Not One Damsel in Distress; World Folktales for Strong Girls by Jane Yolen Illustrated by Susan Guevara
A collection of folktales with strong female protagonists, and not even all of them with the goal of marriage being the pinnacle of her achievements!
When the Moon is Full; A Lunar Year by Penny Pollack Illustrated by Mary Azarian
A "go-to" favorite in my house for verse and beautiful woodblock illustrations that talk about the meanings of each full moon. I like how it connects us to the seasonal changes and the moon cycles and helps us talk about this connectedness with our kids.
Hush Little Baby by Sylvia Long
A beautifully rewritten version of the classic lullaby. I always hated how the parent in this song was going to keep buying things for the baby until the baby was happy, and that is exactly how the author felt as well. In her own words, "It seems much healthier to encourage children to find comfort in the natural things around them and the warmth of a mother's love."
I also like that in the story the characters are drawn as rabbits, which I think is a nice tool of children's books to make the story more universal. I think it is easier for a child to be able see themselves in a character that is already entrenched in fantasy, and not, appearance wise at least, representing a specific culture.
We Were Tired of Living in a House byLiesel Moak Skorpen Illustrated by Doris Burn
The story of a group of children who leave home to try living in, among other things, a tree, a boat and a cave. In the end, they decide to return home to the joyful arms of their parents.
What I like about this book is the autonomy of the kids. They are seeking adventure, and are off exploring the world. They play at many different ways they could live, and explore their identities, all the while functioning as a supportive collective.
The thing I dislike about this book is that being written in 1969, it shows some pretty stereotypical gender images in the artwork. The little girls engage in their adventures, all the while wearing frilly party dresses, and serving tea.
This Land is Your Land by Woody Guthrie Illustrated by Kathy Jakobsen
The music of Woody Guthrie is an important part of the radial leftist history of the United States. His songs gave voice to many poor and working class folks, including many struggling for social change.
I also acknowledge that it is a strange song in a way. While trying to be a rallying cry for the reclamation of the country for the people, and from those with the wealth and power, it is hard not to think about it in the context of indigenous rights. This land is actually NOT our land, when it comes down to it. And though I love the message of anti-authoritarianism and collective utilization of resources, the reality is that we do not live here, and never have lived here, in harmony with our surroundings, or the people whose ancestors lived on this land for thousands of years.
What I do like about this book is the inclusion of the lesser known verses that address poverty, and land ownership. You don't normally hear these verses in the school chorus, and I think that they are really the most moving of all.
Just Like Me; Stories and Self- Portraits by Fourteen Artists ed. by Harriet Rohmer
Not a story, as such, but a collection of self portraits and autobiographical notes from some wonderful artists. They each talk about their identity, making art, their childhoods and what inspires them. The paintings are beautiful and I think is a great conversation starter about identity. The artists are from many different cultural backgrounds and I love how it shows how the identity of "artist" isn't relegated to any specific race or gender or background.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
The Next Chapter...
I have been going back over the books I have read and the things I have written in the past couple of months, trying to get a sense of where I have been, so I can decide where I am going.
Where AM I going with all of this? In some ways it seems all over the place; Talking about oppression, and artwork, and the future of children's literature. I feel like I could go into depth in ten directions with all of this. But what next?
Something that has come up for me in the past ten weeks, over and over again, is my own struggle with my identity and where I fit in as an author of children's books. Are my ideas and perspectives even needed in the world of children's books, and is there a way for me to write authentic stories without furthering the status quo?
What I have come up with is that I want to dig deeper into theories behind deconstructing oppression, and see how I can relate that work to the world of children's books. I want to explore the idea of "multiculturalism" and take a look at who are the authors of many of the books I have already reviewed, and see what perspective they are coming from.
I also intend to keep making The List of Books I Like, and add notes that provide further context and discussion ideas for adult readers.
Ultimately I want to start to lay out my own work in story and art, hopefully informed by the work I have done and shared on this blog.
Next post... one more set of book reviews before I dive into this new chapter...
Stay tuned.
Where AM I going with all of this? In some ways it seems all over the place; Talking about oppression, and artwork, and the future of children's literature. I feel like I could go into depth in ten directions with all of this. But what next?
Something that has come up for me in the past ten weeks, over and over again, is my own struggle with my identity and where I fit in as an author of children's books. Are my ideas and perspectives even needed in the world of children's books, and is there a way for me to write authentic stories without furthering the status quo?
What I have come up with is that I want to dig deeper into theories behind deconstructing oppression, and see how I can relate that work to the world of children's books. I want to explore the idea of "multiculturalism" and take a look at who are the authors of many of the books I have already reviewed, and see what perspective they are coming from.
