Wise words from Philip Pullman, who received the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in 2005:
Children need art and stories and poems and music as much as they need love and food and fresh air and play. If you don’t give a child food, the damage quickly becomes visible. If you don’t let a child have fresh air and play, the damage is also visible, but not so quickly. If you don’t give a child love, the damage might not be seen for some years, but it’s permanent.
But if you don’t give a child art and stories and poems and music, the damage is not so easy to see. It’s there, though. Their bodies are healthy enough; they can run and jump and swim and eat hungrily and make lots of noise, as children have always done, but something is missing.
It’s true that some people grow up never encountering art of any kind, and are perfectly happy and live good and valuable lives, and in whose homes there are no books, and they don’t care much for pictures, and they can’t see the point of music. Well, that’s fine. I know people like that. They are good neighbours and useful citizens.
But other people, at some stage in their childhood or their youth, or maybe even their old age, come across something of a kind they’ve never dreamed of before. It is as alien to them as the dark side of the moon. But one day they hear a voice on the radio reading a poem, or they pass by a house with an open window where someone is playing the piano, or they see a poster of a particular painting on someone’s wall, and it strikes them a blow so hard and yet so gentle that they feel dizzy. Nothing prepared them for this. They suddenly realise that they’re filled with a hunger, though they had no idea of that just a minute ago; a hunger for something so sweet and so delicious that it almost breaks their heart. They almost cry, they feel sad and happy and alone and welcomed by this utterly new and strange experience, and they’re desperate to listen closer to the radio, they linger outside the window, they can’t take their eyes off the poster. They wanted this, they needed this as a starving person needs food, and they never knew. They had no idea.
That is what it’s like for a child who does need music or pictures or poetry to come across it by chance. If it weren’t for that chance, they might never have met it, and might have passed their whole lives in a state of cultural starvation without knowing it.
The effects of cultural starvation are not dramatic and swift. They’re not so easily visible.
And, as I say, some people, good people, kind friends and helpful citizens, just never experience it; they’re perfectly fulfilled without it. If all the books and all the music and all the paintings in the world were to disappear overnight, they wouldn’t feel any the worse; they wouldn’t even notice.
But that hunger exists in many children, and often it is never satisfied because it has never been awakened. Many children in every part of the world are starved for something that feeds and nourishes their soul in a way that nothing else ever could or ever would.
We say, correctly, that every child has a right to food and shelter, to education, to medical treatment, and so on. We must understand that every child has a right to the experience of culture. We must fully understand that without stories and poems and pictures and music, children will starve.
Written by Philip Pullman for the tenth anniversary of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in 2012. More from Philip Pullman here.
December 18, 2015 at 1:24 pm |
Reblogged this on Il Blog dell'Albero di Antonia.
December 18, 2015 at 5:30 pm |
[…] Här! […]
December 19, 2015 at 4:48 am |
Congratulations, hope parents and Early Childhood Teachers read this. That wonderful feeling of wanting to engage in art, music and poetry is the creativity we all have in our inner self but it hasn’t been developed.
December 19, 2015 at 7:49 pm |
Reblogged this on Valuing Art and commented:
An exceptional piece by an exceptional man. I share in this opinion completely.
December 22, 2015 at 2:04 am |
So so true. Each word .
December 23, 2015 at 5:25 am |
Very truly said…children do need stories and art and music and poems for their complete nourishment…The world of poems and stories help them become creative or maybe good visionaries…The art and music introduce them with themselves…
They say books are man’s best friends and the music his soul’s…
I, myself, feel the void of not becoming an expert in any of these four areas but I have found a way out..I am living my dream with my son and it’s truly amazing…
December 23, 2015 at 9:59 am |
A timely article reminding us that stories, poems and art should be part of every childhood. There are so many fantastic children’s stories being published every year, we just need more a society push to spread access to those stories.
December 24, 2015 at 3:34 am |
Reblogged this on lunanista and commented:
I have never reblogged a post, but this one really resonates with me.
December 25, 2015 at 12:04 pm |
[…] time with your children. Do silly stuff. Do nice stuff. Do arty stuff. There is a whole world of non-tangible treasures you can give to your […]
December 26, 2015 at 5:38 am |
LOVE. Awakening that hunger is one of the most beautiful things we can do — for it also awakens our sense of wonder for the world and for God.
May 10, 2017 at 12:34 pm |
Well said
January 8, 2016 at 4:49 pm |
[…] Children Need Art and Stories and Poems and Music as Much as They Need Love and Food and Fresh Air a… […]
January 11, 2016 at 10:07 pm |
I agree with this, it is verry ovious diden`t reflect on that it as inportant as food before though!
