Digital picture book service “PIBO”. From reading picture books aloud to parent-child communication.

How much parent-child communication do you have in early childhood?

It is said that a child's growth varies greatly depending on the amount of love they receive in early childhood. Depending on the love received in early childhood, development may slow down, personality may change, and it can have an irreversible impact on their later life.

However, modern adults are busy. There's a mountain of things to do, including work, housework, and human relationships. When caught up in busy daily life, it's inevitable that parent-child communication becomes increasingly sparse. Children often spend time alone with busy parents. Such a scene is not uncommon.

To make parent-child communication richer, even if just a little. Born from that belief is the digital picture book service 'PIBO'. PIBO is a digital picture book service where you can read over 120 picture books for 315 yen per month. You can primarily read picture books on tablet devices.

Some of you might be wondering, 'Aren't there other services for reading picture books on tablets?' However, what differentiates PIBO from other services is that it has no unnecessary features, including a 'read-aloud function'.

What PIBO aims for is to deepen parent-child communication. It is purely about providing an environment for parents to read aloud to their children. What's important when giving a picture book to a child is not just the content of the book itself, but the act of reading it aloud, which is communication. This is a role that a machine's voice can never fulfill.

There is one more important role for PIBO.

That is, it is a picture book service centered around children.

PIBO's top page is designed to be very easy to understand. This is to make it easy for children to choose books and have their parents read them. Basically, picture books are often chosen by parents, and parents' preferences tend to be reflected. However, by allowing children to choose books, it stimulates the autonomy and interests of their young personalities.

When you go to the library with your child, they bring back many books. Drawing out that autonomy with PIBO is one of its goals.

For busy parents, it can be difficult to take their children to the library. With PIBO, even if you don't have time to go to the library, children can choose picture books and ask their parents, 'Read it!' Drawing out that interest can also be said to be one of the roles of picture books.

In fact, in tests using PIBO, children reportedly had the opportunity to bring a tablet to their parents and say, 'Read this!'

Modern society, overflowing with technology. Various services have emerged, and everything is becoming automated and easier. However, no matter how much technology develops, parent-child communication and love cannot be supplemented by machines or technology.

However, we can support an environment where parents can give love and communication to their children. I think it would be wonderful if as many people as possible could use services like PIBO, not just for convenience, but to gain opportunities for love and communication.

If you have children, please try using PIBO. And try reading picture books aloud to them and spending quality time with your children. Surely, that communication will lead to your child's growth, and ultimately, to the nurturing of the next generation who will carry Japan.

「PIBO」 http://pibo.jp/