Chandra Donelson's debut children's book, The Data Detective at the Carnival, is now available in English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian, marking a major milestone in her mission to make data literacy accessible to children everywhere.
"I didn't set out to become a global author," Donelson says. "I just wanted to answer my son's question: What is data? But as I started talking to more parents and educators, I realized kids around the world were having the same questions, and there were no age-appropriate books to help answer them."
That moment of realization came during the early months of the pandemic, when Donelson, a U.S. Air Force veteran and Department of the Army data manager, found herself juggling work, grad school, and full-time parenting. Her son William, then just four, kept hearing the word "data" everywhere – on the news, in her work meetings, even during storytime. One day he asked, "What is data?", and she couldn't find a single children's book that explained it.
So, she wrote one.
A Book Born from Real Life
The Data Detective at the Carnival follows a young boy named William (based on Donelson's own son) as he explores a colorful fairground, using observations and simple charts to solve small mysteries and answer questions like, "Which game is most popular?" or "How long is the line for the Ferris wheel?" Through fun and relatable scenes, kids learn what data is, how to collect it, and why it matters.
Everything in the book – from the main character's clothes to the bedroom illustrations – is rooted in Donelson's real life. Even the idea for the story came from a day at a carnival, when William pointed to a crowd at the Ferris wheel and said, "That's data." It was the "aha" moment that turned months of failed drafts into the final storyline.
Bridging Cultures Through Curiosity
The decision to translate the book into five languages was both practical and deeply intentional.
"Data is a universal language," Donelson explains. "It shapes how we make decisions, how we solve problems, and how we understand the world. But if we only teach it in English, we leave out millions of children who deserve the same opportunity to explore and learn."
Now available in Spanish, French, German, and Italian, each edition retains the book's original illustrations and interactive tone while making the content linguistically and culturally relevant to its audience.
What's Next?
Donelson's long-term goal is to expand The Data Detective into even more languages and formats. Through her Inspiration Library, she also donates books to schools and children in underserved communities, ensuring access to data education isn't limited by geography or income.
The more kids understand data, the more they're empowered to make sense of the world around them. According to Donelson, that starts with stories they can see themselves in, no matter what language they speak.
Photos: (Click photo to enlarge)
Source: Shelby Baker
Read Full Story - Speaking Every Child's Language: The Data Detective Expands Globally with 5 Translations | More news from this source
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