January 25, 2016 at 3:25 pm |
[…] the success of restored arts programs in schools with high populations of homeless children or that cultural deprivation is actually harmful to a child’s development, as well as numerous studies about arts effects on the brain. In fact, there’s a neat program […]
February 20, 2016 at 1:30 pm |
Reblogged this on new2writing and commented:
Read something similar by another WordPress blogger yesterday too. All writers saying the same thing – children need stories.
March 2, 2016 at 7:47 am |
[…] Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award/Μετάφραση: The Whole […]
March 19, 2016 at 7:34 am |
I really agree to what has been said.The art, poem and the culture where the child comes from identifies him and exposes them to variety of things when they grow up.
April 27, 2016 at 5:41 pm |
I couldn’t agree more but would like to add that children and adults with learning disabilities, particularly those with severe learning disabilities also benefit enormously from exposure to the arts. However even though their need is often greater than their counterparts without disability the opportunities to be involved in the arts are significantly less, if at all. Storytelling, picture books, hands on art, music, drama and many other artistic pursuits are avenues through which people with learning disability can enjoy a more stimulating lifestyle, communicate more effectively, have more fun and even be educated. The latter is of such importance as there is little if any lifelong learning for people with severe learning disability when In fact they have much greater need of it than those who have no such disability. If only there was an awareness of the advantages of the involvement of these people in the arts, a willingness to consider the manifold benefits and just a little bit of funding.
October 4, 2016 at 8:54 pm |
Pat, I appreciate your comment so much and agree with you whole-heartedly. The arts often provide a means for expression when other forms of communication have failed a person- either from language barrier, learning disability, trauma, or intellectual difference. Every human being has a need for communication, and I’ll go out on a limb here, but also for self-expression. That need may vary from culture to culture, person to person, yet it is there nonetheless. When we disregard the arts, we disregard an essential aspect of the human experience. Children growing up without exposure are at a disadvantage- even those, as Mr. Pullman puts it, who will evolve to have no interest in the arts whatsoever. For how is one even to know that they do not appreciate the arts if they have never had the exposure in the first place.
I am a brand new student in an art therapy graduate program, and the institutions that led me to this career path are such as the ones you described. I have witnessed the empowering effect of community art spaces and the blossoming of confidence at art studios for the differently-abled. I have watched the minds of less-advantaged youth burst open when exposed to arts programs. The positive influence of the arts is undeniable and I only hope that our work makes the arts more and more available to everyone and especially those who need them most.
April 30, 2016 at 7:41 am |
A child’s brain is more than capable of concentrating intensely, searching and scanning everything he or she comes in contact with in order to get information and meaning. If this special ability of a child to pay attention is left undeveloped or not nurtured from day one, there would be a deficiency disorder for that particular thing that should have been supplemented in the first place. Exposing our children to art, stories, poems, and music is very important. It is a food for their developing brain.
May 2, 2016 at 6:00 am |
I do agree though also dance tennis sport and MOST OF ALL CONSISTENT LOVE seen by a Belgium tennis coach Steve Verkouter sharing his passion for tennis< with love in it 🙂 , to the refugees children in Dunkirk giving them some semblance of childhood 🙂
May 3, 2016 at 3:27 pm |
Reblogged this on HappyNest in America.
May 3, 2016 at 7:15 pm |
Can I just say your article stinks absolute middle class and snobbery and complete hate of the working class. Who you view as sub human creatures eho don’t value art and the fine things of life. In your mind they eat sleep excrete in that order. Culturaly starved a phrase to describe the working class who are beneath you. You feel sorry for their offsprings that you want them to experience middle class luxuries such as the theatre and art galleries like missionarys that went to Africa to preach the gospel to the heathens.
May 6, 2016 at 7:33 pm |
Lisa, you have completely missed the point.
May 12, 2016 at 7:52 pm |
Read it again from the top, Lisa. Try to read it without the bias you brought to your first reading. Books and music and posters and radio and so on, can be, and are, experienced by all classes. The point is that children should given, as a right, the opportunity to have these experiences with culture, many which can already be had for free (see: Libraries), such that, should there be some greater call to create works of art lurking in their bones, they will see it awakened and further enrich our shared culture. Nourish the mind, body, and soul of all of our children — how can you be angry about something so lovely?
October 4, 2016 at 9:05 pm |
Lisa… I agree that there is a class bias in regards to access to the arts. There are many people who are trying to change that. One way to begin is to work towards reintegrating the arts into core curriculum in our public schools (easier said than done I know.) It is also the responsibility of individual municipalities to establish programming that increases access to the arts. I live in a very poor state and our children lack in many areas of life. But I know that our museums regularly host free community days, there are countless free community art events throughout the year. We have several art studio spaces that offer free or very affordable art programs for children and adults alike. Our public libraries host creative events on the regular for children especially, and even have museum passes that families can check out like they would a book. We also have a healthy culture of public art in the city of a wide variety of styles.