I also intend to keep making The List of Books I Like, and add notes that provide further context and discussion ideas for adult readers.
Ultimately I want to start to lay out my own work in story and art, hopefully informed by the work I have done and shared on this blog.
Next post... one more set of book reviews before I dive into this new chapter...
Stay tuned.
I Believe the Children Are Our Future
"What are we doing here, if we're not singing
This is my revolution. You are my revolution."
These are the first few lines of a new song that I am writing. It is for my children. It is about how genuinely I believe in that blurb at the top of my blog.
"The surest way to change the world is to change the ways we interact with children, and the stories that we tell them."
You are my revolution.
My children make me more radical everyday. And they constantly test the strength of my beliefs.
Radical means "of, relating to, or proceeding from a root." What better place to get "radical" than where the stories of our culture are re-birthed with each new generation: Children.
I would like to address the roots of compulsory education, and it's designs on our children, but I think that would take ten weeks in it's own right. Perhaps I will dive into that abyss in the future on this blog. For now I will say that I genuinely believe that there are no education systems without agenda. Compulsory education and liberatory education alike. The motivation of the agenda is what is in question.
I am also sure that all "radical" education, or "radical" children's literature is certainly not on the same page. Just as most people claiming the same religion, or political party, are not on the same page, exactly. There is plenty of leftest, radical teaching aimed at children that is simply trying to replace one set of dogmas with another.
In my heart of hearts, what I want most for my children, for all children, is the information, freedom and respect to make informed decisions about who they want to be and how they want to engage with the world. But seeing as there is really no such thing as "agenda-less" education, where are we to go for "agenda-less" information and stories to share with children?
Maybe it is impossible to create such literature and education materials. Maybe the burden (or challenge) lies with the adults who engage with the children, and help to teach them critical thinking skills.
I just finished reading the book Tales for Little Rebels: A Collection of Racial Children's Literature edited by Julia L. Mickenberg and Philip Nel. In the foreword of the book, Jack Zipes explains the word radical as "having roots" or "being rooted."
He continues, "A radical person is someone who endeavors to understand the world by going to the root of a phenomenon, issue or problem. A radical literature, especially a radical children's literature, wants to explore the essence of phenomena, experiences, actions, and social relations and seeks to enable young people to grasp the basic conditions in which they live."
This is an interesting collection of works spanning the 20th Century that look at topics ranging from race to ecology, with plenty of examples of leftist political ideology from the early part of the century.
I have to admit that I had a hard time getting absorbed in this book, due to it's layout and presentation. Though I was extremely interested in the stories shared, conveying them in such an "academic" manner made it hard for me to care about them. The smattering of illustrations shared from each book are reprinted small, and in black and white. The texts themselves are layed out in columns, words dense upon each page. Perhaps I am not cut out for academic research because much of the passion of these works were lost on me, simply because my interest wasn't captured by the presentation. ( Though I certainly understand the necessity, not the least of which is that many of these books are out of print.)
This is my revolution. You are my revolution."
These are the first few lines of a new song that I am writing. It is for my children. It is about how genuinely I believe in that blurb at the top of my blog.
"The surest way to change the world is to change the ways we interact with children, and the stories that we tell them."
You are my revolution.
My children make me more radical everyday. And they constantly test the strength of my beliefs.
Radical means "of, relating to, or proceeding from a root." What better place to get "radical" than where the stories of our culture are re-birthed with each new generation: Children.
I would like to address the roots of compulsory education, and it's designs on our children, but I think that would take ten weeks in it's own right. Perhaps I will dive into that abyss in the future on this blog. For now I will say that I genuinely believe that there are no education systems without agenda. Compulsory education and liberatory education alike. The motivation of the agenda is what is in question.
I am also sure that all "radical" education, or "radical" children's literature is certainly not on the same page. Just as most people claiming the same religion, or political party, are not on the same page, exactly. There is plenty of leftest, radical teaching aimed at children that is simply trying to replace one set of dogmas with another.
In my heart of hearts, what I want most for my children, for all children, is the information, freedom and respect to make informed decisions about who they want to be and how they want to engage with the world. But seeing as there is really no such thing as "agenda-less" education, where are we to go for "agenda-less" information and stories to share with children?
Maybe it is impossible to create such literature and education materials. Maybe the burden (or challenge) lies with the adults who engage with the children, and help to teach them critical thinking skills.
I just finished reading the book Tales for Little Rebels: A Collection of Racial Children's Literature edited by Julia L. Mickenberg and Philip Nel. In the foreword of the book, Jack Zipes explains the word radical as "having roots" or "being rooted."
