So, I'm sure most of you (especially those with kids) have already heard about Nickelodeon adding our beloved Olivia to their preschool line up. My two little bookworms were excited to hear this news but for me, it was mixed emotions. It actually brought an interesting question to mind. When thinking about promoting reading and books to children, does the leap from print to TV and/or film take away from the rich experience and exposure of these characters to our children OR does it enhance it? Also, does it expose them to those children who wouldn't have the opportunity otherwise?
I remember growing up and reading a ton of Curious George books from my school library. I loved to get lost in his unpredictable little capers. My children are more familiar with the loveable primate from Universal's movie and PBS's TV series. Meanwhile, the history of Curious George and the authors H. A. and Margret Rey, is a fascinating one. One that is lost among the children of today. So does adapting these stories to fit the "boob tube" and the "big screen" taint this incredible history or does it extend it to larger populations of children that might never have been given the chance to know them at all? Is it like how they say in the PR world, any exposure is good exposure?
I refer to television and film as "mainstream" because, sadly, I truly believe that books are no longer part of most families' everyday lives. A study by the National Endowment for the Arts states that, "fewer then half of American adults read literature." These other forms of media are so dominant in our society that the perception of children today is so different from ours. We think nothing of and often feel great excitement when we hear a movie is being made from one of our favorite books (the perfect example of that is the current "Twilight" craze), but how does this transfer to the preschool age. If children aren't exposed to these books and characters do they get that same thrill? More likely, it's the opposite. Preschoolers are drawn to characters and stories that they first encountered on TV, like, Dora the Explorer or Spongebob. They're reading books and stories developed only as branding tools used to sell these characters to our children, instead of tools of pure creative and artistic expression.
Well, I'm definitely interested to see how Olivia does on her big television debut! I'm also interested to hear what YOU think about this subject. I'd love to hear what your thoughts are about "mainstreaming" these classic storybook characters to TV and film.