Sometimes access to these opportunities is limited still by the fact that lower income families often don’t receive information about the available programs because their access to information channels is obscured, sometimes language or legal status provides a barrier to even a free public library card, and still yet we have single parent families who don’t have the time available to accompany and supervise their children at such events. All this needs to be considered as well. Your concern is legitimate. We need to be aware that the arts aren’t easily accessible to everyone, and we need to continue to work to change that.
October 6, 2016 at 9:38 pm |
I am working class and sang opera and played the violin. Class has nothing to do with it. Everyone has the right to be able to express themselves artistically
October 21, 2016 at 12:47 pm |
Lisa, one can find art in re-arranging fallen leaves from a tree which will cost one nothing and listen to the song of bird which is also free! I played with pieces of glass to dress a stone (my doll) and am happy just to sing a song but I am lucky to have the opportunity to learn to play the piano and can now teach children of all ages and cultures to enjoy music and see the appreciation on a daily basis! Any Granny can make up a story or poem to entertain her grandchildren without having books or pictures but just having a pencil and paper, can do the trick.
March 7, 2017 at 4:55 am |
Lisa, sorry, but art in all its expressions can be found free, radio, tv , public libraries,museums, community centers.
You will find it if you want it
August 28, 2017 at 12:25 pm |
Lisa…Stories and art have nothing to with class. Yes, it may be difficult to extract time for what you term as luxuries. But accessibility in this age and date is definitely not lacking, not while you are reading this online and expressing your views.
That said, in most parts of the world, art and stories are very much alive sans class divide. In India, storytellers in urban settings scour the villages looking for stories to tell. The working class is, in fact, closer to stories than the upper or middle class, even with their limited means.
At Tell-A-Tale, we have featured many storytellers who are working tirelessly to keep this tradition alive and make art accessible to all.
March 12, 2018 at 10:52 am |
Hi Lisa, anything, including sports, swimming, running, can be experienced and participated in at the elite level, which might mean a big financial investment. But any child can kick a ball around the oval or shoot hoops down at the school on weekends or jump into the local swimming pool. Art, poetry, stories, music, drama are exactly the same. You can get into the most elite schools in the country or you can simply read books from the library, sing to the radio, get a blank art pad and some paint from the craft shop and do a painting. Kids are great at writing poems, using their imagination and putting on plays. There are plenty of free performances they can go to. Most of the art exhibitions around town are free and community theater or amateur theatre is really affordable…. so basically you are the only one who is making class distinctions about creativity.
May 3, 2016 at 8:22 pm |
Y los adultos también =) lo necesitamos
May 4, 2016 at 4:31 am |
Reblogged this on My Words and commented:
Agreed, cultural education is imperative and necessary for a well rounded upbringing.
May 4, 2016 at 6:36 am |
Reblogged this on devarya.
May 4, 2016 at 11:18 am |
Reblogged this on PROMISED LAND and commented:
“Many children in every part of the world are starved for something that feeds and nourishes their soul in a way that nothing else ever could or ever would.”
May 4, 2016 at 12:32 pm |
Reblogged this on Petit Hanoian.
May 8, 2016 at 4:52 am |
Reblogged this on Thoughts & Ideas and commented:
“But other people, at some stage in their childhood or their youth, or maybe even their old age, come across something of a kind they’ve never dreamed of before. It is as alien to them as the dark side of the moon…Nothing prepared them for this. They suddenly realise that they’re filled with a hunger, though they had no idea of that just a minute ago; a hunger for something so sweet and so delicious that it almost breaks their heart…They wanted this, they needed this as a starving person needs food, and they never knew. They had no idea.”
– Philip Pullman
May 9, 2016 at 2:51 am |
Reblogged this on dosalpelo.
May 11, 2016 at 5:03 pm |
Wonderful words.
May 11, 2016 at 5:53 pm |
[…] –Author Phillip Pullman, 2012 […]
May 13, 2016 at 12:52 am |
Reblogged this on Secular Homeschooling My Owlet and commented:
The importance of artistic beauty.
May 14, 2016 at 10:00 am |
Reblogged this on judithwill56 and commented:
Such truth here. Every child needs their souls nourished
May 15, 2016 at 10:17 am |
Reblogged this on Elisha Gabriel and commented:
Mazlo’s hierarchy of needs should be revised. The inner fire needs to be stoked through the imagination too.
October 4, 2016 at 8:56 pm |
I love this! Yes yes yes!
