Tim Warnes's Blog: My Life in Books, page 18
December 5, 2019
It's Christmas! (Well, almost.)
Development work for I Love You More Than Christmas (Little Tiger Press 2020) © 2019 by Tim Warnes
Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone.
— Charles M. Schulz
Like an oncoming juggernaut hurtling down upon us, Christmas is headed our way.
In the run-up to Christmas, there’s always a lot to do. We are short of time, and the kids can sometimes get overlooked. That’s why sharing a bedtime story can be so useful at this time of year. It forces you to STOP and PAUSE and REST for a moment. To do something that you want to be doing (spending quality time with your child) - not what you feel you ought to be doing. Calculating the correct ratio of sprouts to guests can wait. These formative years won’t.
You’ll never get this time back - so make the most of it.
When my sons were younger, at the start of advent each year, we brought down a big box of Christmas themed books (and movies) from the attic. December was the month when we got to read The Snowman, Kipper’s Christmas Eve, Father Christmas, Merry Christmas, Maisy! and a firm family favourite - Bear Stays Up for Christmas. (My old Santa series got a dusting down, too.)
My sister has taken this idea to another level and started a lovely tradition for my nephew, Isaac. Throughout advent, he gets to unwrap a Christmas themed book each day. And I’m pleased to say I got top billing on December 1st with It’s Christmas!, featuring Archie the rhino. I wish I’d thought of doing that! A little extra effort on my sister’s part, for sure - but it’s adding to Isaac’s excitement! Building happy memories of close one-on-one time with his parents - with the added bonus of a positive connection with reading. BOOM! Result!
To help you out and give you a back some valuable time, here’s a list of some tried and tested Christmas books that I personally recommend:
I’ve Seen Santa! By David Bedford, ill. by Tim Warnes
Father Christmas by Raymond Briggs
The Snowman by Raymond Briggs
The Christmas Book by Dick Bruna
Harvey Slumfenburger’s Christmas Present by John Burningham
Melrose and Croc by Emma Chichester Clark
Merry Christmas, Maisy! By Lucy Cousins
Olivia helps with Christmas by Ian Falconer
Toot and Puddle: Let it Snow by Holly Hobbie
Kipper’s Christmas Eve by Mick Inkpen
A Message for Santa by Hiawyn Oram, ill. by Tony Ross
Goodnight, Manger by Laura Sassi, ill. By Jane Chapman
How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr Seuss
Bear Stays Up for Christmas by Karma Wilson, ill. by Jane Chapman
(You’ll notice there aren’t many books on the list that celebrate the true meaning of Christmas - the birth of Jesus. That’s coming up next week.)
Let’s take a closer look at one of my Good to Read recommendations: Melrose and Croc (retitled, Melrose and Croc: A Christmas to Remember).
Melrose and Croc by Emma Chichester Clark (HarperCollins Children’s Books 2005) © 2005 by Emma Chichester Clark
I came across it by chance in a bookshop, one dreary December afternoon - just like the one captured in the book. And I fell in love with it immediately!
It really is rather magical.
There’s something about Emma Chichester Clark’s art that makes Melrose and Croc feel simultaneously nostalgic, like a warm blanket, and contemporary at the same time. Quite simply, it is a satisfying, cosy read.
The story features ‘two mightily engaging characters’: Melrose (a yellow dog) and the diminuitive Croc. (When asked Why a crocodile?, Chichester Clark replied that she ‘needed something green.’)
The story begins on Christmas Eve. They are both strangers to the city but in very different circumstances.
One day, before Christmas, a small green crocodile walked down a busy street, carrying a suitcase.
Detail from Melrose and Croc by Emma Chichester Clark (HarperCollins Children’s Books 2005) © 2005 by Emma Chichester Clark
The optimistic Little Green Croc arrives with no plan further than seeing Father Christmas at the big department store: “Come and meet FATHER CHRISTMAS at Harridges! Make your dreams come true!”
Meanwhile, Melrose has also just arrived in town. He begins decorating his new apartment for Christmas, but gives up as he has no one to share the joy with.
That night, as Melrose gazed at the view, he sighed, “It’s Christmas; I should be happy, but I feel sad.”
Can you see where this is headed?! (And just look how forlorn Melrose is!)
Detail from Melrose and Croc by Emma Chichester Clark (HarperCollins Children’s Books 2005) © 2005 by Emma Chichester Clark
Melrose and Croc has a really unique and effective colour palette.
