Marcella was bored: A children’s story that adults should read

by Camila Chaves

What happens when someone’s life is plenty of material things, games, and extra curricular activities? Well, the time has come. He or she must face the truth. As Rockefeller once said “if you do not have very good friends and relatives who matter to you, life will be really empty and sad and material things cease to be important”. Although Rockefeller did not write Marcella was bored, his phrase fits this story perfectly.

Marcella is a female cat who does not lack of material things. Actually, her life is full of them. One day, her boredom leads her to a lonely experience to find the truth about life. This experience makes her realize that her relatives and friends are important and that she has to value what life has to offer her. This story perfectly shows us that although we can have a lot of material things, more than that is needed to be completely happy.

The emptiness that Marcella gets from every action she does brings Rockefeller’s phrase to our minds. The first action that Marcella performs occurs when she turns on the television. She changes the channels but still she does not find TV attractive enough to sit down and watch it. Then, she looks through a new book of hers, but she finds it boring. She also goes into the kitchen for a snack, but she doesn’t like what she eats. This kind of actions repeats and she decides to walk. Being alone, she realizes that people who surround her are important, and she expresses this by saying: “I wish there were someone to talk to”. At this point, she figures out that her possessions mean nothing without her relatives and friends next to her.

Robert Byrd’s book is not just telling the readers that, as the title says, “Marcella was bored”. In this story, a simple feeling means the beginning of the road to find a truth: material things do not make happiness. Marcella was bored is a book for children which should be also read to adults. Most adults spend their whole lives searching for the things they think they want and they ignore what they have around them. How long will it take us to realize that, as someone once said “Happiness is only real when it is shared?”

Let’s Learn Some Stuff Down the Road

by Julián Riobó

Children have everything to learn. Kids need to be educated with certain values and manners which will help them become civilised human beings as they grow up. As a kid myself, I thought that everything that would make me laugh was correct, even if that meant another person’s shame or worse, pain. Did not all of us rejoice at someone else falling onto the floor at least once because we thought it was funny? I will leave that to your conscience.

Having said that, there are many ways of educating children, and stories written for them can always come in handy. Not only do they provide a kid with entertainment, but also with some didactic elements which, in some cases, prove amazingly interesting for them. Many didactic texts show children how and why to follow adult rules. These texts operate under the premise that rules are for the child's own good. These rules need to be explicitly stated so as not to confuse children. Down the Road, a children’s story by Celia Berridge, might constitute a clear instance of this.

The little girl and her mum, the most important characters in the story, go for a walk down the road. The infant is visiting a friend and on her way all her adventure begins. She leaves her house, gets on her pram and learns a lot of new things about the world in which she lives. Simple rules which are new for her are shown in the story. “The red light tells the cars to stop. Our light turns green. Now we can cross safely”. Children, after reading the story, may associate this with real life next time they see the light turning green on the traffic lights. Moreover, their reaction might even be deduced as they would probably say something like: “Mummy, the light is green. We can cross. Like in the story!”

If we look up the word didactic in the dictionary, one of the definitions will probably read: intended to convey instruction and information as well as pleasure and entertainment. Undoubtedly, Down the Road, does honour to that definition of the word. The inquisitive little girl points her pudgy finger at everything she sees looking for an explanation. She spots dustmen, men fixing and paving the roads and a fire engine and its siren sounding. She learns that each of them plays a different role in society. The fine drawings do not fail to show what these people are doing, making it even easier for a child to picture them performing their actions.

It can be stated that, Down the Road, might very well be included as an example of what it is didactic and amusing for a child. As mentioned before, this type of stories can be extremely useful for children to start acquiring some basic knowledge of the world that surrounds them. Simple rules that are for their own good are explained pleasantly, which is the right thing to do when it comes to addressing children.

“Old hat, new hat”: the epitome of anti-consumerist literature for children

by M.A.

Need: to require sth/sb because they are essential or very important, not just because you would like to have them. (Oxford Advanced Learner’s dictionary)

Before reading this paper, please have a look at all the things you have around you. Ready? Now, how many of them are really “essential”? Of course, the meaning of the word “essential” may be very subjective, but it is no coincidence that the spectrum of what is essential has widened significantly during the last decades. Undoubtedly, we owe this widening to capitalism and its emphasis on consumerism, which makes us consider indispensable certain products that, in fact, are not. At the same time, the concept of “need”, not only as a verb, but also as a noun, has also been affected by it. What is actually needed? What is a need? The answer seems to be simple: what the market makes you believe it is. The problem is that not only adults are victims of this monstruous system of economy called capitalism, but also children. Fortunately, there are still some minds which strive against it, and also against consumerism. But, what is remarkable about that, is that their artistic productions in literature, music, and the like try to pass on children a message that utterly opposes it. This is the case of the children’s story “Old hat, new hat” by Stan and Jan Berenstain.