May 15, 2016 at 10:43 am |
[…] Story by: Philip Pullman Source: https://astridlindgrenmemorialaward.wordpress.com […]
May 16, 2016 at 7:54 pm |
Very intelligent piece of writing. BUT if theres no entichment at home its up to schools to provide it. Thats why i think king david victory park is an incredable school. Rugby players ( whatever tbats supposed to make you ) are involved in drama. Theatre. Back stage experiences. Dancing in Fiddler on the Roof, man, that scool has my back.!!!
May 17, 2016 at 3:56 pm |
There’s no gain saying that finer sensibilities grow in a human being only through exposure to art in one form or the other. Those who are deprived of an artistic upbringing remain permanently debilitated, their other intellectual attainments not withstanding. Sad but true!
May 18, 2016 at 5:41 am |
[…] και μουσική, τα παιδιά θα πεινάσουν. Πηγή: Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award/Μετάφραση: The Whole […]
May 18, 2016 at 5:08 pm |
Reblogged this on Dayne Sislen Illustration and commented:
It’s important to exposed kids to reading, poetry and music as part of culture. It expands their minds, they need to know there is more in the world than their little corner. Phillip Pullman says it so much better.
May 18, 2016 at 6:49 pm |
Thank you!
May 19, 2016 at 2:24 pm |
Reblogged this on Perth Words… exploring possibilities. and commented:
“Children need art & stories & poems and music, as much as they need love…”
May 20, 2016 at 5:42 am |
Reblogged this on Parts That Make Me Whole and commented:
This is an interesting bit of writing, in which the author Philip Pullman touches upon the significance of aesthetic education for the growing mind of children. Am sharing for my own reference later.
May 22, 2016 at 1:27 pm |
Sir
Right to Life includes comprehensive growth of ever child it includes physical and mental health of children. You explained it very well.
May 23, 2016 at 11:00 pm |
[…] Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award/Μετάφραση: The Whole […]
May 24, 2016 at 5:37 am |
To my working class family books, art and music were always important. We even learned French while waiting at the laudramat, and never ate out to save money for beauty and inspiration. At the same time, I know well-to-do families that don’t bother with culture at all. A multifaceted life doesn’t correlate 100% with class.
October 4, 2016 at 9:07 pm |
Very true.
August 27, 2016 at 12:42 pm |
I’m 67. I love to listen to poetry on tapes or CD as I oil paint. If I mention poetry at bookclub I feel the wall go up. A poem has cadence and must be read correctly or it will fall flat. Poetry is not only rhyming, it weaves a tale or a great story. Poetry is like music , it has rests and many notations used by musicians. Robert Lewis Stevenson’s poems are perfect for children. My life would be bland without the insight poertry has given me with regards to humanity. The verses are deeply embedded so I take note when I hear them referenced in articles. People don’t know what they are missing. This is my son, my own Telemachus to whom I leave the scepter and the isle…..Tennyson’s “Ullyses ” when read with the right cadence and feeling does not fall flat due to its length. It is art in the spoken word. Mother to Son by Langston Hughes is another perfect poem where almost everyone could find meaning.
September 13, 2016 at 1:58 pm |
[…] Sursa: https://astridlindgrenmemorialaward.wordpress.com/2015/12/17/children-need-art-and-stories-and-poems… […]
September 15, 2016 at 1:45 am |
[…] Source: “Children need art and stories and poems and music as much as they need love and food and fresh ai… […]
September 22, 2016 at 8:48 am |
I also think the urge in some to create works of art in any form is just as great as that passion you describe. Wonderfully the two marry into a relationship that provides joy on both sides.
September 30, 2016 at 2:40 pm |
This is so true and why the work of C31 Chilren’s Rights to Culture, a small NGO in Serbia is doing such vital work with ” children on the move” designing structured play and activities for front line workers to be able to foster and encourage imagination, curiousity and creativity in refugee children “on the move”. This small team of three young professionals in education, social sciences and history need any support they can find to keep this thinking being made real at a practical level. For more information contact me via LinkedIn or email.
Karen Knight
October 4, 2016 at 2:28 pm |
Reblogged this on 200 Fingers and Toes and commented:
So many times I see parents asking what is the point to a silly book that is assigned or a list of poetry books that are included in literature I have to agree that art and poetry are the kindling for a creative child we must constantly feed it to them while they’re too young to find it for themselves. If done well the insatiable desire for beauty and creativity will last them the rest of their lives.
October 6, 2016 at 4:50 am |
Music is a valuable way to express emotions. Every child should have the opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument. Music soothes the soul.
October 6, 2016 at 1:28 pm |
[…] Phillip Pullman had strong words to say about art being necessary for child health and development. The full article is here: “Children need art and stories and poems and music as much as they need love and food and fresh air a…” […]
October 6, 2016 at 8:37 pm |
Enjoying art in any way feed our souls and make us feel closer to god….
