Maria Cristina Buoso's Fairytale World: a lesson for everyone
Review
by Maria Teresa De Donato
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Reading and reviewing Interview with Santa Claus (Buoso, 2023) and
Interview with the Befana (Buoso, 2024), published
by Amazon EU via PlaceBookPublishing & Writer Agency Srls - I Piccoli
Series, was relaxing, pleasant, and, at the same time, stimulating.
Through a flowing and
equally captivating narrative style, Maria Cristina's creativity seems to mix
with her at times mocking and, why not, even provocative vein. Hence, two
stories that, at least apparently, should be intended exclusively for children
become ideas for reflection for us adults, too.
The world of fairy tales
is full of particular characters we all love, such as Santa Claus and the Befana.
Both are always around the world to distribute gifts to children every year and
beyond, helped in their activities by fairies, goblins, elves, and gnomes, each
carrying out a specific task.
Although everything seems
to be the prerogative of kids and certainly has the purpose of developing their
imagination, fantasy, and creativity, the intrinsic lessons for us adults are
remarkable.
If these interviews with
Santa Claus and the Befana will intrigue the children, make them rejoice and get
even more excited about these characters and their World, adults will also have
something to reflect on.
The fairy world is
uncontaminated, full of charm, beauty, mystery, and magic that children can
see and enjoy. We adults have buried it in the past. Slaves of the daily
routine, we have let personal, family, and professional responsibilities transform
most of us into robots whose existence is hinged on the materiality of things,
finances, and careers. There is no more room for dreaming, for creativity, for
the magic of Life, which is still there, under our very eyes, but which escapes
us as we have become unable to see it and, consequently, to appreciate it.
On the contrary, to use the
words of the American artist Keith Haring (1958-1990), who is mentioned in Interview
with the Befana, "Children know something that most people have
forgotten." Nature, its sounds, scents, the sensations it offers us,
its magic, its mysteries, and, therefore, the very charm of Life, seem remote
privileges that too many have abandoned when not even forgotten.
Fairy tales and fables
are not exclusive to kids. Perhaps we should not only share them with our
children, grandchildren, pupils, and our neighbors’ kids; maybe we should take
the time to resume dreaming, to enjoy the mystery of life, to spend more time
immersed in Nature, to look at the sky, the sea, the forests, to embrace the
trunks of the trees to ... feel alive again and reconnect ourselves not only with Nature and the Cosmos but even more so with ourselves.
In doing so, we share
this knowledge and beauty of fairy tales with the world of children by
continuing to fantasize with them and stimulating their creativity and
imagination.
That is basically the
message and purpose of these two short publications by Maria Cristina. The
invitation, not only of the Author but also mine, is to immerse us in
reading these stories and fully enjoy not only the atmospheres but also their
profound meaning together with the youngest, teaching them, precisely through
the analysis of the characters, the spirit of sharing, the sense of
hospitality, generosity, altruism, cooperation, and adventure.
Perhaps to change the World,
we must return to our true Self and reconnect with our most hidden, authentic,
boyish part, which has been lost.
Therefore, Interview
with Santa Claus and Interview with the Befana are two enjoyable,
meaningful readings that I recommend to children and adults.