Believe in the World: Wisdom for Grown-Ups from Children's Books

by Amy Gash, Elise Howard, R.J. Palacio (foreword)

An inspiring and delightful illustrated collection of quotations from a diverse range of our most beloved children's books that will help teach all of us how to live in the world today, perfect for gift season and for readers of books like The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse and Storey's own How to Love the World. Everything we need to know as adults can be found in the brilliant, imaginative, diverse world of children's books. That is the simple yet powerful promise that Believe In the World offers. This illustrated, gifty collection, with witty and inspirational quotations organized in chapters such as "How to Believe in the World" and "How to Have Fun in the World," reminds us not to lose sight of the values we learned as kids—to be courageous, to do good deeds, to respect our imaginations, and maybe even to break a few rules every once in a while. Some quotations will bring readers back to old favorites like The Little Prince or Ramona Forever while others will lead to new discoveries inspired by the exciting new variety of children’s books being published today. And all provide a roadmap to doing and being good in the world. As one reviewer wrote about Believe In the World's predecessor, What the Dormouse Said, published by Algonquin in 1999, “Whether you’re looking for wisdom about goodness or sadness or even more practical matters, you will surely find it in this delightful collection.”Believe In the World lands in the sweet spot of nostalgic and entertaining; fresh and enlightening. And at the same time, it reminds us of the exhilaration of being a reader, young at heart, venturing forth into the world of storybooks and unforgettable characters and confirming that we are never too old to recapture the lessons, pleasures, and exuberance of childhood. 

Genres: Nonfiction, Books About Books, Childrens, Self Help

176 pages, Hardcover

Published August 20, 2024

Reviews

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a Nutshell: A compilation of quotes from various books. Neat sections, relevant themes, but not exactly as the title promises. Still, a good option for those who find joy and inspiration in book quotes.

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Children’s fiction (in which I include beginner reader books, middle-grade fiction, and some teen fiction) contains a lot of wisdom. It is not surprising then that the authors decided to compile quotes from children’s books. I love this intent, and to some extent, I like the implementation as well.

I was thrilled to see that the foreword is written by RJ Palacio. Her ‘Wonder’ is one of my all-time favourite books, and I have gifted it to all of my children’s friends. Not surprised to see how her write-up offers a beautiful ode to children’s fiction, highlighting how much wisdom they contain. I love how she says that children’s fiction has to be truthful, even when the truth is doled out with a spoonful of sugar.

Next comes an introduction by the two authors detailing how this book came into being. It seems that Algonquin Books had published a similar compilation of quotes in 1999, titled “What the Dormouse Said: Lessons for Grown-ups from Children's Books.” The authors decided that it was time to update and expand the collection and include some stand-out quotes from newer releases. Hence this new collection. I haven’t read the 1999 book, so I cannot comment on the exact changes made.

On the pro side, this new book is wonderfully and neatly structured. The content is divided into five meaningful sections with a heading that makes flipping to a particular section easy: ‘How to be Good in the World’, ‘How to be Joyful in the World’, and so on. Each section then has further subsections. For instance, the first one has five: Kindness, Acceptance, Courage, Confidence and Forgiveness. Each subsection contains at least ten quotes. Topic-wise browsing is thus a breeze.

The quotes come from a range of books. Classics and new titles written by authors from varied ethnic backgrounds ensure that this collection is diverse and inclusive. If you are an adult looking for middle-grade or YA titles to check out, this book has them in abundance.

There are some B&W illustrations scattered throughout the book, but not so many as to take away focus from the quotes. Some of the illustrations were great, others just okay.

The cover promises that the “wisdom” is only from children’s books, but I found many quotes taken from Young Adult books as well. A surprising entry was a quote from “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue”, which is an adult novel through and through. There are also quotes from adult classics such as “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the King.” So the tagline is a bit misleading.

All this would have been fine by me if the quotes were impressive. And many of them truly are. But the word “wisdom” in the tagline misled me into believing that every quote would actually have a wise message. But some of the quotes are funny, some are banal, and some are just absurd. Thus, the tagline is again misleading.

Moreover, a few quotes are repeated in multiple sections. Of course, you will notice this only if you read the book in a go, as I did. This is not the kind of book to read pagewise from start to end. It will work better when you flip to a random page and check out what special message awaits you there, or if you browse through the topics and go to the one that fits your emotional requirement.

