Sweet Little Ruby Delights Early Learners

Eskom: Ruby & The Powerpals

Children’s Book, eBook, CD, Website

Eskom introduces a creative method of teaching young children about electricity awareness through storytelling; for ECD and Foundation Phase educators in an A3 picture book with CD, and for South African households as a free, online e-book.

Conceptualised, written and composed by Creatrix, Ruby and the Powerpals fused our brand experience and edutainment skills to produce an effective way of embedding messages of behavior change into a series of stories that educate even as they delight.

CAPTIVATING CHILDREN’S RHYTHM AND RHYME STORIES

To encourage electricity awareness at an early age, Eskom has created an educational resource, Ruby and the Powerpals, a charming picture book and CD for young children. The stories feature Ruby, a sweet little girl who learns about ways to save electricity by engaging with animated appliances in her home.

Each story takes place in different situations that affect Ruby’s awareness and behaviour as she uses her imagination and intelligence to absorb the messages. Each story reveals a simple way to save electricity and frames it within Ruby’s experience. The learnings are presented in four delightful rhythm and rhyme tales in picture and verse. The book is also rendered in audio format, a favoured method for this age group as listening and the heard word have been shown to amplify and escalate message retention.

Ruby and the Powerpals, 'Freddie and the Fridge' p27
Ruby and the Powerpals, ‘Freddie and the Fridge’ p27


Ruby and the Powerpals, ‘Freddie and the Fridge’ p28

LEARNERS AND EDUCATORS LOVE RUBY

Developed for children aged 3-7, the book is also targeted at caregivers, parents and teachers who will read the book aloud to children to expand their literacy and comprehension. By introducing this book as bedtime stories, classroom reading and stories for first readers, electricity awareness can be embedded at an age early enough to make behavioural change a consistent and important part of their lives. In time, the children will be able to recite the book, retain the messages and begin reading it for themselves. Most of all, however, is the engagement of the children themselves who will learn the basic facts of electricity awareness in an entertaining and retentive story format in picture, story and sound.

RUBY BOOK ON THE GROUND

With the help of the Department of Basic Education, Ruby and the Powerpals will be distributed to libraries across the country.

CREDITS

Synergies: Creatrix, Mohlaleng, Howard Audio, Loveburd Design

  • Concept, Script & Lyrics: Creatrix
  • Design and Illustration: Loveburd Design
  • Musical Direction: Howard Audio
  • Recording Partner: Howard Audio

Visit Eskom and download the 'Ruby and the Powerpals' e-book here Visit Eskom and download the ‘Ruby and the Powerpals’ e-book here

VISIT RUBY AND THE POWERPALS ONLINE

A website has been developed for an easy read of the free e-book and listening access to the music and dramatised audio stories. Follow the links to Eskom’s educational pages or to Ruby Books to download or read and listen online.

Visit Ruby Book to download document and music or read and listen online to 'Ruby and the Powerpals'

Visit Ruby Book to download document and music or read and listen online to ‘Ruby and the Powerpals’

After reading my son the story “Freddie and the Fridge”, the next day, instead of opening the fridge, standing in front of it and mulling over what he wanted to eat, he simply grabbed a peach and swiftly closed the door, so that “Freddie the Fridge could live for longer”. (Sidenote: thanks Ruby for doing what I wasn’t able to do).”

“I think the stories are suitable for preschoolers who can enjoy reading them with their parents, along with schoolgoing kids who can read themselves, and not miss the messaging. The Ruby stories are free, and they’re powerful stories (see what I did there?), and I think your kids will love them, and learn from them.”

Now this is how you teach kids to save electricity

Blogger Review, Rattle&Mum, March 2015

Read the full review at Rattle&Mum