AS if overnight, children's picture books have suddenly become more adult and grown-up, introducing elementary-level kids to complex subjects like environmental protection and sustainability. At the same time, the economical language, the fun and humor in the approach, and the catchy illustrations make their young minds understand the issues at their pace. Over time, as the topics become clearer, and they themselves cross over into puberty and adolescence, the children might naturally become part of the solution — even if, for a start, it just means picking up the trash.

'You give the child agency. You give them information and guidance. They sort their values and at the end of the day, they solve their problems,' says Dazzle Ng, a freelance writer whose hardcover children's picture book, 'When an Elephant Hears 'No,'' was released by US publishing house Page Street this year.