SCREEN TIME!

A young badger and her parents battle excessive screen use.

When Doris was a tiny stripy cub, she loved observing the world around her. She delighted in books, and she imagined she was “Madame Sparkle-Nose” (a fantastic dancer) and “Expert Fancy-Pants” (a makeup artist whose main client was Daddy). But when Doris grows a bit older, she discovers the magnetic pull of screens. She uses Mommy and Daddy’s phones, the tablet, and the television to watch Bertie Banana, her favorite show. The program is available anywhere, anytime. And if Doris isn’t watching it, she shouts with all her might, “BERTIE BANANA!” Daddy decides it’s time for a break. He lets Doris pack her own bag (with everything but a screen), and they go outside to Cheery Woods, where they join other families, and everyone’s imagination soars. Happily, Birkett includes adults in the light admonishment: “And Daddy didn’t look at his phone either!” Screen time isn’t banished, but more breaks to visit Cheery Woods are built in. Direct questions to readers peppered throughout (“What games do you like to play outside?”) provide a greater connection to Doris and will hopefully encourage readers to think about their own digital habits. Whether portraying the great outdoors or the domestic sphere, Birkett’s softly hued illustrations depict an idyllic world.

A thorny parenting issue tackled by touching grass.