The "Teddy Bear" rhyme: born from childhood

Strange people are authors who write for children. In any case, unusual. Let's remember the great Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen. Coming from a wealthy family, he always claimed to be a personal friend of the Danish King Frederick. Little did any fairy tales be expected from this amazing storyteller! However, the words of the great Dane were subsequently confirmed.

However, this article is not about him. In the family of the Soviet children's poet Andrei Alekseevich Usachev, there used to be a legend that his grandfather was acquainted with Nadezhda Krupskaya and at one point met with fate's will only Hitler aspiring to power. Does it mean that Usachev's grandfather was also an unusual person?

The magic of children's poems

Children's poems ... They remember everything. They leave a lasting imprint in the memory. Among them is the "Cowboy Bear", composed by Andrei Alekseevich. Surprisingly harmonious, kind and bright poetry. Easily perceived and very well remembered. Even if you read them for the first time, you are still in a state of deja vu: it seems that you have seen them before, read them. And it creates a lasting impression that these poems are familiar from childhood. However, this is a deception of memory. As Usachev himself, born in 1958, writes, he began writing for children since 1985 (again: the game of numbers: 58 - 85). Correspondingly, "The Crayfish Bear" was written in the 80s of the XX century.

The secret is in rhythmics?

What is the secret of children's poetry? Why are these verses so easily and freely perceived by children up to three years old, and by adults, causing the latter a smile and nostalgia for the far away childhood? Of course, the whole thing is in the author, in that spiritual world in which he immerses his reader. Andrei Alekseevich turned to children's subjects under the influence of the works of Daniil Kharms, who found the thaws during an era of stagnation ... Usachev, as he himself admitted in an interview given to the magazine "We Read Together," poetry is easily given. They intuitively direct his thought, thanks to their rhythm. (As an example, the latter is felt in the poem "The Crayfish Bear.")

About the "creative kitchen" Usachev

Usachev often calls himself an inventor, than a writer. Let's try to understand the secrets of his "creative cuisine". He has one secret: he always feels in himself a child, while not differentiating this part with the "matured." That is, the poet, taking the pen, does not write specifically for some abstract, invented children. He always writes for himself - tangible, tangible, understood, inside of which there lives a child who makes criteria for creativity.

Since ancient times in Russia the hero of fairy tales has been and is a clumsy bear, he is still one of the favorite toys for the youngest children. In fairy tales, this forest beast invariably acts as a sanguine and strong man, an exemplary family man, and his cubs - bear cubs - are gay, mobile and comical. Papa-bear, according to folk tradition, is called Mikhail Potapich, mother - Nastasya Petrovna (in the female manner), and the little son - Mishutka. It is such a bear cub in the work of Usachev.

Sometimes, to create a special, "fabulous" atmosphere in the house, we recommend that you, tired of a busy day, no-no, and even refresh the memory of the full poem "Bear-Toad". Remember childhood. Smile. Sometimes, in order for the mood to rise, it is enough to even read at least the first verse.

Miraculousness as a property of classical literature

The inexhaustible rhythm of the verse compels even adults to forget about their "forgetfulness" and "zashtamovannosti" (we say in the words of Andrei Alekseevich himself) and get involved in a good children's play, far from the "chernukha" of life. The poem is inherent in the elements of the classical work. Tie: walk bear tied to the forest. Culmination: mental suffering of the protagonist, ridiculed for clumsiness by forest mockers. Decoupling: gaining confidence from the good advice of parents. By the way, this view of the world around us is inherent in classical literature. I remember the words of the American writer Louise May Alcott about the fact that sometimes in an adult gray and boring world there are events like a delightful tale that bring comfort. Of course, one of such things is both classical and children's literature, and, in particular, similar rhymes. "Bear-toed" and others are those works that help children to be kinder, happier, joyful.

Usachev on the problems of modern children's literature

Usachev believes that at present there are problems with the literature offered to children. Not always the texts that fall into the hands of children, really correspond to their age. In particular, in the segment of books for the youngest. In the last century, they wrote wonderful poems for Sergei Mikhalkov, Kornei Chukovsky, Agnia Barto, Boris Zakhoder. This galaxy of feather masters gave many happy hours to children who touched on kind, educating, exciting works. And now the children are sent their good and bright works by Marina Moskvin, Tim Sobakin, Ksenia Dragunskaya. (Listening the names of his contemporaries, Andrei Alekseyevich, out of modesty, forgot to mention himself, the poet who wrote: "A bear is sticking in the woods ...")

However, according to authoritative children's writers, the modern Russian children's publications Molotok, Kul, Hooligan often reduce the bar of magic and kindness that should be present in children's literature, especially for the youngest. Often, modern authors, creating works for children about "real life", reduce their positive characters to drug addicts and drug dealers. In such works, reality is played, it clearly feels falsity, heroes of such books do not want to believe. Whether it's the case - "Bear-toed"! The author "caught" memorable characters, "grabbed" the folk folk thread, managed to tell a simple story about the bear brightly, interestingly.

Conclusion

We recommend that adult readers periodically refresh children's works in memory, at least in order to get a charge of kindness. Good children's literature helps to better understand children, because the world of childhood is not something fantasy and far-fetched, the world of childhood is our real world, only seen under another "non-adult" angle.