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STATEMENTS
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REFLECTIONS
Here we share reflections and expressions that belong to the universe of Why and Because.
The texts are about children, animals, nature – and about understanding the world with both head and heart.
A warning about children's relationship with nature
When philosopher and author Sigurd Hverven asks: "What happens to children when the animals they love are only made of plastic and polyester?", he hits a nerve in our time — not only as a researcher and father, but as a human being.
Children are born curious. They seek life, movement and meaning in the world around them.
But when real encounters with animals and nature become fewer, children lose something fundamental – the ability to wonder, be close to, and empathize with all living things.
Hverven's article reminds us that the loss of wild animals is not only a biological tragedy, but also an emotional and cultural one. As the world gets smaller, so does childhood.
The Why and Because series was created precisely as a response to this – to give children stories, knowledge and experiences that connect them more closely to animals and nature. Through curiosity, not fear. Through care, not guilt.
We cannot take care of what we do not know.
But when children learn why nature matters, they will grow up to be people who will take care of it.
Read Sigurd Hverven's column in NRK Ytring:
Poor childhood without nature
Written by:
Gro Flaaten - 15.10.2025
Why the Why and Because Series Matters
New results from national reading tests show that Norwegian ten-year-olds are reading worse than ever.
As many as 29 percent of fifth graders now perform at the lowest level in reading, an increase of six percentage points since 2022.
At the same time, the Minister of Education emphasizes that we must bring more books back into schools, and that children need to read more on paper, not only on screens.
Why and Because was created precisely to meet this challenge.
The series combines genuine reading joy with research-based knowledge and modern storytelling tools.
It invites children to ask questions, to wonder, and to explore – both inside and beyond the books.
Through QR codes, hands-on experiments, and digital extras, children are given a natural path “in and out of the books,” while the physical reading experience remains at the heart of it all.
The frame story between child and adult creates recognition and dialogue, the way research shows that children learn best.
In this way, the series supports both the government’s National Reading Strategy (2024–2030) and children’s own curiosity about the world.
The Why and Because series helps give reading a new meaning: to understand nature, the animals – and our place in it all.
Read the article on nrk.no here (in Norwegian)
Written by:
Gro Flaaten - 13.11.2025
NFFO (Norwegian Non-Fiction Writers and Translators Association) has also written about the above-mentioned issue. Read the article on nffo.no here (in Norwegian).
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