"Writers of great picture books are well attuned to the features of the world that baffle young children."
Think back to being a child and your favorite stories and picture books.
Now think, through adult eyes, about why you enjoyed them. While you may
have loved the appealing illustrations or loveable characters, was the
appeal not also in the bewildering questions that the story raised? The
kind of questions that the adult reading the book could never quite
answer... How can a leopard without spots still be a leopard? Why is it
OK for adults to deceive children but not the other way round? Can you
really go swimming in an imaginary ocean?
Now, in his engaging and practical new book, Wartenberg helps us find
answers to some of the "Why? Why? Why?" questions by taking a closer
look at sixteen children's picture books through the eyes of the
philosopher (a philosopher himself and founder of the Teaching
Children Philosophy program, Wartenberg recognizes the similarity
between children and philosophers - both always "determined to put
obstacles in our way as we try to complete the various tasks life
demands."). Amongst other things, we consider whether Shrek can really
be handsome just because he tells us he is, consider why the "happily
ever after" ending may not always be the best outcome, and ask whether
it's OK for the Star-Belly Sneetches to consider themselves superior
than the Plain-Belly Sneetches.
Written in a light-hearted and accessible style, each chapter focuses on
a different book (see below for full list) and a specific philosophical
issue, from metaphysics to language, morality to knowledge, judgments to
ethics.
There is a brief biography of the philosophers discussed, a glossary of
key philosophical terms, and, at the end of each chapter, additional
questions for you to ponder, either with a child or on your own!
The perfect introduction to philosophy for children at home or at school
and an insightful read for anyone contemplating their own philosophical
conundrums, A
Sneetch is a Sneetch leaves the reader better equipped to
understand the stories they read or hear each night and, for adults,
allows them to shed light on some of those tricky questions!
