Browsing through the shelves of the children’s section at bookstores can be a gloomy experience for any parent trying to find multicultural stories for their little ones. Children’s books featuring characters of different cultures, sexualities, disabilities and anything else you can think of are simply hard to come by. Organisations such as the We Need Diverse Books reflect a global demand for culturally diverse children’s literature.
Determined to solve this problem, Donna Beasley developed KaZoom Kids Books, a digital library of interactive and multicultural children's books. Each book consists of stories featuring children from diverse backgrounds solving problems, trying new things, and fearlessly exploring the world. KaZoom iBook features include read-along narration, interactive action and animation. Using the app, children can read stories or have stories read to them at the touch of a screen.
The need for children of all cultures to have access to multicultural books is immeasurable since children are now growing up in an interconnected and intercultural world. A book depicting an Asian family, for example, would not only be beneficial to an Asian child seeing himself represented in a book but also to other children in order to respect other cultural groups and celebrate differences.
KaZoom Kids Books are created for children between the ages of three and eight. But the impact of these books extends further into their adolescent years. The utilisation of digital storytelling from an early age can be particularly useful because it prepares a child for their entry into school systems which are already infusing technology literacy into education curriculum.
As with any digital app, KaZoom Kids Books is reliant on technology, and for some parents, this may raise concerns about child safety. Fortunately, KaZoom Book Kids apps and digital library are on a secured cloud platform and are easy to navigate and use for both parents and children. Through the authoring and publishing of KaZoom iBooks, Beasley and her team open the doors for children to gain a better understanding of not only themselves but of the world in which they live in.
Visit their website to find out more about their Kickstarter campaign and subscription options.
