The Magic of a Small “Untended Garden Left to Its Flowers and Weeds”: Eleanor Farjeon’s The Little Bookroom

– A timeless collection where forgotten places, neglected people, and small wonders come to life

It is also the magic of words and books—how they transition from visual symbols on a page to spoken sounds, meaning, and finally, neural impulses that shape our perception of the unknown world. This is the enchantment of books—the touch of paper, the ink, the printed letters—a sensory experience that makes reading an act of discovery.

Farjeon creates a bridge between an enclosed space and an open imagination. This connection is not just for herself but for all children who seek such a place to enter. She beautifully describes her world of books:

“That dusty bookroom whose windows were never opened, through whose panes the summer sun struck a dingy shaft where gold specks danced and shimmered, opened magic casements for me through which I looked out on other worlds and times than those I lived in: worlds filled with poetry and prose and fact and fantasy.”

Originally published in 1955, The Little Bookroom won the Carnegie Medal and the Hans Christian Andersen Award, solidifying Farjeon’s place in children’s literature. But unlike the grand adventures of The Chronicles of Narnia or the whimsical mischief of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, these stories unfold in a quieter, gentler way—as if whispered to the reader in the flickering glow of candlelight.

Comparison with the modern minimalist fiction (though in a completely different genre), Farjeon’s work thrives on what is left unsaid. Her stories feel delicate, even fleeting, but they leave behind a lingering sense of wonder and melancholy. What makes The Little Bookroom endure is not just its fairy-tale charm but its deep emotional intelligence.

The second story – “The King’s Daughter Cries for the Moon”

Farjeon’s storytelling philosophy is beautifully encapsulated in “The King’s Daughter Cries for the Moon”, a deceptively simple tale that is both a classic fairy tale and a quiet meditation on longing.

The story: A princess, given everything she desires, suddenly demands the impossible—the moon. The king’s wise men, sorcerers, and advisors try and fail to grant her wish. In the end, a humble peasant boy, understanding the nature of dreams and illusions, shows her the moon’s reflection in a pool of water.

• It is about the power of imagination over possession—a theme that runs through many of Farjeon’s works.
• The boy’s solution is not material but poetic—a common resolution in her stories, where true fulfillment comes from shifting one’s perception rather than changing reality.
• This reflects Farjeon’s own belief in the transformative power of storytelling, where the act of seeing differently is more important than obtaining what one wants.

Sometimes it reminds me of Amy Hempel’s work, not minimalist but deceptively simple, profoundly wise, and deeply resonant. You will never doubt that the Royal Woodman‘s love letter does not come from a pure heart, even if he ages twenty-one in the story：

“I love you because you are lovely like my Pup.”

Other Stories – “The Clumber Pup”, “The Glass Peacock”, “Westwoods” and all others

Across The Little Bookroom, certain motifs and themes emerge, shaping the book’s quiet but profound impact. 

The Power of Storytelling – “The Clumber Pup”,
If parents are searching for a story about patience and humility leading to long-awaited rewards, then The Clumber Pup might offer a touching lesson. A neglected child finds solace in an imaginary dog, which eventually becomes real—not through magic, but through belief. Like The Velveteen Rabbit, this story suggests that stories make things real—not by changing the world, but by changing how we experience it. In this story, a boy’s quiet devotion wins him trust and love. As the narrative teaches,

“Clouds will pass on the darkest day, and butter comes after the longest churning.”

Perhaps patience truly does bring a different kind of happiness.

“The Glass Peacock” – Kindness Over Power
A poor servant girl, instead of stealing riches, takes only a broken glass peacock, revealing her kindness. Unlike traditional fairy tales where heroes succeed through bravery, Farjeon’s characters succeed through gentleness and humility.

“Westwoods” – Loss and Longing
A man searches for a childhood friend he lost long ago, only to find that she never truly existed—except in his heart. Captures the universal ache for something irretrievably lost, much like the best of literary fiction.

“The Kind and the Corn” –  Hope and resilience                            If you want children to hold on to hope through resilience and keep their imagination alive, then The Kind and the Corn is a story you’ll love. Even if, in the real world, a king burns your cornfield to the ground, a hundred years later, the seeds buried alongside the king may still hold life, waiting for someone willing to plant them. Just like what Simple Willie said in the story:

“One grain stuck to my palm. I sowed it in the middle of this field.” Then,
“It’s certainly more golden than its fellows.”

