A local author is telling more than just children’s stories with a new book she just released.
Josie Wallenius wrote Phoebe to the Rescue and other Stories over the last year to connect with her grandchildren who live overseas. With themes of excitement, drama and overcoming fear, Wallenius said the book has adult themes with children’s entertainment in mind. Dedicated to grandmothers who have grandchildren living far away from them, the book features a man with a rifle who stalks a hospital, bears and lightning strikes which Wallenius said makes some people think the book is unsuitable for children.
But Wallenius said some darker subject matter is just what children need. She said looking at modern children’s books while doing research showed her that children aren’t being taught some valuable lessons through their stories.
" There’s absolutely no substance to them (modern stories) there’s no fear and it doesn’t teach them any lessons," Wallenius. "It doesn’t tell them in today’s books that it’s an unsafe world out there like old books did…it’s good for a child to know that before they grow up."
As a young girl in England during the second world war, Wallenius read The Tale of Peter Rabbit. She remembers being so scared when Peter disobeys his mother and goes into Mr. McGregor’s garden that she learned to listen to her parents. Wallenius contrasts Peter Rabbit with Max from Where the Wild Things Are. Max disobeys his mother, is sent to bed without supper and when he returns home from a fantasy world, his mother has left him supper. Wallenius said there are no consequences for Max’s actions.
"The message is deliberately I think trying to dumb the kids down," said Walenius.
The book was illustrated by Elli Ruhman.
