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Re: A librarian's Response to the NYTimes rrticle on picture books
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From: Maia Cheli-Colando <maia_at_littlefolktales.org>
Date: Fri, 05 Nov 2010 14:59:37 -0700
Lisa,
Marc can of course speak for himself... but I read what he wrote differently than you did, and since you took the discussion to a more public forum, I posted my read there. He can now correct us both! :) 'Tis copied below...
All the best, Maia
Lisa, I definitely agree with your argument about the importance of books! :) But I'm not sure Marc was presenting the ideology that you are debating.
I believe Marc was saying that paperback picture books are so slim they literally disappear on the shelves, which means that in order for folks to physically see new picture books, they need to be released in hardback (at least, in current display arrangements)? Not that picture books are too slim to have substance.
I also think that Marc was talking about what a given parent *may* be thinking when they go into a bookstore, in these tight economic times - not what they *should* be thinking, or what books are worth in a broader sense. For that, I can tell you that he is right in at least some cases, from conversations I have had with other adults.
About the package deals, it seemed he was suggesting that training a non-book-oriented parent into the book experience might be done by creative interplay between books? If I did read that aright... well, there are folks like you and me (and Marc, for that matter) for whom books are staples. You don't have to convince us that we should, or show us how to, incorporate books into our lives. But the Little Golden books and similar series were accessible to the non-book-crazy, and that is a gap group we should consider, and to which I think his package idea was proposed?
And finally, about effort. For many of us, reading with our children is a joy. But when parents are overworked and stressed, if reading is not already part of their routine, or if they are asked to read and reread books that do not resonate with them, or if their child is squirrely and won't listen... yeah, I can see how that would be an effort. (If I had to read most of the stuff I see featured in mainstream bookstores, trust me, it would take a major effort to stay sane.)
So, again, I agree with your base premise. It's just my sense that from what he has said, Marc does too. :)
Cheers! Maia
Maia Cheli-Colando Arcata, Humboldt Bay, California -- blogging at http://www.littlefolktales.org/wordpress -- -- or drop in on Facebook! --
Received on Fri 05 Nov 2010 02:59:37 PM CDT
Date: Fri, 05 Nov 2010 14:59:37 -0700
Lisa,
Marc can of course speak for himself... but I read what he wrote differently than you did, and since you took the discussion to a more public forum, I posted my read there. He can now correct us both! :) 'Tis copied below...
All the best, Maia
Lisa, I definitely agree with your argument about the importance of books! :) But I'm not sure Marc was presenting the ideology that you are debating.
I believe Marc was saying that paperback picture books are so slim they literally disappear on the shelves, which means that in order for folks to physically see new picture books, they need to be released in hardback (at least, in current display arrangements)? Not that picture books are too slim to have substance.
I also think that Marc was talking about what a given parent *may* be thinking when they go into a bookstore, in these tight economic times - not what they *should* be thinking, or what books are worth in a broader sense. For that, I can tell you that he is right in at least some cases, from conversations I have had with other adults.
About the package deals, it seemed he was suggesting that training a non-book-oriented parent into the book experience might be done by creative interplay between books? If I did read that aright... well, there are folks like you and me (and Marc, for that matter) for whom books are staples. You don't have to convince us that we should, or show us how to, incorporate books into our lives. But the Little Golden books and similar series were accessible to the non-book-crazy, and that is a gap group we should consider, and to which I think his package idea was proposed?
And finally, about effort. For many of us, reading with our children is a joy. But when parents are overworked and stressed, if reading is not already part of their routine, or if they are asked to read and reread books that do not resonate with them, or if their child is squirrely and won't listen... yeah, I can see how that would be an effort. (If I had to read most of the stuff I see featured in mainstream bookstores, trust me, it would take a major effort to stay sane.)
So, again, I agree with your base premise. It's just my sense that from what he has said, Marc does too. :)
Cheers! Maia
Maia Cheli-Colando Arcata, Humboldt Bay, California -- blogging at http://www.littlefolktales.org/wordpress -- -- or drop in on Facebook! --
Received on Fri 05 Nov 2010 02:59:37 PM CDT
