What if Learning Isn't Supposed to Look Serious?

Somewhere along the way, we begin telling children that learning is important—and accidentally make “important” synonymous with serious. Sit still. Follow the directions. Find the right answer. Tallulah Froom has never been particularly interested in any of that. The Un-Books grew from my love of children who approach the world sideways: the ones who ask the question nobody anticipated, notice the ridiculous detail in the corner, make something strange instead of something correct, or turn an ordinary assignment into an adventure. There is real learning in curiosity, experimentation, humor, imagination, and even failure. Tallulah gives me a place to celebrate all of it. I want young readers to laugh with her, certainly, but I also want them to recognize something important: the way your mind works is part of what you bring to the room. Education should help children discover what their minds can do—not train all those wonderful minds to work exactly alike.