Does it matter if children’s books deliver inaccurate science?

“While scenes such as a talking whale in a kiddie pool are clearly fantastical, images that inaccurately reflect biological reality can lead to misinformation that lingers long past childhood.” (…)

“Because whales are a popular topic in kids’ books, Rice and other researchers have used their portrayal as a measuring stick for scientific accuracy. In a 2016 article called, tellingly, “Cetacean Frustration,” four British scientists surveyed picture books that feature whales and other cetaceans. Of 116 books, 74 had errors. The rate was higher in fiction, but almost half of the nonfiction books also contained errors.”

Read on at www.hakaimagazine.com/features/storybook-whale-fail/