I have been a bibliophile for as long as I can remember! At an age when kids my age would be obsessed with kitchen and dinner sets and lipsticks, I used to be cooped up in my room with my nose buried deep in classics such as ‘Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn’ or ‘Treasure Island’. So, it only makes sense that my kids would grow up to be avid readers as well.
My flexible work schedule leaves me ample time to be creative and go all out with DIY projects for my home! Three months before my son, Rian was born, I started working on this storybook comprising of some of the most fascinating and popular fairytales such as ‘Snow White and The Seven Dwarves’, ‘Little Red Riding Hood’, and so on. Like an obsessed mother, I went all out gathering the right kind of pictures and pasting them in the storybook. Halfway through the project, I realised the kind of grasp that these fantastic stories have on kids, the kind of impact they had on me when I was a kid.
From the goose that miraculously laid the golden eggs, to the pretty Rapunzel with her golden hair, these images and stories have shaped my happily ever after! So, I wanted to share some of my favourite ones with you guys!
Beauty and the Beast
This story just hit me in all the right spots! In a peculiar way, I always thought this story is the most romantic thing to have ever been published (Apologies, Nora Roberts!). I loved how kind and self-sacrificing Beauty is as she gives herself away as a hostage to rescue her father from the terrifying Beast’s castle. The fact that Beauty falls in love with Beast despite his appearance is what made me swoon over the story! I absolutely adored the fact that Beast turns into a handsome prince once Beauty falls for him. After all, who among us has not hoped to possess the kind of love that has the power to transform and redeem? Fun fact, Beauty and the Beast is originally a French story. Fascinating, huh?!
Hansel and Gretel
Whenever I reminisce about my childhood, my mind fondly drifts off to ‘Hansel and Gretel’ and how morbidly fascinating this story was! This tale is about the actual hunger of the stomach instead of the hearts! During a famine, Hansel and Gretel are forsaken by their stepmother in a gigantic, scary forest! The kids are incapable of resisting their urge to eat a cottage made out of gingerbread and are therefore taken captive by the people-eating witch living there. Hansel and Gretel had to shove the witch into her own blazing oven to escape at the end of the story. The dangers of detrimental and innutritious food habits coupled with the kids’ instincts for survival are the most magnificent elements of the story and still gives me the chills! Must read, kids.
Cinderella
The fantasy that Cinderella brought to life remains unmatched till date and the story still manages to win hearts wherever it goes! There was once a naive, hardworking girl with a beautiful heart who had wicked stepsisters and an equally wicked stepmother. Then came an angelic godmother who gave Cinderella an exquisite makeover and she scored a prince at a ball who finally tracked her down using her single glass slipperette. I mean, could this BE any more romantic? Cinderella has crossed the globe, blowing people’s minds ever since and remains to be one of my most favourite bedtime stories of all time!
Little Red Riding Hood
The most striking element of this story for me as a kid was the rebellious little girl who steers clear of the path specifically adviced to her while visiting her grandmother. The story was probably written with the intent to warn children to obey rules and follow directions, but the rebellious character of Riding Hood fulfilled my unquenchable thirst for a modern fairytale heroine. After promptly disregarding her mother’s advice, she attracts the attention of a talking wolf who gobbles up and impersonates Grandma! Now, I read the 17th-century French version of the story, so the climax that I grew up believing involves Red being gobbled up by the Wolf. Most of the other versions of the story depict an ending where Red is saved by a man with an axe or the Wolf choking on her hood! The natural, independent, and heartwarmingly bold Red entranced me to my very core.
Puss in the Boots
I was completely enchanted and captivated by the sheer fact that Puss travelled all around the world masquerading as a great nobleman’s servant! So transcendent! Eventually, his master is blessed with a fortune, fame, and a fancy wife, thanks to Puss’ clever gimmicks and tactics. This story has a vast history and is known to have journeyed across Europe, Siberia, and on to Indonesia, India, and the Philippines. The original character of Puss has undergone multiple adaptations since the 16th-century Italian version, the most recent one being a famous character in the ‘Shrek’ movies.
Thanks to these bedtime stories, I can fondly think of my childhood as one of the best times of my life and I am stoked that my kids are obsessed about them as well!
What’s your favourite childhood story, mommies and daddies? Let me know in the comments below!
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