Chandra-Padma: Identifying Motivations for Children to Respond and React to a Book with a Non-linear Narrative Structure

Innovative primary education structures and teaching strategies are in high demand in order to develop children’s critical thinking and it is provoked by the importance of applicable and sustainable solutions. Therefore, an advanced children’s book design is an impactful tool for improving some aspects of building a harmonious and well-balanced child with high social standards. The non-linear narrative technique is increasingly popular in primary education but can be challenging for young readers to understand and engage with. While non-linear storytelling could offer children more advanced experiences, such as emotional impact, or stimulate their creativity and imagination, it is unclear how such interventions would be perceived by children. This study is to explore how children react and respond to books with non-linear narratives. Using an inductive research method, we conducted a tentative storytelling session with the experimental book ‘Chandra-Padma’ to evaluate and identify a set of themes and patterns and the impact of a child’s engagement and response to a non-linear storybook. A pilot test (n = 20) was carried out in a selected primary school with ages 8–10 children, and we collected preference data with the ‘Chandra-Padma’ book. A thematic analysis was adopted to identify significant relationships and their meanings. Results indicate that while the familiar narrative structure- linear book structure is well-rated, the non-linear narrative structure is a viable alternative. Yet, our findings of the research suggest that the use of a non-linear narrative structure can significantly improve children’s motivation to engage and react to the book in different ways. With this study, we evaluate the effectiveness of the non-linear narrative structure in ‘Chandra-Padma’ book and serve procedures for future non-linear content creators on how to understand and apply non-linear narrative strategies to children’s stories and think outside of the traditional structure of children’s books.