October 7, 2016 at 8:06 am |
[…] af det arbejde som jeg – med andre -vurderer værende vigtig og værdifuld. Læs denne artikel sagt af Philip […]
October 19, 2016 at 7:22 pm |
Reblogged this on boysedrulz.
October 24, 2016 at 8:42 pm |
[…] > Read article […]
November 12, 2016 at 10:39 pm |
Reblogged this on germanadaloisio.
November 13, 2016 at 7:08 pm |
Wow good read
December 14, 2016 at 6:28 am |
Reblogged this on The Forever Years and commented:
Wise words from an incredible author… children’s souls are nourished by the arts: music, visual art and literature.
December 14, 2016 at 9:27 am |
Absolutely this!
December 21, 2016 at 9:02 am |
[…] Du kan læse hele artiklen her […]
January 13, 2017 at 4:17 pm |
Reblogged this on My words work for you and commented:
He speaks sense, about sense
January 14, 2017 at 10:57 pm |
Wonderful article- thank you! As a grandparent and primary classroom music teacher, I couldn’t agree more!
January 15, 2017 at 11:16 am |
I agree. Absolutely and profoundly true. Beauty and art in whatever form nourish the soul like nothing else. But more than that, cultural treaures foster the resilience that is needed to carry us in times of hardship. Please, please read or watch the YouTube video of The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore. This short movie and book came about as a result of having observed the wonderful therapeutic value books and reading had on children in shelters after Hurricane Katrina. There would be fewer drug addicts if children / people found a refuge in stories, in art, in beauty, in nature.
January 15, 2017 at 11:25 am |
Reblogged this on Whirly Red Writing.
January 15, 2017 at 11:39 am |
Wow such insight and passion and so very true.
January 16, 2017 at 7:51 am |
That’s true !
January 16, 2017 at 2:52 pm |
This song about the connection between human wholeness and art:
“Look on beauty to undo me
To unite my disparate parts
To receive me and reweave me
Knit my hands to head to heart”
January 16, 2017 at 10:09 pm |
I can`t imagine the world without music or books cuz the world full of war and capitalism so those things make the world better
January 19, 2017 at 1:33 am |
Thanks Philip Pullman!
January 20, 2017 at 11:59 am |
Reblogged this on AlleskAn and commented:
Hoe belangrijk is cultuur voor kinderen? Philip Pullman (winnaar van de Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award) vindt dat ieder kind recht heeft op cultuurervaringen: “We must fully understand that without stories and poems and pictures and music, children will starve.”
January 22, 2017 at 12:45 pm |
I think we are witnessing some of the effects of children growing up with cultural starvation in the world today. If those on lower incomes have restricted access to culture, the social consequences can be immense. The effects can perhaps be more profound than we realise. People without a developed imagination can lack empathy or compassion for others. People not exposed to art can fail to question, think abstractedly or properly investigate and test their own feelings and beliefs. Art and culture isn’t something that’s nice to experience, it’s presence (or lack of presence) in our lives can shape our whole world.
April 30, 2017 at 12:58 pm |
I agree. What you said is very true! I’ve met people that you mentioned in your comment. And they have no clue they are lacking that because of that deprivation.
February 2, 2017 at 5:46 pm |
Reblogged this on Autoethnography and commented:
Love Pullman! Absolute genius.
February 15, 2017 at 6:08 pm |
I think visual art is a great part of learning culture
February 22, 2017 at 7:10 am |
[…] à cette occasion, il a plaidé en faveur des enfants ; quelques mots que nous trouvons en anglais ICI. Je vous laisse découvrir ses paroles, ou plutôt ses mots, que je vous ait traduits afin de […]
February 28, 2017 at 10:33 am |
Beautifully written and I believe in it fully.
March 2, 2017 at 7:18 am |
I can vouch for all…. a painting, sculpture, story can reduce me to tears and excitement.
March 2, 2017 at 7:55 am |
Reblogged this on TheKibblingProject.
March 2, 2017 at 11:55 am |
Outstanding article and I enjoyed to returning to my childhood, which was filled with music, poetry and art. It has made such a lovely impact on my life over the years and can not imagine not sharing these passions with others. Thank you for the reminders of being a part of these wonderful pieces of life.
March 2, 2017 at 2:17 pm |
[…] https://astridlindgrenmemorialaward.wordpress.com/2015/12/17/children-need-art-and-stories-and-poems… […]
March 3, 2017 at 1:54 am |
Agree…my best memories are when my Mom laid with me in bed and recited poetry from memory…I mean, Epic long poems…My imagination was on fire…I loved those times, as she spoke i was transformed in to other worlds…:)
March 3, 2017 at 6:37 am |
In my Embodyoga Teacher Training course, when resting in savasana after the poses, I love hearing my teacher’s voice (Karen Miscall-Bannon) telling the mythological stories from Hindu philosohy about the antics of the spirited characters in their creation stories. No matter what our age, to lie on one’s mat covered by a warm blanket in the safety of the yoga studio is so delighful. It is never too late to experience this by creatively envision it in one’s mind or to be the storyteller and gift this experience to another child or kid-at-heart. Sharing stories enriches brains and nurtures hearts.
