Time was when almost all kids’ books taught a moral or a lesson. They weren’t written to be read just for entertainment. There was some kind of take-away.
Times have changed. While some books for kids still have an underlying lesson, many do not. They’re written purely for fun. And that’s a good thing.
Even when the books do have content meant to teach, guide, or otherwise inform, they don’t lay it on thick. They’re not heavy-handed or preachy. Think Dr. Seuss. We’ve come a long way from the tales of our great-grandparents’ era.
And when today’s books for kids do teach, they’re as likely to teach facts as morals. For example, science at the picturebook age—say, pre-K through grade 2—is a good thing.
And I’ll admit that I myself have written books that have lessons or morals or messages written into them. There’s nothing wrong with that. But I’ve also written books that have no lessons at all and are written purely for entertainment. And there’s nothing wrong with that, either. Many books—mine and other authors’—are written strictly for fun.
We’ve come a long way from the days when children’s books were supposed to teach kids how to live good lives, honest lives, even godly lives.
Heck, a book that’s FUN can encourage kids to read.
And there’s DEFINITELY nothing wrong with THAT!