Develop the Power to Analyze News! Children's Book 'News no Ura made Himotoku Navi' Released to Teach the 'Behind the Scenes' of News and Foster Thinking Skills

Gakken Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, Shinagawa / President and Representative Director: Tatsuya Nanjo), a group company of Gakken Holdings Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, Shinagawa / President and Representative Director: Hiroaki Miyahara), released 'News no Ura made Himotoku Navi' on May 28, 2026. ▲The mascot is a child detective chasing the behind-the-scenes of news! It can be enjoyed alone or with parents while thinking about 'Why?' and 'How come?'. ■The ability to decipher the 'background of things' is now needed for children who encounter news 'fragments' on social media In today's world, where information arrives constantly from social media and videos, children have significantly more opportunities to 'know' about events happening in the world. On the other hand, it is not uncommon for them to be in a state of 'vaguely knowing' the information that flows in without fully understanding the content or background. The national curriculum guidelines also emphasize fostering interest in social issues and the ability to think from multiple perspectives. In schools, there is an increasing demand not just to teach knowledge, but to cultivate the ability to interpret information and form one's own opinions. With more schools focusing on self-directed learning and research projects where children choose their own themes and content, many parents have expressed a desire for their children to 'be able to think about and understand news and current affairs in their own way.' Additionally, questions about current events and social interest are increasing in middle school entrance exams, highlighting the growing importance of understanding news and background knowledge. Against this backdrop, 'News no Ura made Himotoku Navi' was born, a book that allows children to use news as a gateway to learn knowledge and wisdom useful for the future in a fun way! ■What is 'News no Ura made Himotoku Navi', which allows you to deeply understand the meaning of news? 'News no Ura made Himotoku Navi' is a children's book that takes up topics of interest to elementary school students and gently explains the 'behind the scenes' of events, such as 'Why did it happen in the first place?' and 'What impact does it have on our lives?' It presents quizzes about the behind-the-scenes and meaning of daily news covering politics, economy, environmental issues, and international affairs. After readers think for themselves, the book provides clear explanations with illustrations and diagrams, naturally fostering a 'reading method that involves thinking'. ★☆★Recommended Points of This Book★☆★ ①Understand even the 'behind the scenes' of news! This book is structured not just to 'know the news and be done,' but to understand 'why the event happened.' First, it introduces 'what happened' in an easy-to-understand manner using newspaper-style pages and illustrations that mimic real news. Then, it poses questions like 'Why did this problem occur?' and 'What are the background reasons?' in a three-choice quiz format. Because it is a quiz format, even children who are not good at reading news can enjoy reading while thinking, and they naturally acquire a 'reading method that involves thinking' rather than 'vaguely reading'. 《Examples of News》 ・The behind-the-scenes of a city paying for unmarried couples' dates ・The behind-the-scenes of a king of a country that won a world soccer championship making the day after the victory a national holiday ・The behind-the-scenes of a regular citizen being seen living in a Hungarian castle ・The behind-the-scenes of India's university entrance exams having the world's highest competition rate ・The behind-the-scenes of major companies not making popular products like ramune, tofu, and Chupet ▲It doesn't end with just reading the news article! There are quizzes that ask 'What do you think?' so reading and thinking skills are naturally developed. Furthermore, on the answer pages for the quizzes, the background and mechanisms of the news are gently explained using illustrations and diagrams. Even topics that children might find difficult, such as politics, economy, and environmental issues, are structured to be easily understood, making readers think, 'Oh, so that's how it works!' ▲Not just the answer, but a thorough explanation so you can understand 'why that is the answer.' The behind-the-scenes of the news can be understood smoothly with diagrams and illustrations. ②You'll want to know even more! Includes 'Deep Dive Pages' This book not only helps you understand the background of the news but also includes 'Deep Dive Pages' where you can learn about 'what social systems or problems lie behind the event.' For example, in the news 'More people in the US are not calling ambulances,' ▼Why don't they call an ambulance? ↓ ▼Because just riding in an ambulance costs a huge amount of money After explaining this background, the Deep Dive Page further explains related topics such as: ・Japan's social security system ・The mechanism of social insurance ・Japanese society supported by 'mutual aid' using illustrations and diagrams in an easy-to-understand way. ▲Dig deep into the behind-the-scenes of news! It introduces related knowledge and connections to one's own life, expanding children's desire to 'know more!' Instead of ending the news with just 'Wow!', understanding the social systems behind it and the differences between countries changes the way you see news: 'News is connected to my life and society like this!' ③Easy to use for self-study notebooks! This book is also easy to use for 'self-study notebooks,' which have become increasingly common as homework in elementary and middle schools in recent years. A self-study notebook is a learning method where children freely set their own themes and tasks. By learning how to organize news and summarize key points from this book, children can naturally acquire reading comprehension, thinking, and writing skills that will become increasingly important: 'Read news → Organize information → Summarize in your own words.' It is also recommended as a way to spark discussions about news between parents and children. ■From 'Knowing' News to 'Analyzing' News News is not just about knowing events. By thinking about 'Why did it happen?', 'What system is it connected to?', and 'What impact does it have on our lives?', news becomes much more familiar and interesting. This book helps children understand events happening in the world as if they were their own, analyzing them in a fun way. We aimed to make even children who thought 'News seems difficult...' feel 'I want to know more!' and 'I want to read other news too!' It fosters interest in society and develops thinking skills through news. 'News no Ura made Himotoku Navi' is a first step to enjoying news more closely. [Product Overview] ■'News no Ura made Himotoku Navi' List Price: 1,540 yen (tax included) Release Date: May 28, 2026 Format: B6 size / 144 pages ISBN: 978-4-05-206192-9 Publisher: Gakken Co., Ltd. Gakken Publishing Site: https://hon.gakken.jp/book/1020619200 [Purchase Links] ・Amazon: https://amzn.asia/d/06Z5hQIz ・Rakuten Books: https://books.rakuten.co.jp/rb/18556486 ・Kindle: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0H2TVLBF1/ ・Rakuten Kobo: https://book