Children are perfect targets of consumerism. They are constantly bombarded with TV ads, which encouarge them to ask their parents to buy new things for them all the time. “Old hat, new hat” perfectly portrays the kind of bombardment customers suffer at shops. The story is set at a hat’s shop, where the main character of the story, a little bear, is assisted by a shop assistant, who offers him a huge variety of hats to try on. It does not matter whether the little bear likes the hats or not; what the shop assistant wants him to do is buy. In fact, pictures play an important role in the story. They show that as the customer enters the shop, the shop assistant is well disposed to him. But problems arise when the customer does not make a choice easily. At that moment, the shop assistant’s attitude towards him changes completely. He gets angry and forces him to choose one hat. This is one of the reasons why we may consider this story a useful tool to raise awareness in children of the pressures that market exerts on people, and encourage them to reject capitalist bombardment.

On the other hand, the end of the story, in which the little mouse realises that the best choice was his own old hat, conveys an important message: needs in capitalist world are created. Eventually, the little mouse grasps that he does not really need a new hat, and that is the moment in which he values his own. This is another instance of the anti-consumerist message that the tale conveys.

Eric Hoffer, a well-known American social writer, once said that people can never get enough of what they don’t need to make them happy. This phrase must sound familiar to all of us, since it portrays the feelings that are abundant in consumerist minds. What we must endeavour to do is to discourage the development of these feelings from children. And I am sure that stories such as “Old hat, new hat” can really help. In fact, I believe that they are the epitome of what children born in the capitalist era urgently need.

“The great, big, enormous turnip”: Inhumanity in a children's tale

by Valeria Niell

We help old ladies to cross the street, we carry our grandmother's shopping bags and we go visit them in order to get cookies. Only a cruel beast makes them work and hurt their fragile bones by pulling great, big, enormous things.

The great, big, enormous turnip, a short story about an old farmer and his adventure with a massive, titanic turnip, is an example of how inhumanity can be turned into a children's tale.

The above mentioned old man planted a turnip, and he fed it with water and greed: “Grow, grow little turnip, grow strong”. But he did not know that we have to be careful with our wishes, because they may come true. He tried to pull up the turnip using his brute force, but he could not pull it up. Therefore, he decided to turn to a helpless old lady. Of course they could not pull it up! Grannies are delicate and weak due a long life of hard work. Consequently, the old lady had to call her granddaughter to help her with such a great, big, enormous effort. Did the man say anything like “No, sweetie, that’s OK. I will just bring a shovel”? No. However, the three of them were unable to carry out the man’s duty.

But the story does not end. The man, seeing his goal not accomplished, accepted the help of three innocent animals. They all pulled and pulled again and could finally get the huge turnip.

This could be a story about the value of team work. However, the farmer could have used the help of a policeman, a fireman or any other person at the service of the weak. He could even have used the same shovel employed to plant the turnip seed. But he resolved to use the strength of an old lady, a frail girl and three little pets.

Reading this story, children may think that it is OK to abuse of weaker living beings in order to achieve one’s goal. I’m not against team working, but I would never ask my grandma to help me pull a great, big, enormous and colossal turnip!

Giving the right message?

by Jésica Torres

´When an elephant walks’ intends, as the author says, to show children that everyone gets scared. But is the story message as simple as that? Or it hides more complex matters as regards society and human relationship? Even a strong and big animal like an elephant may be afraid of something. However, I think that the writer goes beyond her original focus and says more than that. The story, in fact, shows how society stigmatizes and judges people because of their appearance and how fear prevents us from being helpful.

