Cherryleaf Library for Children Podcast

The Cherryleaf Library for Children presents books that could educate children. In our society, we need children’s books that are not simply entertaining and occupying children’s attention, but that educate them in the most profound sense of the word educate: Help them to form their character and identity. The contradictory messages of our society make the formation of character and identity quite problematic – that’s why by their teenage years so many children suffer from mental discomfort, which often turns into actual mental illness. These books do so not through the articulation of abstract principles but through the development of empathy and, especially, sympathy with the suffering of others, clearly distinguishing between good (which is equated with kindness) and evil (equated with cruelty), and helping the child to become a better human being.

All Episodes

Cherryleaf Library for Children Podcast

Without Family: Chapters 5-6

June 05, 2020 • Liah Greenfeld • Season 1 • Episode 3

Rémi and Vitalis spend their first night together in a barn, sheltering from a rain storm after being refused lodgings by farmers along their way. Rémi cries with longing to mother Barberin, but finds some solace in Capi who lies down beside him, licking his hand. Vitalis is a kind man and an experienced traveling artist. When they reach the next town, Ussel, he buys Rémi new shoes so he will not get tired walking in his uncomfortable clogs. And he dresses Rémi in nice second-hand clothes and a hat, making him look like an Italian boy to attract attention and larger crowds for their performances. Rehearsing a 20-minute “play” (a pantomime) with Rémi, the dogs, and the monkey, Vitalis shows great patience, never getting angry or raising his voice, explaining to Rémi: “One gains very little by being cruel, but one can obtain a lot, if not all, with gentleness.” The next day, Rémi has a successful debut, playing a fool—and the monkey’s (General Pretty-Heart) new servant—to perfection.