Out of the Garden: Toys, TV, and Children's Culture in the Age of Marketing

Kline's book is not for parents looking for a quick read on how television influences their children's behavior, and what, if anything, they can do about it. While there is plenty of discussion about the impact of TV on children, this is a serious study written for an academic audience. The author examines the commercial link between television and the toy industry and the impact that connection has on children's culture. Kline argues that by co-opting children's television programing, toy manufacturers have altered the way children are socialized. Children today are much more likely to learn about society by playing with toys, particularly toys that are sold on television, than past generations were. Kline, a professor of communications at Simon Fraser University in Canada, does not criticize businesses for using TV to maximize their profits, but he urges society to acknowledge the large role television and the toy industry play in shaping children's culture and to develop methods to ensure that there is also production of quality materials. (Dec.)