IN 140 CHARACTERS OR LESS:
Want your kids to be web-smart? This book will help.
Who’s it for:
Children aged 4-8
The idea:
In this children’s picture book, the internet is likened to a big puddle.
The internet is a bit like a puddle.
It can be lots of fun and very useful.
But… the internet can also be deeper than it looks.
According to the publisher, the Big Hug series of books (of which this is one) grew out of letters sent to children and their families after their psychology sessions. Each book has its origins in a real need for a real child with a real problem and offers real strategies from a real psychologist. The heart-felt illustrations and simple words aim to simplify tricky situations and soothe strong emotions. The books aim to give children, and the people who care for them, a way to talk about problems.
My Thoughts:
On the whole, I think children’s picture books should be fun and entertaining. Kids have this in-built ability to resist books they think are ‘good’ for them. Or, as I would put it, ‘too preachy’.
But I think there’s a role for books that explain difficult or abstract concepts – and the internet is certainly one of them.
This generation of children is a digital generation. The internet will pervade every aspect of their lives.
What’s a parent to do? Bury their heads in the sand? Of course not. Conversations about computer-literacy need to happen and they need to happen young.
If you’ve ever seen a two year old work a smartphone with greater ease than most adults, you’ll know what I mean.
This book is a gentle exploration of how the internet helps us, but also delves into the problems it can cause. The text is accompanied by water colour illustrations which rank pretty high on the ‘cute’ factor.
It’s probably not the kind of book that children will want to read over and over, so I suggest sourcing it from a local library or purchasing it for your child’s school or kindergarten. It’s easy to see this book being the start of a much bigger conversation..
Buy it from Booktopia