March 3, 2017 at 5:24 pm |
I loved this article. It’s very true. By the way, I am a translator and I would like to translate this article to Spanish. Let me know if you’re interested. I’d do it for fee.
March 4, 2017 at 3:39 am |
And there are also traditional arts and music and oratory from other cultures, different than books or paintings on the wall, but filling those same needs.
March 4, 2017 at 4:13 pm |
Wonderful, beautiful article, masterfully stated. Going off on a bit of a tangent here, so naysayers can load your word-cannons: imho, cursive is one way for children to explore and search for a way of identifying and presenting themselves to the world. Does anyone remember the learning process of cursive, where you had a model handwriting as a suggestion, maybe to trace/emulate? How many people maintained that ‘copy’ without trying out other handwriting styles? I submit that handwriting is a form of artistic self expression, and that not teaching cursive in schools is a disservice to children; each child should be encouraged to pick up a pencil/pen and experiment, doodle, discover an individual style, hopefully legible. Gaining confidence from that experience can enhance enjoyment and understanding of other forms of art. My remarks are in no way intended to diminish the point of the very fine article.
March 4, 2017 at 11:49 pm |
[…] Find the original post here. […]
March 5, 2017 at 12:28 am |
Personally is all I can comment on in the spirit of discovery. I was shown at home and in school and church, Art, Music, Poetry was everywhere in society in Toronto and as radio spread via that newfangled transistor thing making it so you could carry it around with you. Then 8-tracks , stereo , fm .. like its been a long time since there was isolation from these things. Again going personally, I, for as long as I can remember had my taste in these things. Did the school assignments adequately but with only minor passion. Most of my friends had no real passion for these things until a more mature mind became one of those ”’ others ”’ he spoke about. Now with the internet globally spreading. Its readily available to just about everyone that develops that passion. Can’t afford those ” star ” art concerts live but its now on youtube real soon. If the passion for art/music/poetry enlightens… well we can only dream that everyone feels it …. but reality is , those good neighbours you speak of are not just a few. And again , personally , my thinking I suck doing various forms of art at various stages in my life was and is a constant hurdle. My taste varies and most of my friends somehow fit into similar taste but not always into the taste of each other. … I ramble. What was my point? Children need to have it available at their own pace and that pace will most often relate to their piers. Similar to the pier bonding and life developing of sports. The Arts should have equal billing so to speak but at present seem way behind in public/private sponsorship and involvement. Go Buckeyes. …. Tear down the wall … and she’s buying a stairway to heaven. Like nobody is isolated anymore. Encourage art’s creation and enjoyment by creating and enjoying yourself. The children will see that and open up to it themselves a little quicker if they are into it. Just don’t expect them all to be into it and some for some reason or another lash out at it. Let’s go Blue Jays. .. Why?, Why not?
March 5, 2017 at 3:34 am |
It’s beautiful. I too believe in children growing up listening, seeing and experiencing the environment around. Been always with Pre schoolers and Primary levels and seen the enthusiasm when exposed to varied culture. Parents and facilitators need to be made aware of these strategies.
March 5, 2017 at 9:29 am |
[…] These are the words written by Philip Pullman for the tenth anniversary of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in 2… […]
March 5, 2017 at 8:39 pm |
Words of wisdom. However for many parents music and art lessons are financially beyond their reach. It is wonderful now that schools do offer cultural experiences to children. Music and art are “therapeutic” for children, adults, the elderly. I work in aged care and have seen the transforming power of music especially for those with dementia. It is like “food” for their souls!
March 5, 2017 at 10:38 pm |
Bellissimo e molto vero!
March 6, 2017 at 10:45 am |
Reblogged this on Parallel Thoughts.
March 6, 2017 at 1:50 pm |
I also came across poems on children. Can now also write poetry and are protected by focusing the mind.
March 6, 2017 at 9:39 pm |
[…] And if you need a little magic in your day: Children need art and stories and poems and music as much as they need love and food and fresh air a… […]
March 6, 2017 at 9:55 pm |
Yes, yes yes and again yes.
March 7, 2017 at 4:59 am |
Excellent article. Thank you
March 8, 2017 at 12:22 am |
[…] Sorgente: “Children need art and stories and poems and music as much as they need love and food and fresh ai… […]
March 8, 2017 at 10:30 am |
It feeds a hunger in the soul that allows the entire being to grow and flourish in a way that they couldn’t have done otherwise. Having it all in the background from a young age is such a blessing; however it can be taken for granted until it is missing. If someone is discovering it for the first time… oh my!!! The world is brand new again! Our schools have already been cutting these programs, so we need to try to keep what we can for our kids.