I do believe with all my heart that there is tremendous wisdom in children’s fiction. While adult novels also contain deep thoughts, books meant for younger readers often write the truth in a simple and straightforward manner, which is very helpful when we want advice that gets straight to the point. This book compiles some of those brilliant quotes, but the heavy reliance on young adult books, the bland/hackneyed sound of some of the quotes, and the strange inclusion of some absurd quotes in a book supposed to have “wisdom’ made this a mixed bag for me.

Nevertheless, it is a beautiful collection as long as you disregard the tagline. So it will make a good gift option or a coffee table book to browse through at leisure.

3.5 stars.


My thanks to Algonquin Books for providing the DRC of “Believe In the World” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

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Here are some of MY all-time favourite quotes from children’s fiction. A couple of these appear in this collection as well:

“Being brave doesn’t mean you aren’t scared. Being brave means you are scared, really scared, badly scared, and you do the right thing anyway.” ― Neil Gaiman, Coraline.

“It’s not enough to be friendly. You have to be a friend.” ― R.J. Palacio, Wonder.

“When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind. - Dr Wayne W. Dyer” ― via R.J. Palacio, Wonder.

“I like people who make me like them. Saves me so much trouble forcing myself to like them.” — Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables.

“‘It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.’” ― JK Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

“It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.” ― JK Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

“Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” ― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

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[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick short read. Loved the collection of uplifting and memorable anecdotes and quotes.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book collects quotes from a diverse range of classic and contemporary children's books, organizing the quotes by theme and highlighting the timeless wisdom available in the selected picture books, juvenile novels, and YA novels. This will appeal to people who are looking for a literary-inspired gift book with inspirational quotes, but I found it rather lacking. Some of the quotes are truly insightful, but others just read like generic inspirational quotes. They might be really meaningful or profound in their original context, but in the absence of story and character development, they don't have the same impact.

In addition to the literary quotes, this book includes some basic illustrations, but they just feel like filler. They don't add much to the book's appeal, and don't live up to the beautiful cover. There's just not much to make this book worth the purchase price. The introduction is fine, but it would be nice if there were some additional essays or reflections throughout the book about what quotes or childhood books are important to different people, or something like that. This would make the book more unique and worthwhile, and less replaceable by a Buzzfeed list of inspirational quotes. I don't think that the curation here is special enough to make this stand out, and there's not enough added material to go along with the quotes.

I also noticed multiple errors. A quote gets attributed to Lynda Mullaly Hunt that isn't original to her: "Everyone is smart in different ways. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life thinking that it's stupid." Hunt rephrased the first sentence of the original quote, but the rest of it is verbatim. This anonymous quote commonly gets misattributed to Einstein, and now these editors are misattributing it to someone else! Hunt was referencing an established, familiar cultural concept in her novel Fish in a Tree, and the editors should have presented the quote as something that inspired Hunt, not something that she created herself.

This book also includes a quote from The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, which is not a children's book. Not even CLOSE. It's not even mature YA. It's a straight-up adult novel, and has no business being quoted in a book about "wisdom for grown-ups from children's books." What were the editors thinking? This almost made me wonder if they were picking their own selections off poorly curated Internet lists, without even being familiar with all of the books in question.

There are also at least two quotes that are taken out of context to mean something other than the author intended. One is a classic quote from C.S. Lewis's The Magician’s Nephew:

“Make your choice, adventurous Stranger,
Strike the bell and bide the danger,
Or wonder, till it drives you mad,
What would have followed if you had.”

This appears in the "courage" section, and I was aghast. In my head, I could hear Polly Plummer spluttering in wrath and indignation, because she was the one showing true courage, not Digory! He struck the bell and woke Jadis, since he didn't want to deal with his unsatisfied curiosity. Polly wanted to resist the temptation and walk away, which was a show of true strength.

That isn't the only egregious problem in the courage section, either. It also features this quote from Matilda: "Never do anything by halves if you want to get away with it. Be outrageous. Go the whole hog. Make sure everything you do is so completely crazy it's unbelievable." This is LITERALLY Matilda's assessment of why the horrifically abusive teachers at her school are able to get away with the way that they treat kids. Matilda observes that their actions are so over-the-top that adults would never believe a child's story about what goes on at school. This quote is... not life advice, guys.

Overall, I felt like this book was a slapped-together cash grab, with no enduring value or nothing to make it stand out over other collections of literary quotes, Buzzfeed lists, or the Goodreads quote database. This will still appeal to some people who are interested in decorative, literary-inspired gift books, but I wouldn't recommend it.