He continues, "A radical person is someone who endeavors to understand the world by going to the root of a phenomenon, issue or problem. A radical literature, especially a radical children's literature, wants to explore the essence of phenomena, experiences, actions, and social relations and seeks to enable young people to grasp the basic conditions in which they live."
This is an interesting collection of works spanning the 20th Century that look at topics ranging from race to ecology, with plenty of examples of leftist political ideology from the early part of the century.
I have to admit that I had a hard time getting absorbed in this book, due to it's layout and presentation. Though I was extremely interested in the stories shared, conveying them in such an "academic" manner made it hard for me to care about them. The smattering of illustrations shared from each book are reprinted small, and in black and white. The texts themselves are layed out in columns, words dense upon each page. Perhaps I am not cut out for academic research because much of the passion of these works were lost on me, simply because my interest wasn't captured by the presentation. ( Though I certainly understand the necessity, not the least of which is that many of these books are out of print.)
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Feminist Voices in Children's Literature
In searching for works of both literary and social criticism of children's literature I found the pickings to be slim. Should We Burn Babar was one of the few books that I found that was really taking a look at the social memes, especially around oppression, that are being passed through children's books.
One of the books I did find didn't exactly fit in to this part of my project, being about Young Adult Novels, but I decided to use it for lack of an abundance of options. Waking Sleeping Beauty: Feminist Voices in Children's Novels by Roberta Seelinger Trites focuses on the critique of the feminist themes in Yong Adult Fiction.
For personal reasons I found this book particularly compelling as I am in the beginning stares of developing a Young Adult novel. It was interesting to follow Trites as she applied feminist theory to the characters and story lines of so many novels that are thought of as empowering to girls. Her chapters are broken down into different themes such as sisterhood, gender roles and mother/daughter relationships. What I got out of this book, in large part, was a list of books that I want to read or re-read with her critiques in hand.
In many ways it is hard to apply the complexity and depth of her ideas to the picture books that are currently my focus. Her commentary around gender roles, and identity outside of the comparative opposites that our culture assumes about gender certainly apply, as I have touched on in previous discussion about gender stereotypes. But often the level of relationships where so many of the oppressions of a patriarchy are brought to light are not conveyed as boldly in picture books, due to length.
I think that the power of reading her critiques, and how I can apply it to my own reading and research, lies in the assumed back story of these books: The unspoken cultural norms.
It is interesting to think how to relate complex ideas of gender, identity, culture, relationship and oppression in short form fiction, for a young audience.
A couple of interesting omissions, or places that she put little, if any, focus were around transgender and genderqueer topics, as well as sexuality outside of the hetero model. In the past ten or fifteen years (the book was written in 1997) it seems as if the awareness around sexuality and non-binary gender and how they relate to feminism have come to the forefront. It feels like this book misses out a lot by not addressing these issues as well.
I look forward to revisiting this book while working and my own novel, as well as finding the time to read some of the books she critiques with an eye to the points she raises about them.
One of the books I did find didn't exactly fit in to this part of my project, being about Young Adult Novels, but I decided to use it for lack of an abundance of options. Waking Sleeping Beauty: Feminist Voices in Children's Novels by Roberta Seelinger Trites focuses on the critique of the feminist themes in Yong Adult Fiction.
For personal reasons I found this book particularly compelling as I am in the beginning stares of developing a Young Adult novel. It was interesting to follow Trites as she applied feminist theory to the characters and story lines of so many novels that are thought of as empowering to girls. Her chapters are broken down into different themes such as sisterhood, gender roles and mother/daughter relationships. What I got out of this book, in large part, was a list of books that I want to read or re-read with her critiques in hand.
In many ways it is hard to apply the complexity and depth of her ideas to the picture books that are currently my focus. Her commentary around gender roles, and identity outside of the comparative opposites that our culture assumes about gender certainly apply, as I have touched on in previous discussion about gender stereotypes. But often the level of relationships where so many of the oppressions of a patriarchy are brought to light are not conveyed as boldly in picture books, due to length.
I think that the power of reading her critiques, and how I can apply it to my own reading and research, lies in the assumed back story of these books: The unspoken cultural norms.
It is interesting to think how to relate complex ideas of gender, identity, culture, relationship and oppression in short form fiction, for a young audience.
A couple of interesting omissions, or places that she put little, if any, focus were around transgender and genderqueer topics, as well as sexuality outside of the hetero model. In the past ten or fifteen years (the book was written in 1997) it seems as if the awareness around sexuality and non-binary gender and how they relate to feminism have come to the forefront. It feels like this book misses out a lot by not addressing these issues as well.
I look forward to revisiting this book while working and my own novel, as well as finding the time to read some of the books she critiques with an eye to the points she raises about them.
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