Empathy and optimism off the page

By Chris Kudialis

Monday, Oct. 24, 2016 | 2 a.m.

While millennials can be associated with narcissism and cynicism, the next generation of American consumers is more compassionate and optimistic, said writers, musicians and entrepreneurs at the 15th annual Vegas Valley Book Festival.

Generation Z readers, the first to grow up with the internet, also seek simple yet meaningful material to compete with the constant barrage of information.

“Children are very clear to us now about what they want to hear,” said Latin Grammy-winning musician Ben Gundersheimer. “That’s part of the challenge and fun.”

The festival, which took place Oct. 15 at downtown Las Vegas’ Historic Fifth Street School, featured nearly 150 exhibitors and thousands of participants from across the United States.

Gundersheimer played hits such as “Cocodrilo” and “Siete Elefantes” as dozens of young children danced and hula-hooped. The Philadelphia native, who goes by the stage name Mister G, says he mostly plays for children 1 to 7 years old. Appealing to that vast developmental range, he says, is “about getting everyone engaged. Most kids that young are responding more to the rhythm and feel.”

Brooklyn-based Stephen Savage has been writing and illustrating children’s books for ages 4 to 6 since 2009.

“It’s harder to write for younger kids than you think, because it’s like a poem,” Savage said. “The text has to be simple, but the topics also have to resonate with young readers.”

Flipping through one of his best-known titles, “Where’s Walrus?,” in front of a full tent of nearly 100 parents and elementary-age children, Savage said a cyclical trend between “helicopter” parents and those who are more hands-off has allowed Generation Z to be raised in the happy medium. “I think things kids really relate to now are stories of empowerment and fun,” he said. “I’m not big on villains.”

Young adults demand more sophisticated plots with underlying messages and humor that adults can relate to, said writer Nathan Hale.

Hale’s comics present historical milestones such as World War II and the Revolutionary War in a kid-friendly manner, using national animals (bald eagles for U.S. soldiers, bulldogs for the English) for approachability. As recently as five years ago, Hale said, adolescents didn’t pay much attention to critical details. Now, he’s being held to “a higher standard.”

“This generation is so nice and hypersensitive to issues, you can’t fake your way through it,” Hale said. “You have to really focus on your research, and ... you can’t have a character that’s a jerk to everybody, ’cause a lot of kids are like, ‘Hey, you can’t do that.’ ... And that’s a good thing. They want to be on the winning side of issues.”

At a reception on the eve of the festival, Make-A-Wish co-founder Frank Shankwitz said he’d seen more charitable wishes from children in the organization’s past 10 years than ever before.

Shankwitz suggested that in growing up during the Great Recession, Generation Zers were more appreciative of their wealth and opportunities, and more empathetic to those less fortunate than older generations.

The Make-A-Wish founder cited 13-year-old Idaho resident Emma Allred, who used a grant from the nonprofit to host a canned food drive this month that brought in over 13,000 pounds of donations to food banks. Emma, who has undergone chemotherapy since 2013 for ovarian cancer, told ABC News she chose a food drive over a trip to Disney World or a major sporting event because, “the Lord told me to feed the homeless.”

Shankwitz said other recent grant recipients had refurbished wheelchairs in India and provided fields and uniforms for youth baseball. That generous spirit was reflected in creative offerings being showcased at the Book Festival.

“It’s a whole generation,” Shankwitz said, “(saying) it’s not about me but about how I can help somebody else.”