Please, Look up at Me

Please, Look up at Me written by Denise D’Angelo Roland and Illustrated by Andrea Shine found me a few weeks ago after the author visited my website and discovered that we share many of the same philosophies in life. “Kate, the story’s main character, loves to look at her tablet. Mama feels concerned. Children today seem to prefer looking at screens more than enjoying the outdoors and free play with one another. At first Kate feels that Mama is overreacting. But after some personal reflection and deeper thinking, Kate connects the dots and finds understanding in Mama’s plea.” (book jacket flap)

I have a normal twelve year old granddaughter who loves her iPad. She also loves soccer and cross country. Hard to use the iPad when she’s involved in either of these activities. However, it does get used a lot - on her one hour bus ride to and from school - when she stays with Grandma after school until her parents get home - and most of the time when riding in the car. Her parents have set some pretty stringent rules regarding other times of the day and iPad usage. I read Roland’s book to both my daughter and granddaughter. A lively discussion followed with both agreeing that the story has an important message to share.

Kate tells the story in her voice in an easy flowing rhyming verse. She explains that Mama is not happy with her need to have her face glued to the screen, sitting alone staring down and shying away from contact with people. During a shopping outing she ignored a friend from school as she was too intent on her screen. Mama aptly labels that rude! Mama’s questions go ignored at home;

“You just keep staring down, while I’m here talking to you, a good listener does so with both eyes, it’s more respectful, too.”

Kate is a wise young lady and becomes upset when her Dad ignores her attempt to show him her school art while he is distracted by an incoming text. She experiences the ache of not being paid attention to. Understanding begins to dawn as she recalls other “rude” behaviors she’s been a part of lately and what perhaps she’s missing out on being glued to her screen.

Roland’s story is simple and sweet and yet warns all of us of the dangers of too much screen time for anyone in our continuously changing culture. She clues us in gently that even adults are guilty of the too much screen time conundrum.

Denise D”Angelo Roland will share a guest blog on No App to Replace Your Lap here tomorrow. Stop in to hear more from this author.