister, your mother, your brother, your nephew, your kid’s teacher, your daughter away at college, your son in the Navy, your mailman, your priest, for the old lady next door or for the baby just born. Most importantly, give it to yourself. It will help you remember why you loved reading in the first place.”

Amy Gash has collected and organized children's book quotations dealing with everything from faith and courage to character and individuality, from love and friendship to family woes. As writers of children’s literature, we can all benefit from what is to be found within its pages. I highly recommend it as a book every writer should own.

“Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them.” ~ The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupery, 1943

What grown-up lessons have you learned from children's books?