Picture: iStock
It is an all too familiar scene in the digital age: children as young as two years old swiping left-right and up-down on all manner of smart devices in search of their next entertainment fix.
From the latest cartoons to – hopefully – something more cerebral such as the History Channel or National Geographic, there’s just no getting them away from smartphones or tablets.
Books have no value to these tech-savvy toddlers and yet they are not to blame, according to Sinead James, a Durban-based single mother of three boys aged eight, six and three weeks old.
“With the eldest I didn’t know better and was more about keeping up with my friends, whose kids had the latest and best devices,” she says.
However, she noticed her son struggling with his alphabet and numerals when he started school.
“I realised that we did not have a single kiddie’s book in the house and decided to trade in all smart devices for a ‘cheapo cell’ and start getting him interested in books.”
James says both her eight and six-year-old are “bonkers about books” and they express very little interest in her cell phone, other than for the occasional word game or Candy Crush.
There is a plethora of benefits in getting your kids interested in books from an early age. Not only does it build self-confidence, it also helps them make more sense of the world around them and gives them the skills to think logically about tricky or even dangerous situations they may find themselves in.
The Citizen has identified and reviewed a few awesome books that we are sure your kids will love.
Jack Friedman, age 3
Author: Roald Dahl
Publisher: Penguin Random House
ISBN: 9780241422458
Apparently side-splitting
Being an awesome kid, I was looking forward to getting stuck into Road Dahl’s newly released joke book. The only problem is that I don’t really get jokes yet.
Apparently, this is normal for a three-year-old. I should start understanding punchlines around the age of four or five.
I am confident I’ll grow into Matilda’s Jokes for Awesome Kids. The jokes seem strong. My dad laughed at them, a little bit too much. I think my mom might be right about him. He’s immature.
You can’t choose your father, but since I can’t beat him, I look forward to joining him in laughing along as soon as I’m old enough.
Hayden Horner
Author: Enid Blyton
Publisher: Penguin Random House
ISBN: 9781405292689
Magical chair madness
Enid Blyton’s magical Wishing-Chair series brings us another short story that kids are going to love as much as the previous two.
The books are about Molly and Peter who have a magical wishing-chair that will fly them to wonderful lands and grant them any wish they please.
But on a mission to find their missing toys, the children are captured and made to attend the strict school for bad brownies.
Arguably one of the most famous children’s authors of all time, Blyton’s Wishing-Chair series is perfect for readers aged five years and older.
Daniel Friedman
Author: Alison Black
Publisher: Penguin Random House
ISBN: 9780241373002
Tougher jungle trip
My three-year-old loved going on this jungle journey. It’s full of ways for little people to get involved.
The Little World series of books from Penguin Random House sees the publisher muscle in on the territory that has been so successful for Campbell, whose Push, Pull, Slide series is a mainstay at most book stores with a kiddie’s section.
There are many pop-up books or ones with flaps, which, while brilliant and beautiful, will be torn to bits within a week.
The Little World series, like its competition, changes this by offering a toddler an experience full of novelty and wonder all in the form of a book that it’s really very difficult to destroy.
My little guy really tried. A week later I’m happy to say the book is still very much in one piece.
Hayden Horner
Author: Matt Haig and Chris Mould
Publisher: Canongate Books Ltd
ISBN: 9781786898265
It’s never too early to learn some lessons
From bestselling author Matt Haig and illustrator Chris Mould comes another fun adventure involving that lovable and factually correct sprite who’s loved by kids everywhere.
Pixie and her friend face a bully at school and learn the importance of friendship and being yourself.
“Your one true self is the best thing you’ve got,” is Pixie’s advice to little boys and girls who doubt themselves.
Built from Haig and Mould’s original book, this one is going to be another hit with kids aged five years and up.
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