It’s widely known that the strongest animals are the ones that survive in the jungle and this conception is somewhat reflected in the story. Big and strong animals fright smaller ones. No matter they are carnivorous or not, their life may be in danger or not, they just get scared because of the big size or the physical appearance of these animals. The bear gets scared when he sees an elephant walking, the crocodile gets scared when he sees the bear running, the racoon gets scared when she sees the wild hot dashing, the mouse gets scared when he sees the racoon running and the elephant, at last, gets scared when he sees the ugly little mouse running away. The story does not encourage children not to feel scared because of other person’s size or appearance; an elephant would never hurt a bear, as a bear wouldn’t be a threat to a crocodile. However, the bear as well as the crocodile get scared when they notice that the other animals are bigger than them. The same happens with the elephant and the mouse; how is it that an elephant gets scared of such a small and insignificant animal? Easy to answer! Mice are so ugly animals that you should be scared of them. Not because they may be dangerous, but because of their repulsive appearance.

How fear works against solidarity is another issue that this story portrays. None of the animals ask the other why they are scared or if they need help. They just run away because they feel frightened. Individualism and not solidarity is then transmitted to children. All the animals run away when they see that the other may be in danger. They don´t care if the other needs help and they don´t even ask the reason of the scaring. They don´t offer their help and no one, of course, helps them. They all want to save themselves without worrying about the others.

We have all once got scared of something, that’s true, but we have to ask ourselves if we are giving children the right message. Do we want children to be afraid of someone because of his/her appearance and not to react generously, or do we want kids to be capable of overcoming their fears and managing difficult situations?

Real women are not reflected in “The Doorbell Rang”

by Julieta Acevedo

“No one makes cookies like Grandma” is the phrase which is repeated over and over along the story “The Doorbell Rang”. But let´s think a bit deeper, what is hidden behind that? What type of belief is concealed in such words? This story is about a mother who has made some cookies for her children. Then, the bell rings and rings and many kids appear. Even though in this story the value of sharing is important, the typical housewife role of the woman which differs very much from nowadays reality is as well prominent.

The mother of this story represents the ordinary middle class housewife. Throughout the text she is shown doing housework since she is making cookies for their kids and she is washing the floor. And of course she is taking care of their kids, which is another activity performed by traditional housewives. The role of the mother depicted in the story does not coincide with the actual role of a woman due to the fact that, nowadays, they not only do housework but they also perform different activities outside the house.

The other woman who appears in the story is grandma. Even though she is mentioned a lot of times during the story, she only appears at the end. The only thing that is highlighted about her is her cooking ability since it is mentioned plenty of times during the story and since finally she appears at the door of the house with a huge plate full of cookies. Nowadays grannies are not only fond of cooking for their grandchildren; they are as well interested in going to the hairdresser’s, going on travel and playing cards with friends.

Women in this story perform activities such as cleaning, cooking and taking care of their children. Nowadays women do these things but they also work, go to the gym, and do activities which do not involve housework. Furthermore, actual mothers even share housework with their husbands. The role of the women in nowadays society differs enormously from the traditional one and it should be considered when writing for children in order to be closer to their reality.

As the doorbell rang, mum was mopping the floor

by Natalia Brucciamonti

Look carefully at the woman holding the mop. Who do you think the lady is? Was your answer “the mother”? Well, then you would probably find the following lines interesting.

In recent years, it is possible to recognize a breakdown of the traditional family, where the man is the one who works and the woman stays at home looking after their children. Nowadays, women not only sweep the floor and look after the kids, but they also get degrees and have excellent jobs. The role of women has changed considerably. However, stereotypes and gender role discrimination still exists. The book “As the Doorbell Rang”, by Pat Hutchins, is a clear example of it.

Sociologists explain that gender roles are a social construct and that they are based on physical differences upon men and women. As men have physical advantages over women and the latest have a biological capacity for reproduction and child bearing, in the past, the woman was supposed to do domestic labor while the man was supposed to work outside to provide the family with the necessary food, clothes, etc. In the book, there’s a very clear example of this. The mother is in the kitchen, mopping the floor and baking cookies for their children. It isn’t possible to see a male character (one who isn’t a child) cooking or cleaning the house.

Researchers of gender roles also argue that there is a hierarchy inside gender distinction. This means that if you are a man, you have more power or social acceptance if you are more experienced in the work you perform. The same happens among women. If they are older, they are thought to be better. An instance of this is the character of the grandmother. Throughout the pages you can read “nobody makes cookies like Grandma”. This assertion implies that no matter what a good cook the mother is, her cookies aren’t (and won’t be) as tasty as the ones of the most experienced woman.

Although we are aware of the changes produced in the roles that people perform, it’s still very difficult to de-internalize the obsolete stereotypes that we were taught as socially correct. This is the reason why contemporary writers like Hutchins still show on their books the stereotypes which they have been brought up with.

