Feature

Big Bird Is Inside The Box

Janet Shields

A television is a device many children see nearly every day. I thought it might be interesting to see how several kids think a TV works, and then put together some experiments to help them understand more about it. I started by interviewing a few kids between ages 3 and 16. Starting with Mitchell, age three, I asked if he thinks Big Bird is inside the TV, or if he's looking at pictures of Big Bird. He told me, "Big Bird is inside. He's inside the box." His mother told me he really seems to believe that, and he hides behind the couch when the giant arrives in "Jack and the Beanstalk"! Six-year-old Janelle, when asked the same question, informed me that she's too old for "Sesame Street."