Astrid Lindgren (1907–2002) is a world-famous children’s book writer and the best-selling Swedish writer ever. I will write about her today, but first, some remarks about imagination, fun and having concern for others, which are indeed also important for school learning and a good life.

Last week, I wrote about improving education through a smaller curriculum and more attention to moral education and basic subjects, the 3Rs, and more freedom for students to spend time on subjects and issues they like. We should have a kinder school where all children and young people feel that they succeed and that every school day is pleasant. I didn’t say much about what the content of the new school should be. I would rather have everyone—students and teachers on summer holiday, and everyone else—consider education issues and find better ways ahead. In any case, we need to use our imagination and think anew, creating a school which is better for all children and young people and less costly for governments and parents’ private wallets. Our new education system would let children learn more since it would focus on their own interests, and it would become the school’s task to encourage children and help release their imagination and curiosity.

When Albert Einstein (1879–1955), the great theoretical physicist, was asked what we should teach children, he said we should read them a fairy tale, and after that, we should read another fairy tale, and then another one. He was a refugee from Germany in America and is now also used as a symbol by the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR.

In Pakistan, the best-known writer of children’s books in English is Roald Dahl (1916–1990), a British writer of Norwegian heritage, and he is certainly an inspiration for children’s imagination in a range of books, such as ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’, ‘Matilda’, ‘The........

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