How far does the (academic, educational, sociological and psychological) hand of digital literature stretch? The more I read, the more questions arise…
Recently, I came across a book in Chermside Library that I picked up initially because it had a squirrel on its front cover. My four-year-old loves stories about cheeky animals, so beyond that, I didn’t give a second thought to my selection.
When we got home, though, I discovered that Girl Versus Squirrel had an audiobook player on the inside front cover. No wifi needed, no devices or downloads or subscriptions – just charge via USB and play via the speaker. We both liked it – me for the ‘opportunity for critique’ factor, and my son for the fact that he got to hear another story (storyteller in chief having run out of steam that day). I was intrigued by the possibilities the format opened up for pre-literate readers/consumers.
Unlike device-based e-books, or conventional audio books, VoxBooks integrates the physicality of a printed book (from another publishing house) with complementary audio. They are strong hardcover books with a durable plastic ‘MP3 player’ and can play for hours without needing to recharge. With no narrative-based interactives to tap or click, consumers are engaged with the static illustrations and the matching audio.
I scrolled through the VoxBooks online shopfront and saw they had many, many titles translated into a variety of languages. Purchasing the books is quite an expensive proposition (about $50 per copy), but that’s where libraries can come to the rescue in terms of access. Given there is no wi-fi or specific device required, and no subscription to be activated, these provide a great exposure opportunity for collection engagement with families where technology can be unavailable.
Does a book with the VoxBooks interface as an add-on count as an example of digital literature? I would argue yes. Despite not having a screen (Bell et. al. in Allan, 2017), it requires preschool-appropriate technological skills akin to turning on and tapping/clicking/pressing play. It is, to an extent, interactive in that you can speed it up or slow it down, or replay a page. Perhaps these count as digital audiobooks, as per the State Library of Kansas’ definition (2024) in which case, in the interest of validating equitable access to technology, I would argue yes once again to the question of whether it is actually digital literature.
In terms of whether these are quality examples, the narratives are engaging and age-appropriate, and the way in which the pages are structured with two written languages facilitates meaning-making through exposure to different symbols and pattern systems (Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority (ACEQA), 2024). The Sophia and Alex series we borrowed is printed in contrasting colours to distinguish between English and hiragana, and the audio narration reads first in English and then Japanese. The text is shortened to allow for two readings of each page’s content, but the books themselves are still very substantial in length. I found several VoxBooks in Chinese (Mandarin) on the shelf and borrowed those as well; they all use the same format for presenting bilingual content but because the books are all written and translated by different authors there is still a variety of representative voices (culturally speaking), subject matter, and lightly-accented English. This could also act as an excellent support for educators looking to encourage children to connect with aspects of their identity, and to feel a sense of belonging to a cultural community, as per the Early Years Learning Framework Outcomes 1 and 2 (ACEQA, 2024).
These would make a great addition to any library collection, but they would be especially valuable where a majority heritage language base is one other than English, especially in Early Years education settings and those wherein parent levels of comfort with English make it difficult to read to preliterate children.
References
Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority (ACEQA) (2024). Belonging, Being, Becoming: Early Years Learning Framework. https://www.acecqa.gov.au/belonging-being-becoming-early-years-learning-framework
Allan, C. (2017). Digital fiction: ‘Unruly object’ or literary artefact? English in Australia, 52(2), 21-27. https://search-informit-org.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/doi/epdf/10.3316/aeipt.216171
Hoel, T., & Jernes, M. (2023). Quality in children’s digital picture books: Seven key strands for educational reflections for shared dialogue-based reading in early childhood settings. Early Years. https://doi.org/10.1080/09575146.2023.2172552
Barett, H. (2020). Girl Versus Squirrel. Holiday House. Audio by VoxBooks.
Jian, L. (2019). Little Rat and the Golden Seed. Shanghai Press. Audio by Voxbooks.
Bourgeois-Vance, D. (2020). Sophia and Alex Go To Preschool (English/Japanese Bilingual). Advance Books. Audio by VoxBooks.
Bourgeois-Vance, D. (2020). Sophia and Alex Go On A Field Trip (English/Japanese Bilingual). Advance Books. Audio by VoxBooks.
Bourgeois-Vance, D. (2020). Sophia and Alex Learn About Health (English/Japanese Bilingual). Advance Books. Audio by VoxBooks.
Bourgeois-Vance, D. (2020). Sophia and Alex Make Friends At Preschool (English/Japanese Bilingual). Advance Books. Audio by VoxBooks.
Jin, B. (2020). A Blue Bird and Her Little Tree. Shanghai Press. Audio by Voxbooks.
Jian, L. (2015). Genghis Khan – The Brave Warrior Who Bridged East and West. Shanghai Press. Audio by Voxbooks.
Jian, L. (2019). Little Rat and the Golden Seed. Shanghai Press. Audio by Voxbooks.
State Library of Kansas (2024). Digital Books – Main FAQ. State Library of Kansas. https://kslib.info/Faq.aspx?QID=93