iSad by Shane Saathoff

iSad is a short book for children.  It’s a line-per-page poem on two-coloured pages (simple black graphics on brightly coloured backgrounds).  The poem portrays the cold obsession with technological advances and the way it has destroyed communication and human interaction.

It’s a 49-line poem—hence 49 illustrated pages.  It’s simple, direct, to the point: a plea by a youngster to go back to normal childhood street games and old-fashioned books.

This is not sold as an ebook.  It’s a paperback—a little dear, in my opinion, at $19.99 for a 5-10 minute read.  It’s aimed at 7-10-year-olds (though adults will be reminded how much the digital environment has affected their lives) and for the money, I think I would have preferred to see a little extra ‘entertainment’ on the pages.  However, the emphasis is on the poem’s message and that comes over loud and clear.

Short, but a neat, entertaining, and original idea.