“The cat walked through the world, with its whiskers, ears, and paws. And it does it all with very simple sentences, repetition, and a lot of white backgrounds. Delve a little deeper and you’ll find it about science and art and perception and empathy.
It looks at first glance like it’s just about a cat. Or, if you are a clever parent, you pick up a book like They All Saw a Cat. Nine times out of ten, that’s what’s going to happen. How do you show that in 32 pages? Well, you could pick up some cloying, toxic dribble that overuses words like “hugs” and “friendship”. Here’s an example: Let’s say you wanted to teach a kid empathy or how our perceptions change depending on our own experiences and who we are. But if they are lucky (or they are in the hands of a capable professional) they might find just the right book, teaching just the right lesson.
If the parent is unlucky they will get stuck with a book sticky with didacticism (an unpleasant book that sucks all the joy out of the reading experience). Occasionally a parent will also use a book to teach some kind of a lesson. Others to simply fill the long hours of the day. Some read to their kids to instill a love of reading. And why? Parents’ reasons are not united on this front. They grab frantically at the classics, discover that a lot of them don’t work with very very young children (since when did Horton Hatches the Egg have so many words?!?), and then occasionally turn to the experts for help. Then, one day, they produce a few kids and BLAMMO! They are shot into a world they haven’t visited since they were young themselves.
Unless you’re a teacher or librarian, a grown adult that does not work or live with children will come into very little contact with picture books.
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