A new picture book that seeks to teach kids about community engagement and emphasize that their voice matters debuted Oct. 16 as a collaboration between Charleston County Public Libraries and the Charleston County Board of Voter Registration and Elections.
“Owlbert Learns to Vote,” features Owlbert, the mascot of the library system.
The story follows Owlbert on his journey with his friends as they learn from their teacher, Mr. Sam the eagle, about the importance of voting and finding common ground despite differing opinions.
Owlbert the Owl and Noah Cramer pose for a photo together at the grand opening of “Owlbert Learns to Vote” at the Keith Sumney North Charleston Library, Wednesday, October 16, 2024, in North Charleston. The new children’s book, published by the Charleston County Libraries and Charleston Board of Voter Registration and Elections, teaches kids about the importance of voting.
The issue at hand is one kids everywhere will find near and dear to their hearts — a decision between building a new playground or keeping an existing soccer field at their school.
Spoiler alert: The playground wins, but Owlbert and his friends learn to still get along despite some characters not getting what they want.
How ‘Owlbert Learns to Vote’ came to life
Isaac Cramer, executive director of the BVRE, said he’s had the idea to make a picture book about voting since 2021, but the library and the board were only able to start collaborating on it last year.
The book was a group effort.
It was written by Natalie Hauff, CCPL deputy director of innovation; Doug Reynolds, CCPL associate director of communications and marketing; and Cassie Welch, CCPL children’s system coordinator. Kathleen Montgomery, the library’s associate director of community engagement, and Natasha Streets, deputy director of BVRE, helped with the concept, and Roxie Burrow, the library’s creative manager, designed it. Julia Rogova was hired independently to illustrate the book.
In an email to The Post and Courier, Reynolds said he ordered 1,000 paperback copies and 200 hardcover books. He added that copies of the book will be available at every branch of the library system, as well as Charleston County School District libraries.
The book — which cost approximately $5,800 — was paid for through BVRE’s outreach budget, which is specifically for projects like this that help teach people the importance of voting, according to Cramer.
Isaac Cramer hands out ballots for kids and parents to vote on ice cream or cake as a dessert at the grand opening of “Owlbert Learns to Vote” at the Keith Sumney North Charleston Library, Wednesday, October 16, 2024, in North Charleston. The new children’s book, published by the Charleston County Libraries and Charleston Board of Voter Registration and Elections, teaches kids about the importance of voting.
Before the book was even released, Cramer said colleagues from around the nation had reached about getting a copy of the book to share the same message to their constituents. While nothing is set in stone, he said there may be an opportunity to sell the book — potentially on Amazon as an e-book — to give it more exposure and educate the younger generation.
Charleston political parties weigh in
The chairs of the county’s Republican and Democratic parties both got a chance to read the book. Andrew Boucher, chair of the Charleston County Republican Party, and Sam Skardon, chair of the Charleston County Democratic Party, both said they enjoyed it. They reflected on how they were able to accompany their parents to vote when they were children.
Boucher said if his kids were younger, he’d use the book to help them understand why voting matters. He hopes kids not only take away that elections are important, but that they can also be fun.
Skardon had just one critique.
“I don’t love the idea that it’s a zero-sum game, like either one side wins or loses, and the losing side just has to be okay with the winning side,” Skardon said. “I think if you lose an election, you can and should still find ways to compromise on things.”
Skardon likened the book to a series of graphic novels by the late John Lewis, a congressman and civil rights activist. Lewis published a trilogy of graphic novels titled “March” about the civil rights movement to target younger audiences. Skardon, who started his career in politics working for Lewis, said it’s a personal connection that helped him realize how different formats can reach diverse audiences.
Both Boucher and Skardon agreed the book is a great civics education introduction for kids.
Owlbert the Owl holds a copy of the book about him at the grand opening of “Owlbert Learns to Vote” at the Keith Sumney North Charleston Library, Wednesday, October 16, 2024, in North Charleston. The new children’s book, published by the Charleston County Libraries and Charleston Board of Voter Registration and Elections, teaches kids about the importance of voting.
“Oftentimes we skip over the basics and get into the partisan aspects of civics education,” Boucher said. “We focus on activism when voting is often overlooked. I think this drives it home by making the initial introduction to voting about something tangible to the kids.”
Hauff, the library’s deputy director of innovation, said the library and the BVRE were very careful to make sure none of the content alluded to anything that could be perceived as political.
“This truly is just an educational opportunity for kids to learn what it means to vote and to really engage in the process with their parents or caregivers,” Hauff said. “We think it’s important for them to understand the real root and foundation of what it means to vote.”
Cramer said he’s glad the book came out right before early voting starts on Oct. 21. He believes the book will be “a great topic of conversation” for kids, and suggested parents bring their kids to vote if they’re able to.
“Seeing you cast your ballot is, I think, one of the most important things to instill in them, the importance of it,” Cramer said.
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