MISTY MOLE GOES SCREEN-FREE

The protagonist of Misty Mole Gets New Glasses (2024) learns about the perils of screen time.

Misty Mole’s in the forest, painting a scene that features her friends. But where are they? They’re too busy texting or gaming to make time for her. Misty imagines that she’s Super Mole, playing with her pals, and realizes that to fit in, she’ll need her own phone. Her parents agree to get her one—if she promises not to “get carried away.” Unfortunately, Misty gets more than carried away: She games under the covers at night, loses sleep, is inattentive in class, and ignores her younger brother. Soon, Misty can’t see well, even with her glasses. Visiting the eye doctor, she notices that all her friends are there, too, with various complaints—headaches, red eyes, trouble sleeping, and more. Dr. Eagle warns the children that screens can cause vision and other health problems and advises them to limit screen time and to play outdoors more. At this, Misty adopts her Super Mole persona and encourages her friends to find healthy alternatives. Written by an optometrist, this somewhat didactic U.K. import conveys important messages to children and adults. Energetic, colorful illustrations depict an adorable, all-animal cast; it’s no coincidence the “tuned-out” activities that endearing Misty and her pals engage in seem more fun than the sedentary, screen-dependent ones.

Young readers would do well to follow the worthy example of this perceptive protagonist.