March 8, 2017 at 11:48 am |
Poignant, beautiful and sad that we have to draw attention to the presence of art, which is as natural as breathing for many people.
March 9, 2017 at 5:53 am |
Reblogged this on haydnseancrespan.
March 9, 2017 at 2:24 pm |
Reblogged this on DrLearnALot's House of Edumacation.
March 9, 2017 at 6:01 pm |
[…] Philip Pullman asserts that “children need art and stories and poems and music as much as they need love and food and fresh air a….” […]
March 10, 2017 at 9:02 am |
Reblogged this on Birdsong & Beyond. and commented:
How beautifully and simply Pullman puts this need for art in life.
“It’s true that some people grow up never encountering art of any kind, and are perfectly happy and live good and valuable lives… Well, that’s fine. I know people like that. They are good neighbours and useful citizens.
But other people, at some stage in their childhood or their youth, or maybe even their old age, come across something of a kind they’ve never dreamed of before…Nothing prepared them for this. They suddenly realise that they’re filled with a hunger, though they had no idea of that just a minute ago; … it almost breaks their heart. … welcomed by this utterly new and strange experience …they needed this as a starving person needs food, and they never knew. They had no idea.
That is what it’s like for a child who does need music or pictures or poetry to come across it by chance. “
March 10, 2017 at 6:36 pm |
[…] https://astridlindgrenmemorialaward.wordpress.com/2015/12/17/children-need-art-and-stories-and-poems… […]
March 10, 2017 at 9:47 pm |
Absolutely agree because via art or poem they can express themselves. they can describe their feelings at times perhaps nobody there to listen. They can develope their imagination and get inspired by different stories rhymes characters. They can than see the world the colours in changing seasons.
March 11, 2017 at 6:19 am |
Thank You! So true. I am a retired librarian. When working I never got tired of the bright and happy eyes of children checking out a stack of books.
March 19, 2017 at 4:41 am |
[…] feeds and nourishes their soul in a way that nothing else ever could or ever would. Read more in this statement from award-winning author, Philip […]
March 19, 2017 at 6:15 pm |
What can I do?
April 9, 2017 at 3:59 pm |
[…] https://astridlindgrenmemorialaward.wordpress.com/2015/12/17/children-need-art-and-stories-and-poems… […]
April 12, 2017 at 9:43 am |
Terrific Website, Preserve the useful job. Many thanks! http://bazarirani.ca/author/blairmoye2/
April 23, 2017 at 6:35 pm |
Reblogged this on sacruminstitute.
April 28, 2017 at 11:46 am |
In BC we took out Band, Music teachers, Art teachers, Art Classroom and gave the kids drugs instead! It was cheaper we thought.
April 28, 2017 at 3:43 pm |
A companion piece to this is the power of fiction in teaching children how to live and love.
Power of engaged reading
http://www.cea-ace.ca/education-canada/article/power-engaged-reading
May 1, 2017 at 10:14 am |
Reblogged this on Flicking on the book and commented:
Books are so important in our children’s lives (and ours too) We need to embrace books as an essential part of our daily routine.
May 3, 2017 at 12:30 am |
María Montessori knew this over 100 years ago. Why is that no one acknowledges this???!!!!
May 3, 2017 at 6:20 am |
Reblogged this on Il Blog di Tino Soudaz 2.0 ( un pochino) and commented:
“Children need art and stories and poems and music as much as they need love and food and fresh air and play. “
May 3, 2017 at 12:48 pm |
Reblogged this on Breathe and believe and commented:
Couldn’t have explained this better.
May 3, 2017 at 3:09 pm |
YES❣
May 5, 2017 at 4:21 pm |
Please look at my book which helps children look at Old Masters
. https://www.amazon.com/Old-Masters-Rock-Look-Children/dp/1910258040/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494001188&sr=8-1&keywords=old+masters+rock
May 6, 2017 at 5:05 pm |
I should like to reprint this at my Blog https://sloaneview.blogspot.com
-Carol Sloane
May 8, 2017 at 6:41 am |
These have to be the most refreshing words and I am reading them on the first day of Mental Health Awareness Week.
May 9, 2017 at 11:38 am |
[…] creativity is important for young […]
May 10, 2017 at 8:26 am |
There is something else: As education becomes a form of programming, rather than learning, and art and books the tools of assimilation, what will these children have to interest them as adults?
Gambling is certainly pushed unchecked through all the media, so that’s got entertainment covered. Brave New World indeed.
