– All the Gentle Truths Tove Jansson Carried from Childhood in the Moomin Series and The Summer Book When we read Meindert De Jong’s When I Was a Little Boy, we’re led through the stark reality of a war-marked childhood—barefoot, displaced, but fiercely alive with wonder and grit. His memories are filtered through a child’s…
Month: April 2025
– Rene Guillot’s stories of the 397th Elephant, Master of the Elephants and Sama, Prince of the Elephants Across cultures and continents, the elephant has long stood as a living emblem of wisdom, memory, loyalty, and gentle power. In children’s literature, this majestic creature often carries a weight far beyond its physical size—it becomes a keeper…
– All the Unforgettable Things That Remained in Our Childhood Memories A Realistic Portrait of Childhood Meindert De Jong’s The Wheel on the School masterfully captures childhood in a realistic world, balancing imagination with life’s practical struggles. Set in a small Dutch fishing village, the story follows a group of children determined to bring storks back…
– Lost and Found: Separation, Reunion, and Belonging in Meindert De Jong’s The Wheel on the School and Five Other Stories Journey from Peppermint Street: A Tale of Separation, Discovery, and the Long Road Home A Journey That Changes Everything Meindert De Jong’s Journey from Peppermint Street (1969) is a deeply reflective, beautifully written novel about…
– Lost and Found: Separation, Reunion, and Belonging in Meindert De Jong’s The Wheel on the School and Five Other Stories Hurry Home, Candy: A Story of Separation, Survival, and the Long Journey to Belonging Meindert De Jong’s Hurry Home, Candy is an emotional classic children’s novel that explores the pain of separation, the struggle for survival,…