#WNDB – LGBTQIA+ Representation

When Charlie & Mouse won Geisel gold, it was thrilling for many reasons. One of these was the inclusion of the neighbors Mr. Michael and Mr. Eric, bringing some librarians to tears. Mr. Michael and Mr. Eric, based on two of Laurel Snyder’s actual neighbors, appear in just one of the stories included in Charlie & Mouse, and then only briefly. But they are notable as the first depiction of a same-sex couple in any beginning reader title (or as some might point out, the first canonical, human same-sex couple).   

Despite their very brief appearance, at least one reviewer found their presence objectionable, calling out their presence and Mouse’s choice to wear a tutu, headband, and cowboy boots in another of the stories as evidence of a “LGBTQ agenda”. Author Laurel Snyder took the criticism in stride, tweeting “MWAHAHAHAHA! I am coming for your children with my insidious “all children deserve to feel like people” agenda”.

All children deserve to feel like people. They deserve to see themselves, their families, and their communities depicted in the books they read. Children who are transgender, or gender creative, or who have gay parents, or gay grandparents – they all deserve to see their experience reflected in books, including the books they are learning to read. Books for beginning readers have lagged behind other books – including board books – when it comes to incorporating diverse characters and experiences. With regards to LGBTQIA+ representation, we can speculate as to why this gap exists. With the picture books “And Tango Makes Three” and “I am Jazz” taking a place among the top 10 most challenged books of 2017 is it any wonder that publishers might play it safe with regards to any potential “LGBT content” in a format that relies heavily on marketability to schools?

And yet, all children deserve to feel like people. Including, and especially, those just learning to read. There’s room on our shelves for so many more types of readers to see themselves reflected at every age and stage of learning to read. With love and appreciation to Laurel Snyder and Emily Hughes for introducing us to Mr. Michael and Mr. Eric, and for Mouse’s tutu – I hope that they are just the beginning. We need everyday LGBTQIA+ representation in beginning readers.

Mr. Monkey Bakes a Cake and Mr. Monkey Visits a School by Jeff Mack

Jenna Friebel lives in Chicago (West Loop, best loop!) and works as a Materials Services Librarian at the Oak Park Public Library. She served on the 2016 Geisel Award Committee, 2018 Printz Award Committee, and will be going on to the 2020 Newbery Award Committee. When not hidden beneath piles and piles of books, you can find Jenna hanging out with her foster kittens or teaching yoga. Also look for her on twitter @jenna_friebel.

 

Mr. Monkey is one of the newest personified animals trying to corner the early reader market in a post- Elephant & Piggie world. The first two books came out this year (Mr. Monkey Bakes a Cake and Mr. Monkey Visits a School), and at least one more is coming next year. Both books follow the Elephant & Piggie standard of 64 pages. Pages vary between full page spreads, double page spreads, and pages divided in comic-style panels.

In Mr. Monkey Bakes a Cake, Mr. Monkey indeed does bake a cake. The hard part is getting the cake to the cake show contest as one obstacle after another gets in his way. Book 2, Mr. Monkey Visits a School, follows Mr. Monkey as he learns a cool trick and then heads to the school to present it. But once again, it doesn’t go quite as planned.

Pictures provided by Jenna Friebel.

In terms of Geisel criteria, there is a lot that these books get right. The word choices are appropriate for the beginning reader: short words in short sentences. There is a lot of word repetition and easily noticed context clues for the text in the illustrations. Mack uses slapstick humor to keep readers engaged, and Mr. Monkey’s journeys mirror the reader's’ journey towards successfully completing the book.

However, under closer scrutiny, I think there are a few missteps. A personal pet peeve of mine is when early readers use a font with a double-story “a.” Kids are taught to write single-story “a” so this makes sight words appear different. While some pages do a great job of a having a simple illustration with plenty of white space and clear text, other pages are overly busy.

A lot of speech bubbles are used which sometimes feel unnecessary, but it fits with the comics-style theme. They are short, sound words (ooh, grr, oops) so it doesn’t distract too much away from the main text. There are instances though with additional text in the illustrations beyond the speech bubbles. Both books feature illustrations showing a computer screen with text on it that is in all caps in a different font than the main text which might be confusing for new readers.

 I have no idea if this will play into award consideration at all, but there has been discussion about the use of monkeys in children's literature and how that can be problematic. Edi Campbell has several posts on her blog on the topic. Elisa Gall (who also contributes to Guessing Geisel!) has also shared her thoughts.

It’s very likely that these high-appeal books will be discussed by the real committee come Midwinter, but whether the successful elements outweigh the not-so-successful remains to be seen.

Extreme Animals: Speediest! and Stinkiest! by Steve Jenkins

Photo courtesy of author

Danielle Hartsfield is Assistant Professor in the Teacher Education Department at the University of North Georgia in Dahlonega. She teaches courses in the elementary education program including Children’s Literature and Language Arts. Danielle recently completed service on the 2018 Robert F. Sibert Medal committee and is currently the President-Elect of the Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group, an affiliate of the International Literacy Association.

Stinkiest!: 20 Smelly Animals
by Steve Jenkins book cover

Speediest!: 19 Very Fast Animals and Stinkiest!: 20 Smelly Animals are new installations in the Extreme Animals series by well-known author/illustrator Steve Jenkins. Both are 40-page chapter books intended for transitional readers, children who can read independently but may not be ready for lengthier books. Speediest! features the fastest animals that run, fly, swim, and move, while Stinkiest! describes animals that use odor for defense or to mark territory.

These books have excellent qualities meriting consideration by the Geisel committee. The subject matter is certainly “intriguing enough to motivate the child to read.” Both are peppered with interesting facts that will compel to children to share their learning with others. Take the chapter about the mantis shrimp, for example. Did you know that it can deliver a punch 400 times faster than you can blink your eyes? Young readers will be awed by the amazing feats of the animals showcased in these books, and they will probably have a few laughs, too. (Did you know that the hoatzin’s putrid gas emissions protect it from predators?)

Both titles are designed with consideration for transitional readers. Each chapter is devoted to a single animal and is no longer than two pages. Individual chapters are distinguished by headers, and most pages have ample white space so that readers are not overwhelmed. Large illustrations in Jenkins’s signature collage style support children’s understanding of the text.

Speediest!: 19 Very Fast
Animals by Steve Jenkins
book cover

Speediest! and Stinkiest! include several features to introduce readers to the conventions of informational books. A table of contents allows children to quickly locate animals of interest. Sidebars describe where each animal lives and what it eats, and text bubbles provide additional facts. Small diagrams indicate each animal’s size relative to an adult human’s. Both books provide informative backmatter in visual form such as a chart (Speediest!) and concept map (Stinkiest!). Bibliographies lend credibility to the information presented, but several sources are outdated.

As science-themed informational books, Speediest! and Stinkiest! include domain-specific vocabulary that may be challenging to young readers. Potentially unfamiliar words (e.g., predator, territory) appear in blue font and are defined in glossaries. However, the definitions are sometimes too sophisticated for the intended audience. For example, in Stinkiest!, algae is defined as “simple plants that range in size from tiny single-celled organisms to giant seaweed” (p. 38). Though “organisms” and “single-celled” are used in the definition for “algae,” these may be more difficult terms for young readers than “algae.”

Moreover, the text may be too challenging for independent reading by children in the Geisel’s range of K-2. Both books are classified as a level P according to the Fountas & Pinnell system; the Lexile measures for Speediest! and Stinkiest! are 820 and 870, respectively. These reading levels suggest the books may be more appropriate for typical fourth grade readers.

While Speediest! and Stinkiest! are quality informational books that deserve spots on library shelves and in classrooms, the challenging vocabulary and text complexity make them both unlikely contenders for the 2019 Geisel Award. 

Science of Reading Resource Round-Up

Image of Liesel Schmidt.
Courtesy of author. 

Liesel Schmidt is a children’s librarian at Denver Public Library’s Central Library. She enjoys exploring the wonders of the world alongside kids of all kinds.

When we evaluate beginning readers, we look for illustrations that support the text, simple sentences with plenty of white space on the page, and the repetition of new words. How does all this relate to the actual process of learning to read? Neuroscience from the past few decades has a lot to tell us about how we learn to understand a universe of meaning starting with little black marks on a page. Let’s take a look at three books about the science that is helping us understand the reading brain: Language at the Speed of Sight by Mark Seidenberg, Proust and the Squid by Maryanne Wolf, and Reading in the Brain by Stanislas Dehaene. What can these books tell us about the best texts for beginning readers?

Reading in the Brain: The New Science of How We Read by Stanislas Dehaene
Without changes to the structures of our brains, humans have become adept readers. Dehaene explores the ways that the brain has adapted its circuitry to allow for reading. Studies of the structures involved in reading reveal what Dehaene calls the “letterbox area”, which processes incoming words, acting as a switchboard to connect words with meaning. A book packed with ideas, this is a good overview of our reading brains.

Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain by Maryanne Wolf 
In this dense, yet compelling narrative, Wolf traces the ways that the humans learned to read and how that discovery has shaped our species. As Wolf puts it, “How could a single cultural invention less than 6,000 years ago change the ways the brain is connected within itself and the intellectual possibilities of our species?” (Wolf, 215). Look to this book for a thorough exploration of reading, drawing on sociology, linguistics, education and neuroscience.

Language at the Speed of Sight: Why We Read, Why So Many Can’t, and What Can Be Done About It by Mark Seidenberg 
Seidenberg reports on how we learn to read with vigor and style. He is determined to bring the field of education up-to-speed with advances in neuroscience. Behavior, including reading, arises from a vast network of interconnected neurons. Learning is the process of developing and tuning these networks of linked neurons. When we learn to read, we’re building connections among the spoken language we already know, to the words on the page. We’re linking the sounds of words to the visual representations of words. Building from scientific reportage to an impassioned argument for the importance of scientific evidence in teaching reading, this is a page turner.

All three of these texts make clear that reading requires interplay among the brain’s visual and auditory processing systems, connecting these with systems for processing semantics or the meanings of words. All of these systems are linked, with information moving back and forth until the right connection is made. Perhaps skillfully created books for beginning readers can support those brain connections? Illustrations that support the text can help children connect the words they are decoding with words they already know. Simple, straightforward sentences allow children to develop the attention they need to move from decoding a word to understanding its meaning. And, repetition in beginning readers allows the brain to develop more efficient pathways linking the necessary neurons.

It doesn’t take a neuroscientist to recognize the joy on the face of a child who has just read their first book. But, understanding the science of what’s going on under the surface may help us get there faster. Try one of these books to get started.

• Deheane, S. (2009). Reading in the brain: The science and evolution of a cultural invention. New York: Penguin. 
• Seidenberg, M. (2018). Language at the speed of sight: How we read, why so many can’t, and what can be done about it. New York: Basic Books. 
• Wolf, M. (2007). Proust and the squid: The story and science of the reading brain. New York: Harper Collins.

We Are All Me by Jordan Crane

Alec Chunn is a librarian and book reviewer in Eugene, Oregon. He served on the 2018 Rainbow Book List Committee and currently co-runs the mock Stonewall Book Award blog, Medal on My Mind. 

Book cover of We Are All Me by Jordan Crane

How do you explain metaphysics to a child? Though I’m sure attempts have been made, I’m certain that none are as successful as Jordan Crane’s We Are All Me at distilling down philosophical ideas into a concise 96-word early reader.

The story (or is it a poem?) starts with the self then expands into body, world, air, cloud, water. Earth. Seed. Sunshine. Root. Life grows into leaves and fruits and bugs and bees. But, under it all is bone, meat, a heartbeat. Cells. Atoms. Existence. The message that’s preached: “We are all one.”

Image from Toon-Books.com

I know what you’re thinking. This sounds like a trippy book. It is a trippy book, hands down. But it’s also kind of amazing. And I’ve never seen anything like it in an early reader. Of the 96 words I mentioned, 44 unique words are used. About a third of those are sight words. The book relies on repetition of both words and images to help convey meaning as it shifts into more complex words like “aware” or “exists” or “atom.”

This rhythmic repetition carries the story—and the reader—along. Likewise, the way the pictures build on (and connect to) each other is integral to understanding the book. For instance, the clouds that are introduced on one page (on which the text reads “made of air”) are replicated on the next (“and of cloud”) but then changed to indicate rain (“made of water”). For something about interconnectedness, it’s a very granular presentation. The pictures bring the complexity of the theme into something easier to decode for a K-2nd grade audience.

Image from Toon-Books.com

But would kids even read this pen-and-ink hardcover that looks like it’s straight out of the 1960s? I haven’t actually read this title with kids, so I don’t know. As the Geisel criteria states, “[the] subject matter must be intriguing enough to motivate the child to read.” I believe that the cover is undeniably inviting, from the way “we” and “me” are visual mirrors of each other, to the vibrant, almost psychedelic colors. I think the topic of interconnectedness is something that we all want to explore, regardless of our belief systems. And I think the story is accessible, though it might require some adult mediation.

Sure, it’s an abstract book. It’s an abstract concept, too. But as far as simplified philosophy goes, it doesn’t get much better than this. Though I think the chances that the Geisel committee will choose this one are slim to none, I’m still holding out some hope. I’m a big fan of anything that pushes the limits of the format and I think this title does just that.

A Parade of Elephants by Kevin Henkes

Image courtesy of author

This week’s guest contributor is Kahla Gubanich, a children’s and maker librarian at Carroll County Public Library in Maryland.

Book cover of A Parade of Elephants by Kevin Henkes

Kevin Henkes’ newest picture book, A Parade of Elephants, opens with a bold invitation: “Look! Elephants!” That simple sentence is a solid hook, because honestly, who could not look after that exclamation? In the following pages, a colorful parade of elephants marches around in a circle, up and down hills, over splashing rivers and under lush treetops, in and out of tunnels. They march all day, and when night falls, they yawn and stretch in preparation for bed. But just before they settle, they lift their trunks to the sky and trumpet, filling the night sky with stars.

Image of elephants walking in a circle from A Parade of Elephants by Kevin Henkes

The plot is simple: For the bulk of the book, the elephants are marching. The details lie in how they march. One page describes the round elephants moving in a round circle, while another shows the elephants moving in and out of a tunnel. This simplicity allows very young readers to focus on the basic idea of each page as they decipher the words. The large, bold text stands out cleanly against the white and pastel pink backgrounds. Simple sentences are often composed of only two words (“Over, under”), or include multiple repetitions of a single word (“Big and round and round they are”). The rhythm and repetition even suggest the slow, steady thump of marching elephant feet. The uncluttered illustrations in soothing pastel colors mirror the action portrayed in the text, giving young readers visual support to help them interpret the words.

This story is very much written in the voice of its intended audience, from that opening invitation (“Look! Elephants!”) to the simple two-word descriptions (“Up, Down”) to the multiple repetitions of single words (“They march and they march and they march”). I imagine that if I gave a young child a wordless version of this picture book, their invented story would likely closely resemble the actual text. Even so, there are still opportunities for new vocabulary near the end, when the elephants raise their trunks and trumpet.

Image of elephants trumpeting stars from A Parade of Elephants by Kevin Henkes

The grace of this simple story exists in the minor details of the illustrations: The baby elephant at the back of the parade stretches out a tiny trunk to grab the tail of the larger elephant ahead; the yellow elephant second in line strides forward with extended trunk and tail, full of purpose, while the purple elephant tucked in the middle seems more contemplative. Readers of all ages will delight at the page turn that reveals a row of five elephant back sides, standing still for the first time as they gaze at the moon, and again when five elephants yawn and stretch before bed.

Image of elephants yawning and stretching from A Parade of Elephants by Kevin Henkes

As with so many of Kevin Henkes’ other works that children, parents, and librarians have fallen in love with over the years, A Parade of Elephants is a seemingly simple story that masks its rich complexity and holds up very well to multiple readings. Young readers can build confidence with this book, and at the end of the day, there is nothing quite like an elephant to win over the hearts of readers of all ages.

Ghoulia by Barbara Cantini

 Today’s guest contributor, Meagan Albright, is a Youth Services Librarian III at the NSU Alvin Sherman Library, Research and Information Technology Center in Fort Lauderdale, FL. She served on a variety of ALSC Committees, including the 2018 Theodor Seuss Geisel Award Selection Committee and the 2012 Notable Children’s Books Committee. Meagan’s current work philosophy is inspired by Doctor Who: “We’re all stories in the end. Just make it a good one.”

Ghoulia welcomes newly independent readers with strong, simple sentences in a large “handwritten” font that introduces the characters and the hook of the book (zombie seeking friendship) on pages with limited text and plenty of white (well… black or orange) space on the page. However, the layout of the text on the pages is potentially confusing for some readers, who may be unsure if the sentence should be read straight across or page-by-page.  

On subsequent pages, readers find a shift in both the font and style, with longer text blocks and more challenging vocabulary. Engaging illustrations and a sufficient use of white space around these text blocks lend a page-turning dynamic that encourages readers and propels them through the story. The problem of confusing text placement, however, recurs throughout the book.

Images provided by Meagan Albright

For example, on this double-page spread, it is tempting for readers to follow the visual cue of leaves across the pages, but the flow of the story clearly works better if readers finish the text on the page first before moving to the second page in the spread.

Occasionally problematic text placement aside, Ghoulia has many positive qualities. The concepts of diversity, acceptance and friendship are clearly conveyed, and the witty tone keeps these lessons from feeling didactic. The spooky tone and subject matter make the book an obvious choice for Halloween, but the (as Booklist describes it) “charmingly morbid” new series will appeal to readers year-round.

While Ghoulia is without a doubt an engaging, humorous and delightful book, this year’s Geisel committee will have to decide if it rises to the level of distinguished and fully meets the award’s criteria. For readers at the younger end of the award’s spectrum (which is pre-K through Grade 2), Ghoulia may serve best as a shared, rather than independent, reading experience. The book features difficult vocabulary (venture, waltzed, forbade, furious, misfortune) that is not always explicitly explained by the illustrations and these new words are not consistently repeated enough to ensure knowledge retention. Dense blocks of text may prove intimidating, and the charming labels and asides contained in the illustrations result in the occasional unusual text placement on the page.

Though Ghoulia does not make my personal list for the 2019 Theodor Seuss Geisel Award, I know the book will find many young readers who are delighted by this witty, engaging, faux-dark tale.