I received a temporary digital copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Charessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Algonquin Books and NetGalley for the eGalley to review!

"Believe in the World" is a collection of quotes from children's books meant to uplift, inspire, and give us hope. It is a callback to quotation collections of the past, particularly "What the Doormouse Said" from 1999, and is full of things we need to tell ourselves when things get tough. It also has simple but lovely illustrations.

The book is broken up into five main parts, with each part starting off with a very brief introduction about what children's books do for us regarding that part's topic before being broken into smaller topical sections. We have:
- How to Be Good in the World (Kindness, Acceptance, Courage, Confidence, and Forgiveness)
- How to Be Joyful in the World (Delight; Books and Stories; Eat, Drink, and Be Merry; Indulgence; Adventure and Imagination; Sense and Nonsense; and Song and Dance)
- How to Be Strong in the World (Sorrow, Fear, Defiance, People are Complicated, and Individuality)
- How to Be at Home in the World (Family, Friendship, Community, Animals, and Nature)
- How to Believe in the World (Optimism; Love; Perseverance; Becoming Who You're Meant to Be; Choices; Change; and Faith, Hope, and Possibility).

While some quotes get repeated across sections and leans on many of the same authors, it takes quotes from a largely diverse range of children's books from all eras--classics to the recently published--and we get a nice index of the titles and authors in the back. It's great reference material! Unfortunately, not all of the quotes are from children's books, so it's a bit misleading.

If you're needing a bit of positive affirmation in your life, this is a nice book to pick up and read a different quote daily to get that mood boost and reminder that there is indeed good in the world. It's also a great source of wisdom to gift to others when they need just the right thing to hear.

[Jessica Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Believe In the World is one of those “gift books” that I can see people buying multiple copies of for friends and family. And while its subtitle is “wisdom for grown-ups” I can see teens falling in love, too. In fact, my 10-year-old has seen the book, and has started making her own compilation.

The book is divided into five sections: How to Be Good in the World; How to Be Joyful in the World; How to Be Strong in the World; How to Be at Home in the World; and How to Believe in the World. Each of those sections covers between five and seven topics that fit with the theme like kindness, acceptance, courage, confidence and forgiveness.

Believe in the World is a lovely book to flip through on a whim or when looking for some clarity on a certain topic. It would make an excellent gift heading into the latter part of the year.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Believe in the World: Wisdom for Grown-Ups from Children's Books, by Amy Gish, is a fun little book containing some choice words from children's and young adult books, organized by various topics (love, kindness, nature, etc.). The book is exceedingly simple in nature, really just containing a short introduction and list of quotes. It is a good idea for any reader - a quote list or locker to keep those ideas that speak to you. As a book for sale, maybe a bit light on content. It certainly peaked my interest in certain books, but also didn't provide me with much memorable content in of itself. This was a fun, light and airy read that was enjoyable when reading, but will probably not linger long.

[Andra · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gem this book is! I want to keep it on my desk and pick it up for a daily reminder of something to think about, remind myself. These lines from children’s literature remind us how to be in the world— and how to just be. They also remind us what wisdom and guidance was found in all those books we read as kids.. makes me want to revisit my favorites and even check out some of the newer books, even though my kids are all grown. This book is a tribute and a testament to the power of literature as it comes into our lives at a young ago, and continues to guide us at any age.

[Kristin]

I am irritated that this book is an “update” of What the Dormouse Said. The authors say there were so many great new books and authors since the first book was written. Fine, but why repeat so much of the first book here?

The point of these compendiums is to recognize the truths that are beautifully stated in children’s literature. If they are truths, they remain relevant.

These should have been stand alone volumes without repeat, just adding to the wisdom in the first book.

[Mamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet book. It could have been even longer, because it's a great mental health activity to reflect on deep lines from children's literature. I especially liked a quotation that quoted an Arabic phrase that compares good people to bread, because good people make others rise. My Italian Grandmother used to say a phrase that translated as "they're a piece of bread," and that meant the people she was describing were kind and wholesome. I loved discovering this cross cultural connection.

[Margot Herrera · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful—and insightful—collection! Jam-packed with gems, it’s a trove of wisdom and whimsy –something I’ll return to again and again. Loved encountering nuggets from both beloved volumes and unknown (for now at least!) works. This is a true keeper.

[Cee · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book! One every adult should read! So many great quotes that if people took to heart would lead to tremendous positive changes in our fearful world. It’s a book to read over and over again in order to absorb all the goodness within.