By now everyone should know the vital role that stories play in the growth and development of children. Stories introduce children to new words and languages, cultivate early literacy skills, and stimulate curiosity. But anyone who has read to their child knows it’s not just about the words on the page; the pictures that accompany a story are just as important as the plot and literary flair. Here are a few benefits of using picture books to build your child’s reading skills.
Inspires visual thinking
Illustrations aren’t just for aesthetic purposes; they also help children understand what they are reading. When children have a hard time understanding words, illustrations help them figure out the narrative, which works wonders for their comprehension.
Increases engagement
Illustrations allow you to discuss more than just the text. They also give young readers the opportunity to talk about what they see on the page, what happened in the story, and fill in a few narrative gaps their young minds might not have understood the first time around.
Makes learning fun
Picture books turn the reading experience into a fun activity. If a child’s first experience with reading is a positive one, they’re more than likely to become a lifelong learner that relishes the thought of burying their head in as many books as possible. It’s quite clear that picture books are an important part of a child’s development.
What’s not so clear is where to find the right ones. If this sounds like the dilemma you are facing, look no further than your local Wimpy. Wimpy has teamed up with Ethnikids, which is an initiative that specialises in children’s storybooks that feature characters of colour in various South African languages.
Ethnikids has written six South African short stories for kids in all of our 11 official languages.
Nanana Boselesele was illustrated by Subi Bosa, an architect turned artist who has done plenty of literacy advocacy for a number of NGOs.
How the Owl Got Its Sound was illustrated by the award-winning Ndumiso Nyoni, whose work was recently featured on DStv’s Disney Africa channel.
Monkey and Crocodile was illustrated by Susie Appleby, an art school teacher who converts her hand drawings and paintings into digital format.
How the Elephants Saved Summer was illustrated by Katlego Keokgale, an artist lauded for her ability to bring expressive characters to life.
Jackal and Wolf was illustrated by Mogau Kekana, a concept artist who specialises in pre-production.
Naughty Nogwaja was illustrated by Siya Masuku, the writer, publisher, and illustrator responsible for a slew of isiZulu literary works.
You can get a FREE illustrated storybook for your child with every Kids’ Combo Meal. You can also watch live readings of the indigenous stories on the Wimpy website.
