Children's Literature - Catholic style!

[melissa09]

I am taking a Children’s Literature course for college and teach at a Catholic daycare. We are on the section about Folklores, Myths, and Fantasy. I need to understand what the Church teaches about these kind of stories. I know magic itself is sinful, but is it ok to share stories with magical elements, such as Cinderella or Snow White. What does the Church teach us regarding this? God reward you for any help you can give!!!

 

[RPRPsych]

I am taking a Children’s Literature course for college and teach at a Catholic daycare. We are on the section about Folklores, Myths, and Fantasy. I need to understand what the Church teaches about these kind of stories. I know magic itself is sinful, but is it ok to share stories with magical elements, such as Cinderella or Snow White. What does the Church teach us regarding this? God reward you for any help you can give!!!

Frankly, I think the old fairy tales (though they may offend some “modern sensibilities”) are actually safer than their modern counterparts.

You might also want to read G. K. Chesterton’s take on this, in his book “Orthodoxy”, where he talks about the valuable lessons that fairy tales have taught him (“The Ethics of Elfland”):

pagebypagebooks.com/Gilbert_K_Chesterton/Orthodoxy/The_Ethics_of_Elfland_p1.html

Hope this helps!

 

[aicirt]

I can’t imagine there being a problem. Santa Claus is magical and there’s no sin there.

All of it, Aesop’s fables, Grimm brothers, nursery rhymes, Hans Christian Andersen, etc. are part of literature and should be known.

 

[St_Francis]

I am taking a Children’s Literature course for college and teach at a Catholic daycare. We are on the section about Folklores, Myths, and Fantasy. I need to understand what the Church teaches about these kind of stories. I know magic itself is sinful, but is it ok to share stories with magical elements, such as Cinderella or Snow White. What does the Church teach us regarding this? God reward you for any help you can give!!!

If I had the ability, I would re-write these fairy tales to include Christian elements! Remember that they are from very Catholic societies, and the Faith was understood as a background to everything. Can you see Snow White or Cinderella handling all that they dealt with without the sacraments and spiritual direction?

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

It’s simply apples and oranges.

Magic in fiction is not the same as that in real life.

It’s soooooo much better.

 

[Cat]

Never forget that Tolkien was Catholic!