Comic books can motivate more children and young people to read
TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat... Entertainment culture offers many alternatives to reading, and it can be difficult to create and sustain a love of reading in children and young people, even though reading is important for learning. Comics can be part of the solution.
Creating and maintaining a love of reading among children and young people is crucial for cognitive development and attention span. That is why it is important for children to keep reading, and comics can help open the door to the world of reading. At Egmont, we work to find, create and publish comics for children and young people so that they discover the joy of reading and keep reading. Tonje Tornes, Nordic Manga Editor at Story House Egmont in Norway, is involved in publishing both classic and new comics for children and youth.
She explains that comics can also help give children with reading difficulties a confidence boost, as it can be easier to read a comic than a whole book. In addition, comics can help explain difficult topics from a child’s perspective, she points out.
At Story House Egmont, we publish everything from Donald Duck to Nordic manga because children are motivated to read by different things, and comics offer a wide range of genres and topics. From superhero epics to everyday dramas and fantasy worlds, children and youth can find something that captures their interest and attracts them to the universe of reading. What most comics have in common is humour. This makes reading fun for children and young people and gives them a great reading experience. Comics can therefore help inspire children and young people to develop a lifelong love of literature.