Vibe's World Book Day book of choice - literally!

Vibe chats with Pippa Goodhart and Nick Sharratt about their interactive and engaging 'You Choose' book series in support of World Book Day.

With World Book Day having taken place on 6th March 2025, it is only right that we discuss how crucial reading is for children to immerse themselves in. As an avid reader myself and an English Literature graduate, I may be considered biased, therefore, I have decided to interview Pippa Goodhart and Nick Sharratt, author and illustrator of the 'You Choose' book series to further discuss, present, and prove how important interactive reading can be. 

As a young child I remember being a big fan of reading that invoked critical thinking. I remember reaching for the 'Cat Royal' series by Julia Golding many a time due to its historical education as well as its interesting narrative. I also loved 'My Sister Jodie' by Jacqueline Wilson, which Nick Sharratt illustrated, as a result of its dark themes, and subsequent emotion. Although having read these books around 10+ years ago, I still remember these novels strongly as there was a lot more room for reader engagement than the average young children's novel; they piqued my interest in ways that a lot of other books simply couldn't. With the educational aspect of both of these novels surrounding life experiences, modern and historical, I felt as a child I was able to excel further in my understanding of the world itself.

For a younger demographic, I would pin Pippa Goodhart's 'You Choose' series as the equivalent of the aforementioned novels for a younger age range. The government website states that 'reading lets children discover new worlds, meet new people and learn about the past'; the books certainly do just that. In discussion with Pippa and Nick, Pippa describes the books as not "standard storybooks"; "they are sort of catalogue books that ask questions of children, they put the children in charge." I am told that "it's a game of what sort of job you might want, where you might want to live, what you might want to eat." Ultimately, "unlike school reading, this is a game that can be shared with others."

I explain how when I was a child, it was always just a strict narrative in children's books; no decision making. I ask how this idea came about, to which Pippa replies, "It was a long, long time ago when my own children were little. I've got three daughters and they'd look through catalogues and mark them and say: when it's my birthday can I have this? and this?, knowing perfectly well they were not going to get all those things. It just put the idea in my mind of doing a catalogue of the big things in life, which you usually don't get to choose, especially if you are a child. You don't have the power to choose where you're going to live, or who's in your family, or what you're going to eat every day but in your imagination, you can."

As an illustrator and author working together, I ask Pippa and Nick how they both work to individually engage readers. Nick answers, "as the illustrator I pack the pages full of imagery that gives the reader lots and lots of things to look at and to ponder over and to think about. Sharing the book with a parent and reading the book together then will ignite all sorts of conversations about what kind of clothes you would choose, etc., it's a book that really stimulates conversation, doesn't it Pippa?" Pippa agrees. Noting that the text is only a sentence or two on each spread, "fairly minimal", Pippa explains that the prose rhymes, therefore making for nice reading aloud but also "makes suggestions" of what the reader may choose, provoking thought, discussion, and overall interaction. 

Understanding that this series promotes high child engagement and consequently, potential encouragement of child development, I ask Pippa and Nick if this was their aim at all when working together to create a series that evokes such intrigue and imagination in children. Nick declares that "when you're creating a book and you want to make it as good as possible, it will have a lot of things in like that anyway, otherwise it wouldn't be an engaging read; good books will educate and they will stimulate and arouse a child's curiosity. It will help the child develop all sorts of skills like concentration, cultural awareness and empathy." Pippa adds, "I'm consciously thinking of offering a rich variety of things so that children can take it in whatever direction they like", she describes how one of the joys of these books is that they will receive lots of messages from speech and language therapists who say that the book is vital for getting children talking. Text on the page "can soon grow into a bigger conversation about real life" and so it is an amazing "bonding book for adults and children to share."

Nick affirms my previously mentioned ideology surrounding reading aiding children in all sorts of ways, stating that "statistics have shown that children who read from pleasure from a young age are going to be equipped with all sorts of advantages". There is no doubt then why McDonald's have chosen the series to equip their 'Happy Meals' until 25th March which Pippa expresses her gratitude for, declaring that the books "are going to reach millions of children." Going into detail about the promotion, Nick explains that "there are two storybooks and eight activity books covering all sorts of subjects like dinosaurs, space, and holiday travel", plus children will be excited to learn that "they come with stickers, puzzles, and space to do your own drawings too"; "I'm a big fan of encouraging drawings whenever I can, so it's wonderful that children get the opportunity to do their own illustrations" he adds. 

Wrapping up our discussion, I ask Pippa and Nick if they have any parting words they'd like to share about the book series for the people of Watford, to which they reply "enjoy!" as that is the key going on and finding more books you can enjoy and explore. 

Visit your local McDonalds to pick up a You Choose book in the Happy Meal, or check out World Book Day's website to find out more!