Stopping to Think

This is a somewhat overdue follow-up to my post on Speaking With Your Kids . A while back, my children and I finished reading through The House at Pooh Corner  by A.A. Milne (you can see my mini-review here ). While there were things all throughout the book that struck me, this interchange near the end of the final chapter snagged my attention like a flashing red light: So they began going there, and after they had walked a little way Christopher Robin said:  "What do you like doing best in the world, Pooh?"   "Well," said Pooh,"what I like best----" and then he had to stop and think. Because although Eating Honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn't know what it was called. What is that called? The thing which brought this particular exchange to my attention was the fact that what Milne, through the honey-stained lips of Pooh, describes is the...

The conclusion of  Christopher Robin Gives Pooh a Party, by A.A. Milne: Pooh and Piglet walked home thoughtfully together in the golden evening, and for a long time they were silent. 'When you wake up in the morning, Pooh,' said Piglet at last, 'what's the first thing you say to yourself?' 'What's for breakfast?' said Pooh. 'What do you  say, Piglet?' 'I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today ?' said Piglet. Pooh nodded thoughtfully. 'It's the same thing,' he said.  First, this is simply a delightful conversation to read. Second, why doesn't anyone write children's books like this anymore?