The Impact of Books to Young Readers A Conversation with a Publisher By Raven Howell

 

The Impact of Books to Young Readers

A Conversation with a Publisher

 

By Raven Howell

 

 

As a preschooler, I looked forward to bedtime story time. Books gave me comfort, happiness, sparked my imagination, and relaxed me. At the time, I had no idea it also helped build self-esteem, vocabulary and sensory awareness.

 

Different topics have surged in popularity and illustrations have evolved in style, but the positive impact of books to young readers has not changed since those years.

 

With the opportunity to interview Jon Seymour of Tielmour Press, a Canadian publisher of children’s books, we discussed the importance and impact kids’ literature serves children these days.

 

Jon stressed the importance of storytelling at a young age. “Picture books provide so much to children, and storytelling is one of the few qualities that make us uniquely human. Picture books allow children to activate their imaginations on different levels, especially those who are visual learners like me, and they also let children learn to enjoy stories without necessarily being able to read—young children sometimes just like to look at pictures, and that’s part of the beauty of picture books!”

 

“Caregivers and educators can help establish healthy reading habits to forge a healthy relationship with books.

 

• Make sure that kids aren’t forced into reading or that they can read at their own pace. Nothing turns away a future reader more than being forced to read a book when they don’t want to.
• Lead by example: Children often mirror what others in their proximity are doing, so show children that reading is something that anyone can do, and anyone can enjoy.
• Find books that are of specific interest to a child. Show them how much fun books can be when they involve their favourite topics.”

 

Jon grew up in rural Ontario. Recalling one childhood memory in particular, he says, “I remember in Grade 3, we would often go into the library for story time and sit in the ‘pit’, a tiered depression in the library. Our English teacher chose to read several poems from Shel Silverstein, and I will never forget how much I loved the illustrations for each poem. This will be a core memory for the rest of my life,” he muses.

 

Jon authored A Morning With Blueburry, a kids’ book relevant to our conversation. “Children have expressed great joy and interest in Blueburry, yet the illustrations are minimal, simple black ink contours with lots of stippling. Adults may think it’s not an ideal book for kids due to the lack of color, but there hasn’t been a single child commenting negatively on the art style. Sometimes our biases and expectations for what children want aren’t right.”

 

As a publisher, and one dedicated to working with organizations supporting our natural environment, Jon’s daily schedule is a busy one. He wakes extra early to get a head start on the day “and also because the creative ideas are in abundance during the wee hours of the morning,” he says.

 

“As a publisher, the most challenging part is trying to grasp a constantly shifting landscape that still adheres to rigid principles. The use of technology has also become both a blessing and a burden (e.g., AI).”

 

As for tips to new authors, Jon says, “There are so many bits of wisdom to pass on! Your experiences, knowledge, skillsets, and ideas are all uniquely yours. So, never stop working towards developing your craft, and learn to combine everything that is YOU into something that is uniquely yours. Then, double down on it and bring it into the world.”