"He came into the world in the middle of the thicket, in one of those little, hidden forest glades which seems to be entirely open but are really screened in on all sides. There was very little room in it, scarcely enough for him and his mother."
That's how this simple adaptation of one of the most beloved nature stories begins. I written a lot about children's books lately, but, they're perfect reading while I'm working on a show.
Felix Salten is the pen name of Austrian writer Siegmund Salzamnn. He wrote Bambi: A life in the Woods in 1923, and it was translated into English in 1928. Bambi is the name of the main character, a male deer beginning life as a fawn, then moving through adolescence and into adulthood.
Taken from the first chapter of Salten's original tale, Bambi's First Day depicts the early moments of the fawn's life in the safety of the forest glen, and the shelter of his mother's embrace.
Favorite children's books transport us back to the comfort of those safe places and times we all tuck away in memory. We don't always have to be in step with the literary times by reading the latest and greatest best seller, or hunting for the appropriately trendy, alternative, hot, new title from a small press. Treat yourself to a picture book from time to time. Before you know it, you'll feel a tiny smile along with that smug feeling of perfect indulgence. Ten minutes...that's all you need. Your day will be better for it.
