December 2008 Archives

Back in March, I blogged about picture books that don't perpetuate gender stereotypes. Those of you who are interested in the topic will want to check out a great in-depth list at Outside the (Toy) Box, which includes lots of great inspiring stories for young girls. Here are the author's views on gender roles in children's books:

While there are some great books that are explicitly feminist or deal with responding to what others say girls can and can't do, I'm not actually a huge fan of those. I guess because right now my dd and ds have have no reason to think that boys and girls aren't equally important, interesting, and capable. So, right now I don't feel a need to address these issues with them. Instead, I look for non-sexist/stereotyped books that are centered around girls who are doing interesting things. Who would think that they would be so hard to find? If they are brave, clever, strong -- even better. Most of the books listed here are of this variety, the balance are books that may not feature a particularly fantastic female character, but open the gender box a bit...

If you didn't get a chance to listen to our recent author/illustrator interviews live, never fear! The shows have been archived on the OnlineWithAndrea homepage. I've also embedded the audio here. Each show runs two hours long.

Just Imagine featuring authors John Thompson & George Schultz and illustrator Wodin

All I See Is Part of Me featuring author Chara Curtis and illustrator Cynthia Aldrich

One Smile featuring author Cindy McKinley and illustrator Mary Gregg Byrne

As I was paging through one of our own books on BigUniverse just now, I stumbled across a terrific little gem: William Wordsworth's poem, I Wandered Lonely As a Cloud, illustrated for children--with robots! What a great twist on the classic poem! I would love to see more picture books like this, if they exist.

It has been ages since I've done a Book of the Week--or even just a proper post, really. This week's/month's/season's Book of the Week is To Sleep with the Angels, a gentle bedtime story written by H. Elizabeth Collins-Varni and illustrated by Judy Kuusisto. Every night, as she gets tucked into bed, a little girl whispers,

She drifts off to a peaceful sleep and her guardian angel guides her through the dreamland. This is a very comforting book for children who have difficulty falling asleep or are afraid of the dark.

We recently received a great note about this book from one mother: "I read my 19 month old daughter, Alana, To Sleep with the Angels every night. This is the only book that really relaxes her into a deep sleep. She loves the illustrations of the angels. The blue and yellow illustrations are very relaxing. I feel so fortunate to have been able to share this book with her."

Pleasant dreams!

In the coming days, three of our books will be featured on the internet radio program, OnlineWithAndrea. The authors and illustrators of Just Imagine, All I See is Part of Me, and One Smile will be talking about their books and taking your questions, so be sure to
tune in! You'll need to go to the website to listen and participate. The schedule for the shows follows:

Just Imagine
Thursday, Dec. 11 at 7 p.m. EST / 4 p.m. PST
Author John Thompson and illustrator Wodin will be "onlinewithandrea," to talk about their collaborative efforts in creating the award-winning storybook. John Thompson will read this beautiful story that was created for all ages.

All I See is Part of Me
Friday, Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. EST / 4 p.m. PST
Author Chara M. Curtis and illustrator Cynthia Aldrich go "onlinewithandrea" to talk about their collaborative efforts in creating not only the highly acclaimed All I See Is Part of Me, but also Fun Is A Feeling. Delight and fantasy unfold as a child discovers that the joy of living comes from within. The author will read these wonderful stories created for all ages.

One Smile
Tuesday, Dec. 16 at 7 p.m. EST / 4 p.m. PST
This story points out how a day in the lives of many people can be changed for the better through a single act of kindness. Author Cindy McKinley and illustrator Mary Gregg Byrne will go "onlinewithandrea" to talk about their collaborative efforts in creating the Ben Franklin award winning One Smile. Cindy McKinley will read this heartwarming story.

Please join us for these shows live or listen to the archive.