Parents Prefer Paper

Parents Prefer Paper

by Jordan Newell, Intern Summer 2012

I have often been called a bookworm, and I’m proud of it. I love the smell and feel of a book—I’ve spent many years building up my personal library. When I first heard about the e-book, I thought it was neat, but not something I would ever rely on. There is just something about the experience of a print-on-paper book that doesn’t translate into electronic format. And that’s coming from an adult audience; what about children’s books? How is anyone supposed to enjoy a pop-up book using a Nook or a Kindle?

Sales of e-books of children’s titles have hardly changed. Even if they are avid readers of e-books, many parents, according to The New York Times, prefer their children to have paper books. This preference is based on the learning experience parents want for their children. Books are very popular gifts, and parents often flip through an entire book at the store before purchasing it for their child, something that is not always possible when shopping online. Because children’s books are known to be vibrantly colorful and sometimes fun shapes, there is much speculation on the ability to adapt their designs to electronic devices. The New York Times quotes Junko Yokota, the director for the Center For Teaching Through Children’s Books at National Louis University in Chicago: “[Designs] become part of the emotional experience, the intellectual experience. There’s a lot you can’t standardize and stick into an electronic format.”

Not to mention, I wouldn’t trust my six-year-old cousin with my new iPad. To be honest, I probably wouldn’t trust her with a hard copy of my favorite Harry Potter novel either, but I would feel safer knowing the book was easier to replace than an expensive device. My iPad is also a different form of entertainment to my cousin; she associates it with the games I help her play. I doubt she’d really be able to focus on reading when she knows which button will let her play her favorite game. So for now, it seems, the children’s book market will continue to enjoy the advantages of ink on paper while the parents can hold on to their gadgets for a little while longer.