What Do Kids Really See?

Children are very literal-minded and do not have the capacity to think as abstractly as adults, so when they look at a cartoon character they are less likely to see a mere representation as is an adult. Rather, when a kid looks at a cartoon in, say, a children’s ebook, and takes pleasure in it, she will notice all sorts of things about the character that an adult might not off the bat, and this will contribute to her idea of what the character is like and what the character values. Ask your child what she notices about any given cartoon character, and you will be surprised what she can recall about the character’s appearance – attributes you likely missed! Cartoons that give thought and attention to detail are likewise of better quality and appeal to most kids.


Professor Beetoven, a cartoon character who is featured in the kid’s ebook, The Pacific Ocean, communicates several things to children just by the way that he looks, not to mention by the things that he says and how he says them. He wears glasses, which connotes both safety and intelligence. He’s a bee, which means he is full of energy, and he dons a graduation cap, which backs up his humble claim to “know everything” (it’s also an emphasis on the importance of taking school seriously). Moreover, Professor Beetoven usually always has a smile on his face, which is more human than bee, and a friendly, wide-eyed way of communicating about things that interest him. When children look at the details implicit in a character like Professor Beetoven, they absorb information that influences what they learn to value, and to have high esteem for intelligence and excitement about learning are worthwhile things to value!