When storybook character Big Bubba has his pies (“made from fresh berries, with vegetable fries”) eaten by the crafty crows - even though they are locked in a shed with a padlock that requires a code - he learns a valuable lesson about how to create strong passwords and keep them safe.
And so do the rest of the Bongles - colourful bouncy creatures who reuse, repair and upcycle objects that wash up on their island.
Now, the hope is that primary-aged pupils across Scotland will also learn from their experience and improve their cybersecurity skills as the book, The Bongles and the Crafty Crows, is distributed for free, along with a range of learning activities and materials.
This month it will be in the Scottish Book Trust’s Bookbug Bag for P1s, while primary teachers in Scotland can also request a copy free of charge or download the book.
The book, launched this week by Education Scotland along with the Scottish government, is being described as the first of its kind and underlines key cybersecurity points to go over with young pupils, including:
- Passwords made of random words
- Shielding passwords
- Talking to pupils about online safety and security from a young age
Lack of support for youngest pupils
Frances O’Neill, founder and creative director at Story Learning, which produced the book, said that until now, educational materials on cybersecurity had tended to target older primary and secondary school-aged children, with no recognised resource for younger learners.
She said she hoped the book would “help foster a generation of responsible and internet-savvy citizens”.
The book tells the story of three wooden crates that wash up on the Bongles’ island.
However, in their bid to keep the crates away from “the crafty crows”, the Bongles make some mistakes, including choosing “1, 2, 3, 4” as the passcode for the padlock on their shed door. Ultimately, the Bongles learn that passwords consisting of “random words” are more secure.
The book also highlights the importance of shielding passwords from view when entering them. Big Bubba does not do this and finds “a crow had been watching from up in the trees, and had spotted the passcode with effortless ease”, leading to a raid on the Bongles’ stash.
Starting conversations
It is hoped that the book - the latest in a series that tells stories about the Bongles - will also be used by parents, teachers and schools to start conversations about online safety and security.
Scotland’s education secretary Jenny Gilruth said digital technology would be at the heart of children’s lives and it was important to teach them how to stay safe online.
She added: “I hope that teachers, parents and carers will use this engaging story and the learning activities that come with it to help their children learn about the importance of online safety.”