“Old Hat, New Hat”: Fight against Capitalism in a Story for Children

by Viola Gonzalo

“Old Hat, New Hat”, a short story written by Stan and Jan Berenstain seems sure to confirm itself as a story that rebels against contemporary consumerism In today’s society, the liberal prevailing motto is “your are what you have”. In this way, the liberal market tries to force people to get new possessions for the sake of large company’s wealth. Therefore, the unconsciously transmitted message is “buy something new to cope with the latest trend, otherwise you are old-fashioned and not being up to the latest tendency is not right”. This is a direct message given by the invasive information people receive all the time, which psychologically affects children’s behaviour in such a way that makes them compulsive shoppers by asking their parents for new toys all the time. They grow up with a subconscious message printed in their minds: that of buying new items without really taking into account whether they are necessary or not.

In the story for children “Old Hat, New Hat”, a rat is walking on the street he suddenly spots a notice that reads “New Hat”. At that very moment, he shows an urgent desire to replace his old hat for a new one. He enters the shop and tries different models but is not satisfied with any of them. From the moment this little rat enters the shop, he is totally excited about the idea of getting a new hat. His excitement is so intense that he forgets his old one. Finally, he sees his old patched hat which he had left on a chair, and realizes he doesn't need a new hat, his old one will do.

What is really important in this story is the fact that it helps children not to have their minds receiving consumerist information all the time, as it teaches that you do not need to spend your money on something unnecessary to be happy; you can still be satisfied with something you have, no matter how old or bad-looking it is.

Therefore, the reading of this story to transmit some ideas that go against neoconservatism in a world that is intoxicated with commercial and marketing purposes is clearly demonstrated.

This story does attempt to create awareness of the psychological brainwash children are exposed to. This so-called brainwash is clearly seen when the character enters in a state of trance by the spotting a new and luxurious object which does not allow him to realize he is about to waste money on a needless item he already has. At the end of the story, the character realizes he does not need a new hat to be happy. At this point, the character rebels against modern-day commercial promotion and consumerism.

In conclusion, the idea behind this story is to transmit anti-consumerism values telling a simple story for children. Most of today’s stories aim at making children compulsive buyers. A story like this one shows a rebellion against standards of marketing, trying to place focus on anti-capitalism.

Competition between brothers and sisters: Is there a winner?

by Cintia López

When I was a child, I used to quarrel with my little sister about who had the bigger piece of cake or who had the most beautiful doll. One day, our mother told us that we should stop quarrelling because competition between sisters was pointless. “You shouldn’t compete, you should work as a team,” our mother said.

At those times, I did not realize the importance of the issue; I just stop quarrelling with my sister because my mother said so. Nowadays, I can understand it. Brothers and sisters are more than just people to play with. They are the ones that stay by your side in good or bad times. And it is important that parents make that clear.

I remembered this particular moment of my childhood when I read a children’s story called “Two greedy bears”, written by Mirra Ginsburg. The story is about two bear cubs that start exploring the world by themselves and when they are hungry and thirsty, they contend for food and water. It is similar to my childhood story, except for the absence of a mother telling the two bear cubs that quarrelling for water or food is wrong. Instead, there is a fox that teaches them a hard lesson, that being greedy is no good. This is the moral the author tries to transmit in the tale.

The author focuses on the problem of greediness but she ignores the importance of fraternity. Although competition is a typical characteristic in the animal kingdom and in the humans’ world, it is not appropriate for a tale as it sends the wrong message to young readers. Competition is something you should have in mind when you play a sport not when you spend time with your sister or brother.

Despite the fact that the moral of the story transmits a specific message, readers should pay attention to other values that are ignored by Guinsburg. When reading this story to children, parents should clarify the situation and explain them that brothers and sisters must work together and that sharing is better than competing.

Are you my mother? I can’t remember your face

by Marisa Gallardo

“Are you my mother?” What would you do if your children make this question when you return from your job? Nowadays it seems to be acceptable that women work and try to be as men. But, does society really accept women outside home? Do men really accept that women leave the home to go to work? In the story “Are you my mother?” P.O.Eastman, the author, seems not to be too convinced. It is easy to notice a clear point of view: women were made for attending housework and taking care of their children.

Through lovely pictures, the story creates a sweet mental image of a careful mother bird which is incubating her egg and waiting for the moment in which her baby bird comes out. She is ready to protect and look after him. This should be her only concern. Even the kerchief that the mother bird wears around her head may be associated with women who only take care of their home. Some years ago it was commonly watched on television advertisements about cleaning products which showed a housewife wore a kerchief around her head and an apron. The housewife claimed that these products were her best allies in the household cleaning because they not only simplified the task but left her more time to take care of children.

