Book guide: On the run: chased by the mom cop!

Now the police are coming...

It's time to go to preschool! An adventure where it is important not to be discovered by mother police. A caring big brother and protagonist with a hearing aid.

Illustration med ett litet barn som ska borsta tänderna, stora syskonet håller upp händerna och mamma polis tittar in genom dörren - På rymmen - Bilderbok 1-3 år - OLIKA förlag - Författare: Jonna Kilstam - Illustratör: Johanna Arpiainen

Questions about sneaking and escaping

Big brother carefully sneaks out of the house to make sure not to wake the guard. The little sibling hangs on. Do you sneak out in the morning so as not to wake anyone in your home? Do you have any tricks to being as quiet as possible?

The kids are playing escape and mom and the guard are chasing them. Have you played thief and cop? What do you think is fun about that game? Is there anything a little creepy about the game?

The siblings build an obstacle course to get to breakfast. Think about the path you take to preschool, are there any obstacles along it? Is there anything you have to get over to get there?

Sometimes you can find things so boring or scary that you want to run away from them. Have you ever felt like running away? Why did you want that?

Illustration med två syskon som sitter under köksbordet och äter frukost - På rymmen - Bilderbok 1-3 år - OLIKA förlag - Författare: Jonna Kilstam - Illustratör: Johanna Arpiainen

Questions about police officers

The children's mother is a police officer. She has been working nights so older brother can drop off at preschool. Do you know any other jobs where one works at night? What could be fun about working at night? What could be boring?

Mom cop has her uniform. Do you know someone who wears a uniform at work? Would you like to be a police officer?

Police officers do an important job of protecting people from thieves and crime. Can you think of more jobs that are important to our society?

Illustration med ett litet barn som smyger med ett finger för munnen, och en hund som ligger och sover - På rymmen - Bilderbok 1-3 år - OLIKA förlag - Författare: Jonna Kilstam - Illustratör: Johanna Arpiainen

Norms around professions

Sweden has one of the world's most gender-segregated labor markets. One reason for this is that in many countries childcare and elderly care are performed as unpaid work by women. Which professions we choose depends on many things, but an important ingredient is about role models. If you only see women in care professions, it is harder for someone who identifies as a man to think that is a possible future. Likewise, it's easy to think that a police officer is the same as a man if you only see men who are. Socioeconomics and financial resources also play a role in what future dreams you create for yourself. If your parents are doctors, you may miss out on the opportunity to become a park worker, even though it is actually a professional role that suits you better. In this book we see a mother who is a police officer and an older brother who is caring and creative. In this way, the child gets role models who challenge traditional gender roles and professional roles.

The preschool curriculum

"The preschool must create the conditions for the children to get to know their immediate environment and the social functions that are important for daily life, as well as to take part in the local cultural life." Lpfö 2018