The question was how to convince a grade-school child to delve into a book on business management, archaeology, medicine. Usborne began with two theories. “I feel equal to my kids,” he said. It made sense to him that children should be addressed as equals.
Also, he said, “My theory is that children prefer most other media to books.” Usborne evolved a combination of quick, often witty text, bright colors in lots of cartoons and illustrations, packaged in 30 or 40 pages as light as a magazine. The result, he said:
“A book that, at first, doesn’t look like a book at all.”
…Usborne’s books are written by a 70 member staff, and illustrated by hundreds of artists in London. The books are written for age groups from preschool up. As it is, Usborne contends some of his children’s books are the best sources of quick information for grown-ups, too.