Stories like “Young Kate,” “The Golden Fish,” and “The Little Lady’s Roses” all explore themes of confinement and resistance.

“Young Kate”
Young Kate once tasted freedom and joy, but as a servant, her life was confined within the narrow walls of her master’s house. However, she ultimately fights for her children’s freedom, ensuring that one day,

“Kate would see them come home again, singing and dancing with their hands full of flowers.”

“The Golden Fish”
Unlike Kate, the golden fish longs for power and limitless vision:

“He longs to possess the Silver Moon, to be a mightier fish than the Sun, and to see the whole of the world from top to bottom and from side to side, with all the wonders within and beyond it.” 

With the help of King Neptune, the fish achieves his dream—but at what cost? He ends up in a glass fishbowl. This story presents a wonderful opportunity for parents to discuss choices and consequences—do we sometimes lose something greater in pursuit of a dream?

“The Little Lady’s Roses”
The young girl throws her roses into the river, allowing them to find new life in the hands of those who longed for beauty. Ultimately, she escapes the confines of her world, finding the pure joy of childhood.

“The Giant and the Mite”                                           This story delivers a simple but powerful lesson on the unity of thought and action—if children are willing to work hard to bring their dreams to life, they might just

“blow the Sun out and light the Sun up again.”

“The Lady’s Room”                                              People should be always warned of endless desires without direction—when we keep demanding more without knowing what we truly want, we might end up losing everything we already had.

“In Those Days”                                                   “How stupid—for what is the use of guarding a beautiful thing if you don’t even know it is there?”  This line, from, directly critiques vanity and meaningless admiration. Perhaps the only thing more important than knowing what to do is understanding why we do it.

These recurring themes—memory, longing, kindness, and the magic of small things—give The Little Bookroom a remarkable emotional depth.

Eleanor Farjeon’s Style & Unique Techniques

Farjeon’s prose is often lyrical, restrained, and tinged with nostalgia. While traditional fairy tales rely on dramatic transformations—frogs turning into princes, spells breaking at midnight—Farjeon is more interested in small emotional shifts.

Understated magic – The fantastical elements in her stories feel organic, emerging naturally from the characters’ desires.
Poetic simplicity – Like Hempel, Farjeon’s stories rely on small, resonant moments rather than elaborate plots.
Gentle humor and wit – Even in melancholic stories, her tone remains light and hopeful.

Her restraint is particularly evident in “The Girl Who Kissed the Peach-Tree”, a story that suggests love and loss without ever explicitly stating them. A girl falls in love with a boy who gives her a peach tree. She tends to the tree in his absence when the boy disappears, never knowing if he will return. The ending is left open—was he real, or just a dream? What makes it special? The ambiguity leaves room for interpretation. Moreover, instead of resolving the story with a reunion, Farjeon leaves it lingering—an unanswered question.

This emotional subtlety gives her stories a lasting power beyond their fairy-tale trappings.

Eleanor Farjeon’s Literary Context – Where She Fits in Children’s Fiction

Eleanor Farjeon’s other storiesis “the miracle of the poor island”, “the barrel-organ”, “the little dressmaker”, “the seven princess”, “leaving paradise”, “the connemara donkey”, “the Tims”, “Pennyworth” may be compared to Hans Christian Andersen, but her stories feel more intimate and personal, closer to the wistful, character-driven tales of Oscar Wilde’s fairy stories or the gentle storytelling of E. Nesbit.

Though in different genres, Farjeon shares their ability to compress deep emotion into small spaces. Her attention to the smallest emotional shifts recalls Woolf’s introspective prose. Contemporary children’s authors follow her tradition of quiet but deeply felt storytelling.

Unlike the high adventure of Tolkien or Lewis, Farjeon’s stories exist in small, forgotten places, making them all the more treasured by those who discover them.

Why Eleanor Faijeon Still Matters

At first glance, The Little Bookroom may seem like a collection of fragile, old-fashioned fairy tales—but its emotional truths are timeless.

Why this book endures:
It captures the beauty of forgotten things – Small moments, small kindnesses, and small dreams matter.
It shows that magic is in perception – What we seek is often already within our grasp.
It lingers in the mind like a half-remembered dream – Every story leaves something behind, much like our own childhood memories.

Final Thought: Like the little bookroom itself, Farjeon’s stories are not grand, but they are precious—a hidden library where lost wonders still wait to be found.

The next deep review will explore Eleanor Farjeon’s Mary Poppins—stay tuned!