Pinocchio Comes Alive Through Less Screen Time

By Christy Bonner

The book is a retelling of the children's story Pinocchio. In this version, Pinocchio starts out as a real boy but becomes a wooden marionette because he has spent too much time online. He finds his way back to being human through setting limits with his screens and reconnecting to life.

Based on recent research, the average 8-year-old child typically spends between 3.5 and 6 hours per day on screens. This book is an opportunity to talk with your child about your family's consumption of electronic devices. Pinocchio Comes Alive Through Less Screen Time invites kids and their parents to spend more time connecting to their inner voice, physical body, nature, art, music, books, and loved ones.

Sample from the book:

"Change me back," said Pinocchio. The cricket said, "Only you have the power to change back to a boy. If you keep lying to yourself about how your screens are affecting you, your nose will start to grow. I hope you will listen to the sound of the genuine inside of you." The cricket disappeared.

The author, Christy Bonner, is a licensed marriage and family therapist. She is the author of the book, Freedom from Shame: How Mindfulness, Vulnerability & Compassion Can Set You Free. She is also the author of the children's book, The Three Little Pigs Stand Up to the President.

Follow the author at:
@enneagram.yoga
www.mindbodyandspiritcare.com

This children's book was inspired by a poem, also written by the author.

The Wooden Marionette

Are we the opposite of Pinocchio?

Instead of becoming a "real boy"
are AI, social media, consumerism, and politics inviting us to become a wooden marionette?

Have we lost connection with our own soft and elastic flesh?

Will we allow our heart and soul to leave us,
so our once soft bodies are replaced with hard wooden edges?

Will we let ego-driven leaders move our strings to serve their own corrupt purposes?

The alternative to becoming a puppet, is to awaken to the values of kindness, courage, and selflessness.

Listen to your own beating heart.

Vacate the tough wooden exterior.

Embrace tenderness again.

Listen to the voice of compassion inside of you.

Now you are a real girl.

Now you are a real boy.

Now you are alive.

Christy Bonner, January 2026

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0GN2MBW1D
• ISBN13: 9798248006984
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 28 Pages
• Weight: 0.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 6.0" x 9.0"