We took the whole team to see The Magic Faraway Tree movie, and it ended up being one of those magical experiences that stays with you. Sitting there together, some as people who had read the stories as a child, some as parents deciding is it time to introduce their kids to The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton , and some who didn't know anything about the story and these magical books. It was exciting seeing some of us stepping back into something familiar and also seeing some of the Pixies learn this magical story for the first time. 

What really stood out to us wasn’t just the storyline or the nostalgia of it all, but the characters themselves and the reason so many of us as children were so drawn to these characters. 

They’re not polished or predictable, and they’re certainly not trying to be perfect. Instead, they’re curious, unusual, sometimes a little chaotic, and completely comfortable being who they are. 

As children we don’t connect with perfection, we are drawn to personality. To characters who feel real, who behave in unexpected ways, who bring something different & unique into the story. The ones who might be a little bit strange, but in a way that makes the world feel more interesting rather than less.

Watching it as adults, it became clear that stories like The Magic Faraway Tree are teaching something much deeper than just adventure.

They show children that being different isn’t something to fix or grow out of, but something to embrace. That there isn’t just one way to be, and that every personality, every quirk, every way of seeing the world has a place within the story. That being different isn't something to hide, it's something to celebrate, Without even realising it, children are learning that difference doesn’t take away from belonging, it adds to it. 

And maybe that’s why these stories stay with us for so long.

They don’t just shape how we imagine as children, they shape how we understand ourselves and the people around us. They teach empathy in a way that feels natural, they remind us that the most interesting worlds, and the most meaningful stories, are built from a mix of different perspectives, personalities and ideas. You can be loud or quiet, you can be curious or cautious. Imaginative, adventurous or even a bit silly and you still belong in the story. 

Sitting there watching the movie, felt like a gentle reminder why we loved these characters as a child. Somewhere along the way of growing up and becoming an adult, some of us learn to smooth out the edges of who we are. To be a little less curious, a little less playful, a little more predictable. And yet, these stories remind us that those parts of ourselves were never the problem.

They were the magic.

Perhaps that’s the real reason stories like The Magic Faraway Tree continue to matter, not just for our children, but for all of us.

Because they bring us back to a way of seeing the world that is a little more open, a little more accepting, and a little more full of wonder.