Bria, the ladybug, and her friend, Oakland Jack, are all set for a great day at the local park. But when a wacky duck misunderstands a simple news headline, will it totally ruin their plans?

"Did you read today's news?" the duck asked with a glare.
"The park is too dangerous - you've got to beware!"

 
He gave them the paper, "Have a look and you'll see!
The headline's right there, at the top of page three!"

 
They took it and opened the paper real fast,
read the bold headline, and stood quite aghast,
There it all was, in plain black and white:
TICKS TO INVADE LOCAL PARK LATE TONIGHT


But when Bria and Oakland read the story beyond the headline, they realize that "The Ticks" are a popular rock band, scheduled to play a concert at the park. But that's not the only mistake the duck makes when reading the news...


Today's media is all around us is unavoidable. Social media and the 24-hour news cycle has helped evolve journalism into an industry that often injects bias, negativity and sensationalism into it's stories in order to increase visibility. Even worse, the general population has had a diminishing attention span, with the majority of people rarely reading beyond the headline.


Have You Heard the News? gives kids a first glimpse at some of the red flags they need to watch out for as they grow up in a media-driven world.


This mesmerizing, imaginative picture book, written in verse, brings a fresh set of characters to life in a story that helps kids sharpen their critical thinking skills, combining the spirit of The Giving Tree with the rhyme and rhythm of Dr. Seuss.


Targeted for children ages 5-12, this is the first of a series of books focusing on the media and the red flags we all need to watch for as we consume an ever-growing amount of news.


Kids ages: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12