Amid a time of national movement in the wake of the pandemic, Zillow has launched an e-book for children to help them deal with the stresses of moving, the real estate giant announced on Tuesday.
The book, titled “The Girl Who Didn’t Want to Move,” follows the story’s protagonist, a young girl named Iris, as she goes through a move alongside her parents and friends.
Zillow noted that a survey of over 2,000 U.S. adults conducted by the company in March found that adults with children were more likely to have moved in the last year — 14 percent, compared to 9 percent of those without children, and about one-third of those parents were worried that such a move would cause stress for their children.
The e-book, which was made in partnership with creative agency FIG, addresses for children what it’s like to move into a new home and the sometimes confusing feelings that can arise from moving. “In the end, Iris learns moving doesn’t take away the things you love, it just gives you more,” a press release from Zillow states.
U.K.-based freelance illustrator Amélie Videlo created the e-book’s illustrations.
Bonnie Donaldson
Moving is “an emotional gauntlet,” Bonnie Donaldson, Zillow’s director of brand marketing, told Inman via email. Knowing that it can be an extremely challenging time for children and their parents, the company created the e-book to help with the transition, building off of a TV spot, “The Journey,” the company first aired in April.
“‘The Girl Who Didn’t Want To Move’ e-book was created as a tool for parents to start a conversation with their kids about what to expect during their move and how to cope with the emotions they might be feeling,” Donaldson said in an email. “A companion to Zillow’s recent TV spot ‘The Journey,’ the story follows Iris and her colorful friends as they navigate that big life change and learn lessons along the way.”
The book also comes with a discussion guide targeted at parents, with materials from parenting, education and behavior expert Reena B. Patel, LEP, BCBA.
“I know personally that moving to a new home can be emotional and scary, and yet moving can help build resilience and open new opportunities,” Patel said in a statement. “Children have a stronger sense of control over their moving anxiety when they directly participate in moving-related activities. Parents can take steps to make their family’s move a positive experience.”
Zillow’s previous research on stress when selling a home found that 51 percent of parents cried when selling a home, in contrast to 36 percent of adults. Some of the greatest stress factors included uncertainty over the list price and whether or not the home would sell within their optimal time frame.
Despite the stress that accompanies moving, Zillow’s survey showed that 81 percent of parents thought their most recent move was worthwhile. Forty-four percent of parents said watching their children “thrive in a new place” was one of the most satisfying parts of moving, and 30 percent said they’ve been a better parent in the wake of their most recent move.
“The Girl Who Didn’t Want to Move” will be available for free as a PDF on Zillow’s customer resource center indefinitely, according to Donaldson. In addition, the e-book is available for $1.99 at the Amazon Kindle store and Apple Books. The book’s proceeds will go to Covenant House, a nonprofit that provides housing and other services to youth facing homelessness. Zillow has also pledged a matching donation to Covenant House for each book purchased, up to a maximum match of $25,000.
Zillow previously published a book called “Zillow Talk: Rewriting the Rules of Real Estate” in 2015. Donaldson said the company has no immediate plans to release another book at this time, but would consider it again in the future.