nabila khashoggi on the power of a comic book
TRANSCRIPT
Nabila Khashoggi on the Power of a Comic Book
Actress, entrepreneur and philanthropist Nabila Khashoggi has written a comic book series. The series is full of adventure and
magic and is intended to introduce children to different countries, cultures, and environmental
issues and hopefully help instill sense of intercultural respect and understanding.
Many parents believe that comic books are not worth the paper they're printed on, at least in terms of educational value, but in fact, studies
have shown quite the opposite. In terms of imparting reading comprehension, comics
seem to be completely on par with traditional books and literature. In fact, comic books are a
similar, but distinct medium, with their own sophisticated toolbox of storytelling techniques
that can often reach children in ways that regular books cannot.
Given the power of comic books to reach an audience who might not otherwise enjoy reading a story, it is important that comics designed to help
children learn be imbued with positive and constructive qualities, much like a book. Introducing children to multiculturalism is one of the purposes on
which school reading curricula are commonly focused, and with good reason: exposure to many
cultural viewpoints not only increases broad cultural awareness, it can also improve students' self-image and stem the spread of negative cultural stereotypes among kids. Therefore, a comic book that embodies
multiculturalism provides an accessible way for children to reap these benefits.