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[CCBC-Net] MINDERS OF MAKE-BELIEVE
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From: leonardsma at aol.com <leonardsma>
Date: Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:16:02 -0400
A word was changed in one of the first Little House Books. The original said something like "no people were there" when the wagons arrived, which implied that the Native Americans who WERE there was not worthy of being considered people. So, the word was changed from "settlers." Details of this are found in my book DEAR GENIUS. Some faces in the illustrations of some Little Golden Books, were darkened, in the late 60s, in response to Nancy Larrick's "All White World" essay. I have a number of vague memories of other changes of this kind. Weren't some of the illustrations for Doctor Dolittle redone in order to eliminate offense racial stereotypes? Weren't the Hardy Books and/or Nancy Drew books completely revamped for the same reason, as well as to modernize them in other ways (I seem to recall this happened in the last 80s or early 90s)?
As for controversial medal winners: WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE, of course. Steig's SYLVESTER AND THE MAGIC PEBBLE drew some flak for the portrayal of policemen as pigs (Steig felt compelled to answer his critics in the article in the NY Times). There must be a few others. Could it be that the selection process works against the making of controversial choices?
Leonard S. Marcus
54 Willow Street, #2A
Brooklyn, New York 11201
tel 718 596-1897
e-mail leonardsma at aol.com
web www.leonardmarcus.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Becky McDonald <rebeccamcdonald at sbcglobal.net>
To: Subscribers of ccbc-net <ccbc-net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu>
Sent: Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:44 pm
Subject: Re: [CCBC-Net] MINDERS OF MAKE-BELIEVE
Mr. Marcus and all, this discussion is delightful. MINDERS OF MAKE-BELIEVE allows readers to become insiders. About Nancy Larrick's criticism of Keats for omitting the word "Negro" in the text of THE SNOWY DAY-- Wouldn't the inclusion of the word damage the book's contemporary appeal? As it is, the book is still beloved by children.( I can't figure where the word would have fit into the spare text.) Larrick's distress over the mother's ample size and "gaudy" dress as a racial stereotype makes me wonder if the publishers considered making a change (similar to the change from the African American nanny with a white child in the original version of THE TALL BOOK OF MOTHER GOOSE. Changes in published books are infrequent, as you have said. Any other similar changes come to your mind? I don't know how to phrase my other question, so feel free to ignore this if it doesn't make sense: Did other medal-winning books that you can recall receive criti
cism at the time of the award, yet survive the test of time? Thank you. Becky McDonald I wish this discussion could go on forever! _______________________________________________ CCBC-Net mailing list CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe... http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
Received on Tue 22 Jul 2008 12:16:02 PM CDT
Date: Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:16:02 -0400
A word was changed in one of the first Little House Books. The original said something like "no people were there" when the wagons arrived, which implied that the Native Americans who WERE there was not worthy of being considered people. So, the word was changed from "settlers." Details of this are found in my book DEAR GENIUS. Some faces in the illustrations of some Little Golden Books, were darkened, in the late 60s, in response to Nancy Larrick's "All White World" essay. I have a number of vague memories of other changes of this kind. Weren't some of the illustrations for Doctor Dolittle redone in order to eliminate offense racial stereotypes? Weren't the Hardy Books and/or Nancy Drew books completely revamped for the same reason, as well as to modernize them in other ways (I seem to recall this happened in the last 80s or early 90s)?
As for controversial medal winners: WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE, of course. Steig's SYLVESTER AND THE MAGIC PEBBLE drew some flak for the portrayal of policemen as pigs (Steig felt compelled to answer his critics in the article in the NY Times). There must be a few others. Could it be that the selection process works against the making of controversial choices?
Leonard S. Marcus
54 Willow Street, #2A
Brooklyn, New York 11201
tel 718 596-1897
e-mail leonardsma at aol.com
web www.leonardmarcus.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Becky McDonald <rebeccamcdonald at sbcglobal.net>
To: Subscribers of ccbc-net <ccbc-net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu>
Sent: Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:44 pm
Subject: Re: [CCBC-Net] MINDERS OF MAKE-BELIEVE
Mr. Marcus and all, this discussion is delightful. MINDERS OF MAKE-BELIEVE allows readers to become insiders. About Nancy Larrick's criticism of Keats for omitting the word "Negro" in the text of THE SNOWY DAY-- Wouldn't the inclusion of the word damage the book's contemporary appeal? As it is, the book is still beloved by children.( I can't figure where the word would have fit into the spare text.) Larrick's distress over the mother's ample size and "gaudy" dress as a racial stereotype makes me wonder if the publishers considered making a change (similar to the change from the African American nanny with a white child in the original version of THE TALL BOOK OF MOTHER GOOSE. Changes in published books are infrequent, as you have said. Any other similar changes come to your mind? I don't know how to phrase my other question, so feel free to ignore this if it doesn't make sense: Did other medal-winning books that you can recall receive criti
cism at the time of the award, yet survive the test of time? Thank you. Becky McDonald I wish this discussion could go on forever! _______________________________________________ CCBC-Net mailing list CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe... http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
Received on Tue 22 Jul 2008 12:16:02 PM CDT
