A few days ago the children and I finished reading the original edition of Ian Fleming's Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang (not the Disney version or the reader edition). We flew through the pages, hardly able to put the book down. As I read aloud a very exciting part, I noticed the eyes of our little Abe growing as round as an unfinished saucer on a potter's wheel. He was most certainly captured by the drama of the Potts family. Moments like those make reading out loud to the children all the more worth while.
I had never read Fleming's version of the tale, and had been poisoned (yes, POISONED) by the syrupy sweet Disney film "re"telling. The two stories only have the car in common, I am afraid. How delighted we all were with Fleming's tale of the Potts family! Here was a father, the head of his household, a bit eccentric, no doubt, but intelligent, loving, brave, and manly with a firm sense of right and wrong. Mimsie (Mrs. Potts) was gentle and kind and always looking out for the children the way a mother should. Jeremy and Jemima, twins, honored their parents, were obedient, and displayed a spirit of adventure and trying new things even in the face of danger.
Is this not a portrait of what we should desire our Christian families to be? Resolute in the face of danger and challenges to our principles? Courage and intelligence when against impossible odds? Hope? And a spirit of adventure in that we are a part of God's purpose for the greater good and His perfect will?
Don't get me wrong--you will find no mention of Christianity in the book. But being worldview savvy, you will find an exceptional family read: a strong, closely knit family, an edge-of-your-seat adventure plot, bad guys, good guys, and, oh yes, the "secret recipe" for Monsieur Bon-Bon's "Fooj."
My only regret is that this author ended his tales of the green machine wonder car in this first book and went on to write the James Bond series.
Scare up a copy of Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang at your local library soon and celebrate with your family and a tasty pan of "fooj."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment