From: Rick Samuelson <ricks_at_wccls.org>
Date: Fri, 16 Aug 2013 15:45:15 +0000

I'd love to see a picture book where the nurse or the children's librarian is a man. My favorite picture book that takes place in the library is "Min d Your Manners, BB Wolf"... but I cringe at the fact that the librarian (Mi ss Wonderley) is so extremely stereotypical.

I was reading "Guess How Much I Love You" to my son the other day and was s urprised to notice that Big Nut Brown Hare was referred to as a "he". I am more accustomed to seeing the "Runaway Bunny" approach to expressing love for a young child... i.e., the mother is the primary caregiver who expresse s love.

I like the fact that "Knuffle Bunny" shows a father doing household chores and minding the baby. I wish it didn't have to end with dad being clueles s and careless and forgetting about Knuffle Bunny, though. That feels so m uch like an expression of the stereotypical belief that men are clueless wh en it comes to taking care of babies.

I was just thinking about this rhyme the other day:

Miss Lucy had a baby. His name was Tiny Tim. She put him in the bathtub To see if he could swim. He drank up all the water. He ate up all the soap. He tried to eat the bathtub, But it wouldn't go down his throat. Miss Lucy called the doctor. Miss Lucy called the nurse. Miss Lucy called the lady With the alligator purse. "Mumps," said the doctor. "Measles," said the nurse. "Hiccups," said the lady With the alligator purse. Out went the doctor. Out went the nurse. Out went the lady With the alligator purse.

To take Sharron's line... When we get to the point that EVERY household can hear this rhyme and not automatically assume the doctor is a male and the nurse is a female we will have turned the corner on gender neutrality.

Thanks. :)

Rick Samuelson, Youth Services Librarian Washington County Cooperative Library Services (503) 648-9785 x5#


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From: Sharron L. McElmeel
 Sent: Friday, August 16, 2013 8:14 AM To: Heather Williams Cc: ccbc-net_at_lists.wisc.edu Subject: Re:
 Gender Roles and Picture Books

Heather et. al. And in some households (mine included) the gender of the builder of the for t would not have been a surprise -- we would have all assumed it was Debora h who was building the fort. When we get to the point that EVERY household can read the story and NOT express any surprise that the builder is a femal e then we will have turned the corner on gender neutrality. Just saying. An d thanks Heather for developing an awareness of the issue - it is all of us who can make a difference with our usage, our subtle references, in all th ings that we do. Thanks, Sharron

On 8/16/13 9:36 AM, Heather Williams wrote: Some reviewers love that the builder's gender is secret until the final reveal of the finished product some have been offended. It is very interesting how individuals have such a different take on the subject. I can't wait to see the kid's reactions.

Sharron L. McElmeel Instructor University of Wisconsin - Stout RDGED 703 Children's Literature in the Reading Program RDGED 704 Young Adult Literature in the Reading Program Home _at_ Cedar Rapids IOWA e-mail: mcelmeels@uwstout.edu phone: (319) 393-2562 (in CST zone)

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Received on Fri 16 Aug 2013 03:45:15 PM CDT