Ten of the Best Films of children’s books
As Christmas approaches, give in to the temptation of relaxing in front of the screen – and why not? From cartoons to musicals, some of the greatest films of all time are adapted from children’s books. Laura Fraine picks ten of the best.
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Fairy tales, graphic novels, picture books and epic novels all provide the source material for screenwriters and directors seeking inspiration. The children I know aren’t hoodwinked by the books they should read – like us adults so often are – they have an eye for authenticity and a nose for a good story: where these elements are found, the rest follows. The best film adaptations retain something of the essence of the original text, but don’t try to outrun it. They bring their own original vision. There are many other films I could have chosen – The Jungle Book (1967), The Wizard of Oz (1939) and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) are just three I am sad I missed, but I have included films that should inspire further reading as much as watching. I hope you enjoy them. couple of extra recommendations for some other wonderful books that link with other texts I’ve recommended. I hope that there will be something here for everyone.
One Hundred and One
Dalmatians (1961) Dodie Smith, illustrated by Alex T. Smith Egmont 978-1405288750 £8.99 pbk
Dodie Smith might be better known for her romantic masterpiece I Capture the Castle, but after Cassandra there was Cruella. Smith’s children’s novel One Hundred and One Dalmatians was inspired by her pet Pongo and published
just six years before the
animated Disney film’s release, launching one of the greatest on-screen villains of all time, the glamorous and ghastly Cruella de Vil.
Mary Poppins (1964)
PL Travers, illustrated by Lauren Child, HarperCollins Children’s Books, 978-0008289362, £20.00 hbk
I came to PL Travers’ Mary Poppins book series late, already with a firm Julie Andrews-ish idea of how our eponymous heroine should behave, and was shocked to find that the original Poppins might be equally magical,
but is also sinister,
added more than a spoonful of sugar to the 1964 hit musical. I don’t mind. Give me Dick Van Dyke tap-dancing on the roof any day.
12 Books for Keeps No.233 November 2018 The Snowman (1982)
Michael Morpurgo, illustrated by Robin Shaw, Puffin, 978-0241352410, £12.99 hbk
Created by Dianne Jackson for the fledgling station Channel 4 in 1982, The Snowman has become as much a staple of Christmas as turkey and Santa, and offers a gentle 26-minute respite in an often chaotic period. The merchandise and spin-offs make it easy to forget the real magic of The Snowman, but both Raymond Briggs’ wordless picture book (1978) and the subsequent film remain
irresistible: a story of friendship and loss that uplifts us even as it breaks our hearts, the perfect family film for all ages. This Christmas, Michael Morpurgo gets in on the act with his own chapter book retelling of The Snowman.
The Princess Bride (1987)
William Goldman, Bloomsbury, 9780747545187, £8.99 pbk
vain,
proud and often quite unkind. So, Walt Disney and Robert Stevenson had
My favourite family film, The Princess Bride has it all: true love, adventure, duals and giants. It is also brilliantly funny, with both subtle and slapstick humour, so that all the family can join in. William Goldman wrote both the screenplay and the 1973 book, which is presented as an abridgement of S Morgenstern’s original text – but that’s another joke. The book has achieved cult status and is more likely to
be found in amongst edgier novels in HMV than in your children’s book corner, but is suitable for ages 10+.
All together now: ‘My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.’
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