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This children's book series is teaching children to think like a programmer

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"Everything I saw out there was dull and grey, and boring. And I wanted to somehow show the more magical and fun side of software." Linda Liukas
"Everything I saw out there was dull and grey, and boring. And I wanted to somehow show the more magical and fun side of software." Linda Liukas

Linda Liukas is a Finnish illustrator and programmer who wants to change the way we think about and teach coding, and through her children's book series, Hello Ruby, she's doing just that. 

"I wanted to see programming as a tool of self-expression, as something you could play, imagine and be creative with," she says in the BBC insert above.

"Everything I saw out there was dull and grey, and boring. And I wanted to somehow show the more magical and fun side of software." 


Do you know of any children's books teaching kids skills in a fun way? Tell us by emailing to chatback@parent24.com and we could publish your recommendations. 


Taking her idea online in 2014, Linda set out to raise funds for her project via Kickstarter, and within days she had managed to raise nearly $100 000 in funds and $380 000 in pre-orders. 

Today, Hello Ruby books are printed in 25 languages, and Linda believes the success of the series is not only down to the fun stories that are told through the protagonist, Ruby, but also the unique activities weaved into each book.

"The books always have a story about a little girl called Ruby and her adventures. But they also have unplugged activities that teach you to think like a programmer or make you build a computer out of paper. 

Linda's passion for coding also inspired her to co-found the international initiative, Rails Girls, spearheading the way for girls and women to take on programming. 

So what do you need in order to become a programmer? Linda says you need these three characteristics in order to excel at coding: 

1. Curiosity

"First, be really curious about the world. There's so much to learn and so much to discover." 

2. Creativity

"Be very creative because programmers at the moment are really, really homogenous. And there's a lot of perspective and voice and joy that just being an outsider can bring into this industry." 

3. Persistence

"Learning to programme will require quite a lot of work and it's not always easy. So, being persistent is something that I would underline for any future programmer." 

Do you know of any children's books teaching kids skills in a fun way? Tell us by emailing to chatback@parent24.com and we could publish your recommendations. 

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