May 11, 2017 at 6:45 pm |
[…] 1. This. So true. Children need art and music and writing: https://astridlindgrenmemorialaward.wordpress.com/2015/12/17/children-need-art-and-stories-and-poems… […]
May 12, 2017 at 6:01 pm |
Perhaps children can go a far way without music, art, stories and poems, but I believe they are deprived beyond all hope to see, hear and experience another dimension where their souls live. That’s the greatest sadness of all.
May 12, 2017 at 8:05 pm |
Reblogged this on The Knitted Curiosity Cabinet.
June 15, 2017 at 12:11 pm |
Reblogged this on the interpretOr.
June 19, 2017 at 5:49 am |
Its simply nice!!!!
July 16, 2017 at 1:32 am |
Yes yes yes!!
July 18, 2017 at 11:18 am |
Yes.but first they need food and water and love
July 21, 2017 at 10:31 pm |
[…] Children need art and stories and poems and music as much as they need love and food and fresh air a… […]
July 25, 2017 at 4:30 am |
Very true
August 28, 2017 at 9:39 am |
This should be posted in all obstetricians’ offices and in all maternity wards – and having it on walls where marriages are performed wouldn’t hurt, either!.
September 4, 2017 at 4:52 am |
[…] This article was first published here under the title “Children need art and stories and poems and music as much as they need love and food and fresh air and play.” […]
October 5, 2017 at 1:32 pm |
[…] Si quieres leer el texto completo, clica aquí. […]
December 7, 2017 at 5:54 pm |
Wonderful insights
January 9, 2018 at 10:33 pm |
I can vouch for those sentiments as a Child starved of culture, our Mum gave us the security she had lacked as a Child but nothing beyond food, clothes and a doctor when needed. Which made me crave for creativity and become the creative person I am now and at the age of 68 I am still trying to fill the gaps that should have been filled in Childhood through my Children and sweet Grandchildren.
January 5, 2018 at 3:04 pm |
This is the first time I’ve heard anyone say it so well: this is exactly what I believe and have tried to instill
In all of the many children I’ve known. A love of beauty that draws us in is as much a need for a human as the other things you mentioned.
Thank you for the reminder: these things have been integral to me!
February 14, 2018 at 12:43 pm |
This is all so very True! I grew up in a somewhat poor family that came from hard working backgrounds. We had all we needed to survive, but very little in the way of enrichment. I loved visiting a particular neighbor that had low, built in bookshelves around the perimeters of her very large livingroom/music room. National Geographics, Readers Digest and various other books and periodicals filled those shelves and I would be in heaven, lying on a large braided rug in a spot of sunlight and practically inhaling the words and pictures I saw. I remember collecting shoeboxes and “building” rooms, oh so carefully with pictures from old magazines. Making art and dreams from scraps and using thumbtacks to hang the boxes on my bedroom wall. My surroundings were filled with very little in the way of beauty and aesthetics, but my imagination, fed and filled with exotic places and beautiful stories helped me to create a bit of loveliness that always cheered me. That was so long ago but I am sure those books and periodicals enriched my childhood immeasurably.
February 17, 2018 at 11:14 am |
Beautifully put. I think there’s more. We are creatures of great emotion and it has been long realised that we need to earn to understand and control our emotions so they don’t control us and so we can use their inspiration as a positive force and focus. Art, music, poetry, stories are tools to channel and explore, and reveal the architecture of emotion. They may be the key to our spiritual and emotional evolution. Frankly we should be clinging to them like driftwood in a raging torrent / a flood of negative emotion that currently threatens to engulf us all.
February 27, 2018 at 1:28 am |
Reblogged this on Abresoles.
March 1, 2018 at 3:16 pm |
[…] If there is anyone out there that still needs convincing of the power of reading, or of any cultural activity, I would urge everyone to read these words from children’s author Philip Pullman on the importance of cultural education for chil…. […]
March 13, 2018 at 12:36 pm |
So true! …So true! Can not say that enough.
March 24, 2018 at 6:23 pm |
Reblogged this on inkedinword.
March 31, 2018 at 10:46 am |
[…] Children need art and stories and poems and music as much as they need love and food and fresh air a… […]
March 31, 2018 at 11:36 am |
Imagination, feelings and getting touched is also being human.
April 2, 2018 at 2:48 pm |
Agree one hundred percent. Fortunate to had parents who knew that so that we knew to introduce our children to it and now they introduce their children to music, art, song, dance and drama and they love it!
May 13, 2018 at 2:53 pm |
It touched me…
Let us think and connect children with their 3H = HEAD HEART & HANDS
Be joyous
a travelling toy activist
May 30, 2018 at 8:35 am |
[…] we used from Philip Pullman, taken from an article on the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award website, to kick-start it. Art, music and stories provide nourishment for children’s souls. They […]