Another detail that seems to reveal the true role that society imposed on women is the absence of a father bird. It is considered correct that men are those who are away from home, either working or with friends, but never at home looking after children. Who better than women to deal with this? If not look what happens with the baby bird, when his mother leaves the nest to go for food. The vulnerable baby bird has to overcome many dangerous situations to find his mother and none of these would have happened if his mother would have stayed in the nest.

Despite the fact that, nowadays women play an important role in society, chauvinistic beliefs insist on positioning women only serving the needs of the home and waiting for the arrival of their protector men. It is not a coincidence that the rescue of the baby bird in the story is made by a snort, a machine that is usually controlled by men.

Material things are not bad or good

by Betina Ricchezza

When your children say that they are bored because there is nothing to do, what do you do? Do you ignore their moan? Do you help them to find a way out of boredom? Or do you think: “How these children can be bored if they have a room full of whatever they want?” Today our children own and enjoy a lot of things: big screen televisions, computers and mobile phones to name a few. But, do all these things prevent them from boredom? Or do they make children happier?

Marcella, the main character from Robert Byrd´s book “Marcella was bored”, is a clear example of a consumer girl. Although she has a room full of things, she is bored with life and everything it offers, including dance lessons, music, books, food, television and including playing with friends.

Consumerism promotes neither happiness nor entertainment. Pressure on children to have the most fashionable trainers or computer games make them feel miserable. Consumerism promotes unhappiness because it is based on material things and takes time away from things that are really important, such as relationships with family and friends. Marcella is bored of listening her grandpa´s stories. She does not enjoy playing with her brothers and when she meets her friends she thinks that jumping rope with them is a waste of time. When children organize their life around extrinsic goals, such as product acquisition or image, they report greater unhappiness in relationships and more psychological problems. Consumerism offers short term satisfaction. Even though Marcella has a room full of things she does not find anything amusing or interesting to do. Psychologists say that materialistic values are linked to lower life satisfaction.

Consumerism does not rescue children from boredom. Instead of a room full of things, they have to learn how to entertain themselves. Creative ideas come out of boredom. When Marcella walks away from her home she discovers that jumping from rock to rock and seeing some frogs in a pond is entertaining. Children have to learn to focus their attention on more important things than video games, computers or huge screen televisions. It will help them to promote a more sensible way of living.

Marcella is a consumer girl who has more things than she really needs. She learns to appreciate them when she takes distance from her home. But she also realizes that she misses her family. She wishes there were someone to talk to or to play with. She also learns to estimate her family and friends. That is what really matter.

Material things are not bad or good. But the place that children give them in their life is relevant. Material things do not give them happiness and at last children get bored of them. Children have to appreciate what they have and look after what really matter, family and friends.

The more you have, the less you care

by Paola Vellere

Toys and entertaining stuff are all over your house. A repetitive complain: Mum I’m bored. Does it sound familiar? Your children have a million toys and they are still bored. Toys can be part of the most amusing moments of childhood, but they also can be part of children’s boredom.

“Marcela was bored”, a short story for children, portrays a clear example of a young child who has too many belongings: toys and devices that provide a comfort life. She is a girly cat who complains about being bored the entire day. She does not even care to have fun spending time with the members of her family and her friends. Every single thing she has got at home is bored for her. Marcela’s problem is what we can observe in most of children nowadays. The more toys children have the more easily bored they get. If they have plenty of options to play with, the lack of interest in any activity increases.

Children are born into a world of consumerism and start to develop consumer personalities at a very early age. On the one hand, they learn from their parent’s behaviour and on the other hand, they are increasingly influenced by mass media and their peers. Since kids are babies they are related to materialistic life style asking parents to buy them things just because they want it. There is no fulfillment, their happiness and enjoyment seems to be ephemeral because they have a new pray to hunt and therefore they know that they will get it. Parents consent to the kid’s insistent and tireless begging, and that’s why the endless circle never stops. Some members of Marcela’s family offer her activities to do and several options to play with, but they don’t help her to reflect about his obstinate and apathetic attitude. The family’s stance increases Marcela’s lack of interest. Adults should reconsider what kind of person they would like to rise and take into account that the excessive exposure to materialism life s

tyle will be reflected in their kid’s personality. But the main problem seems to recognize that first of all they are the consumer model their kids are following.

