Jane drives a lorry....

or does she? If Maxine McKew has her way the picture books of the future will be full of alternative careers and politically correct education. I think I prefer Beatrix Potter and AAMilne. There is nothing wrong with Jane driving anything - if that is what Jane wants to do. I just do not think that it should be put to small children at the exclusion of everything else. It would need to be at the exclusion of something. The pre-school curriculum is becoming crowded. There is no time for free play any more. Children have to be guided into politically correct ways of thinking. They need to know the alphabet. They need to be able to recognise their name and count. It would be good if they could actually read Booker Prize winners and were ready to study higher mathematics.
It was therefore good to find that Elinor Lyon's son Roger is willing to give up time to answer questions about his mother and her writing. My young friend Ciaranne has shown considerable initiative in what she has chosen to read for her school project and the way she has researched behind the writing. It will be interesting to see what her teacher makes of the results. I trust she will be pleased with a child who is reading something other than Paul Jennings and Lemony Snickert.