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Gender Roles in Picture Books
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From: Allison Bruce <abruce_at_bankstreet.edu>
Date: Mon, 05 Aug 2013 11:26:40 -0400
I'm so glad to see this as a discussion topic. I've noticed some progress, and some regression, in recent years.
In the otherwise-delightful (and Geisel-winning) HENRY AND MUDGE AND THE GREAT GRANDPAS (Rylant, 2006), Henry's mom stays behind to cook dinner while Henry, Henry's dad, and the Grandpas go out for fun ("No girls allowed, Mom.") In YOU CAN DO IT (Lewin, 2013), an alligator who wears a pink hair ribbon serves as cheerleader for a ribbon-less alligator who struggles to win the race and beat the bully. BECAUSE I'M YOUR DAD Zappa, 2013), is full of gender stereotypes ("Because I'm your dad, you'll grow up knowing robots are cool, but monsters are even cooler") and also plays into the stereotype that Dad is the "fun" parent ("Because I'm your dad, you can have spaghetti for breakfast... Because I'm your dad, you can sometimes stay up late with me to watch TV..."). These are just a few examples.
On the other hand, there are a number of delightful picture books that subvert gender roles. DANCIN' IN THE KITCHEN (Gelsanliter) is from 1998, but is one of my favorites, because it's a fun read-aloud and because it shows men and women working together in the kitchen. I LOOK LIKE A GIRL (Hamanaka, 1999), also pre-2000, not only encourages girls to break out of societal expectations, but also is a stunningly beautiful piece of poetry (If you look twice, / Past the sugar and spice, / The eyes of a tiger you'll see.) PURIM SUPERHERO (Kushner, 2013) isn't super well-known, but is a fun "express yourself" story that just happens to include a female Rabbi (not to mention 2 fathers).
My thoughts? We do need more books that subvert gender roles. I want working moms, stay-at-home dads, single parent families, families in which both parents work, both cook, and both do the dishes. Stories where Dad doesn't just romp with kids, but provides emotional support - and stories where mom makes mudpies. I caution against "my mom works and my dad stays home" as a plot by itself, since that de-normalizes what is, for many kids, a reality of everyday life. In short, we need good stories that reflect the experiences of a wide variety of children.
Allie Jane Bruce Children's Librarian Bank Street College of Education 610 W. 112th St. New York, NY 10025
212-875-4452 (office)
Author, Feminist Resources for Teens http://feministresources.wordpress.com
Received on Mon 05 Aug 2013 11:26:40 AM CDT
Date: Mon, 05 Aug 2013 11:26:40 -0400
I'm so glad to see this as a discussion topic. I've noticed some progress, and some regression, in recent years.
In the otherwise-delightful (and Geisel-winning) HENRY AND MUDGE AND THE GREAT GRANDPAS (Rylant, 2006), Henry's mom stays behind to cook dinner while Henry, Henry's dad, and the Grandpas go out for fun ("No girls allowed, Mom.") In YOU CAN DO IT (Lewin, 2013), an alligator who wears a pink hair ribbon serves as cheerleader for a ribbon-less alligator who struggles to win the race and beat the bully. BECAUSE I'M YOUR DAD Zappa, 2013), is full of gender stereotypes ("Because I'm your dad, you'll grow up knowing robots are cool, but monsters are even cooler") and also plays into the stereotype that Dad is the "fun" parent ("Because I'm your dad, you can have spaghetti for breakfast... Because I'm your dad, you can sometimes stay up late with me to watch TV..."). These are just a few examples.
On the other hand, there are a number of delightful picture books that subvert gender roles. DANCIN' IN THE KITCHEN (Gelsanliter) is from 1998, but is one of my favorites, because it's a fun read-aloud and because it shows men and women working together in the kitchen. I LOOK LIKE A GIRL (Hamanaka, 1999), also pre-2000, not only encourages girls to break out of societal expectations, but also is a stunningly beautiful piece of poetry (If you look twice, / Past the sugar and spice, / The eyes of a tiger you'll see.) PURIM SUPERHERO (Kushner, 2013) isn't super well-known, but is a fun "express yourself" story that just happens to include a female Rabbi (not to mention 2 fathers).
My thoughts? We do need more books that subvert gender roles. I want working moms, stay-at-home dads, single parent families, families in which both parents work, both cook, and both do the dishes. Stories where Dad doesn't just romp with kids, but provides emotional support - and stories where mom makes mudpies. I caution against "my mom works and my dad stays home" as a plot by itself, since that de-normalizes what is, for many kids, a reality of everyday life. In short, we need good stories that reflect the experiences of a wide variety of children.
Allie Jane Bruce Children's Librarian Bank Street College of Education 610 W. 112th St. New York, NY 10025
212-875-4452 (office)
Author, Feminist Resources for Teens http://feministresources.wordpress.com
Received on Mon 05 Aug 2013 11:26:40 AM CDT