Mass media and kid’s environment, such us the school or recreation areas, play another important role. Commercials in television are made for catching children’s attention without any scruple; in fact they are conceived to sell. Cartoons and advertisements are full of colour images and catchy songs, therefore children can not differentiate one from the other. However, it’s adult’s duty to monitor how much time children are exposed to television. Adults spending time with their kids are the ones who can show them the importance of having fun without sophisticated toys or electronic devices.

Marcela, the little cat, discovers how significant are her family and her belongings at the moment she gets lost in the city, and is left with nothing but herself. The moment when people think that their things are worth is when they are left with nothing. A simple conclusion: the less you have, the more you love it.

Bored Kids: Give them something to do

by Gisela Méndez

One of the biggest tensions between parents and kids is that sometimes kids do not have enough to do. It’s difficult not to feel powerless when our child complains about being bored. We live in a society where children are used to being entertained. We, as parents, tend to believe that if our children do different activities they will be busy and in consequence happy. However, most children may seem not interested in anything we offer them to do. Have parents ever thought that children do not need lots of things to do to avoid getting bored?

The children’s book “Marcela was bored”, by Robert Byrd, depicts children’ boredom such as it was real life. Many parents may be familiar with most of the situations described in the book. Marcella is a cat, who is bored with her usual activities. So she decides to run away from home. Many of us may perceive that the cat stands in for the usual portrait of dissatisfied children.

Children today are so over programmed that they don't know how to actually play .As Marcella is tired of her dance classes, many children complain about their physical activities.

Another characteristic of dissatisfied children is that boredom modifies their willing to eat. Marcella, as most of bored children, rejects food. When she goes to the kitchen, she grumbles “everything always tastes the same”. Forcing kids to eat when they are bored will destroy their sense of hunger. Children will and do eat when they are hungry.

Boredom also affects relationships. Marcella complains about her brothers, her grandpa, and her friends. When children says they are bored, it would be okay to remind them once that it is their job to find something to entertain themselves. Once in a while, they need to learn how to entertain themselves. When children feel secure again he will probably pull away from you and go back off on his own again.

At the end of her adventure, Marcella discovers that she loves her life. Taking into account this, we can realize that it is important to find a balance between children`s everyday and free time activities to let our children enjoy their routine.

Is imagination more important than knowledge for human development?

by Nadina González

What is more important: Imagination or knowledge? Although these two things are the most important ones and make us have a bright future, most students might think that only imagination is really necessary to be successful in life. This may be the reason why children are going through lack of interest during their formal education.

Most people might think that knowledge comes from imagination. It is true that people grow interests in things they do not know about, and that those interests may provoke something inside us, a feeling towards those things we do not have enough information about. The problem is that this feeling is not imagination. In fact, it is curiosity what occurs inside us the moment we face something we do not know about. And there is no doubt that curiosity is a powerful motivation for knowledge.

A very good example of the importance of knowledge in developing imagination can be found in children’s literature. ‘Sitting in My Box’ written by Dee Lillegard shows in a very clear way that imagination comes from the knowledge we acquire from books.

Reading a book about wild animals, the little boy of the story submerges himself in a wonderful world full of incredible animals, which he imagines thanks to the visual aids he receives from the book. This is perceived from the very beginning of the story when the child imagines the different animals he watches in the book. His brain only needs to catch some information about the physical appearance of a giraffe to make this fascinating animal appear. Not only does he get knowledge about a giraffe, he also learns about an elephant, a monkey, a lion, a hippo and a flea. Therefore, he is able to imagine them as well.

Another indicator of the importance of knowledge is what happens with the flea, which is seen as the bad character of the story because of the fright it provokes the animals in the box to leave the place. It is very clear that the child has learnt that although fleas are so tiny, they scare animals. Therefore, he makes use of this knowledge to make the animals leave the box. So, due to the evidence the story shows, ‘Sitting in My Box’ is a good example of the fact that previous knowledge is needed to let imagination take place.

There is no doubt that the more powerful imagination, the more interesting chances to make a success of our lives we will have. Since imagination comes from knowledge, it would be great to make students know about this fact. In this way, I think, their lack of interest in studying will be reduced. Although they might know that imagination helps them to succeed in life, they might not know where imagination is derived from. It would be a fantastic idea to persuade students to read more books in order to make their knowledge and imagination increase.