Today's media is all around us and is unavoidable. Social media and the 24-hour news cycle has helped evolve journalism into an industry that often injects bias, negativity and sensationalism into its stories in order to increase visibility. Even worse, the general population has had a diminishing attention span, with the majority of people rarely reading beyond the headline. HAVE YOU HEARD THE NEWS? gives kids a first glimpse at some of the red flags they need to watch out for as they grow up in a media-driven world. As Bria, the Ladybug, and her frog friend, Oakland Jack, set out to enjoy a day in the park, their fun is almost ruined by a panicky duck's misunderstanding of current events as reported in a local newspaper. Through a fun, engaging story with mesmerizing artwork, HAVE YOU HEARD THE NEWS? helps kids sharpen their critical thinking skills, and gives parents and teachers an important tool for helping prepare kids for the world around them.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.