On the one hand, the tone is dark and sombre (it even has dingy, forest green front endpapers). This captures perfectly that feeling I mentioned earlier - of shopping on a late December afternoon. A bit dreary (rather than menacing). Not that the art itself is gloomy, not at all! It is charming and jam-packed with detail (precisely outlined in soft, colour pencil) that adds up to a convincing whole.
Detail from Melrose and Croc by Emma Chichester Clark (HarperCollins Children’s Books 2005) © 2005 by Emma Chichester Clark
The outdoor scenes are cleverly contrasted with bright, light interiors. Melrose’s apartment and Harridges the department store are warm and inviting (achieved in part by a light yellow wash over the whole image, which gives them an inner glow).
When Croc finally arrives at Harridges, he’s told he’s too late - Father Christmas has gone!
Detail from Melrose and Croc by Emma Chichester Clark (HarperCollins Children’s Books 2005) © 2005 by Emma Chichester Clark
“He was here last week. He’s busy now. It is Christmas Eve.”
Chichester Clark pulls on all the heartstrings! Bitterly disappointed, Croc manages to hold in his tears - until he’s drenched by a passing car. The depiction of his disappointment culminates in a heartbreaking image of him sheltering from the snow among the dustbins.
(The vehicle is driven by Melrose, the dog. He and Croc are the only animals that inhabit this town - yet it feels perfectly natural for them to behave like their human counterparts.)
Melrose is given a surprise present in the department store:
“For you to share,” smiled [the assistant]. “Thank you,” said Melrose, sadly.
Because, of course, he has no one to share it with.
The way Chichester Clarke gets the two characters to meet is charming - at an outdoor ice rink!
Little Green Croc forgot everything. He whirled and he twirled. … Melrose was there, whirling, too. … He felt lighter than air.
Until they crash into each other:
“OW!” cried Melrose.
“OH!” cried Croc.’
Melrose and Croc go out for afternoon tea and tell each other everything - “…and now Christmas is ruined,” Croc finished.
Detail from Melrose and Croc by Emma Chichester Clark (HarperCollins Children’s Books 2005) © 2005 by Emma Chichester Clark
Except, of course, it’s not. The tale of the once friendless pair is beautifully and simply resolved.
Melrose invites Croc to stay. They buy a tree, so Melrose gets to put up his decorations, after all. During the night Father Christmas comes (Croc even gets to spot him, streaking across the night sky), and they wake up the following day to share the joy of Christmas.
“All my dreams are coming true!” said Croc.
“Mine too,” said Melrose. “All I wanted was a friend and I found you!”
“And I found you! Happy Christmas,” smiled Croc.
Not only is Melrose and Croc a feel-good book to share with little ones, it is also a wonderful example of how valuable picture books can be in teaching empathy. Here in the UK we are about to have a general election. All the political parties speak of the importance of education - and I believe the investment must start during our children’s formative years. I hope these articles inspire you and teach you the important role that picture books - and you as parents and carers - play.
Detail from Melrose and Croc by Emma Chichester Clark (HarperCollins Children’s Books 2005) © 2005 by Emma Chichester Clark
You can see more of Emma Chichester Clark’s work on her website:emmachichesterclark.co.uk
(And take a moment to check out Emma’s Plumdog blog - it’s brilliant!)
I’ve Seen Santa! By David Bedford, ill. by Tim Warnes
Father Christmas by Raymond Briggs
The Snowman by Raymond Briggs
Melrose and Croc by Emma Chichester Clark
Merry Christmas, Maisy! By Lucy Cousins
Olivia helps with Christmas by Ian Falconer
Toot and Puddle: Let it Snow by Holly Hobbie
Kipper’s Christmas Eve by Mick Inkpen
A Message for Santa by Hiawyn Oram, ill. by Tony Ross
Goodnight, Manger by Laura Sassi, ill. By Jane Chapman
How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr Seuss
Bear Stays Up for Christmas by Karma Wilson, ill. by Jane Chapman
SourcesGood Reads: Christmas QuotesIt’s Christmas! by Tracey Corderoy, ill. by Tim Warnes (Little Tiger Press 2018)Melrose and Croc by Emma Chichester Clark (HarperCollins Children’s Books 2005) Emma Chichester Clark: A Life in Pictures (The Guardian 6 May, 2011) An interview with Emma Chichester Clark , The Federation of Children’s Book Groups
November 29, 2019
Some book: Thankful for a spider named Charlotte
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White, ill. by Garth Williams. Puffin Books edition, 2002
There’s an intimacy we have with the books we fall in love with as young readers.
— Claudia Bedrick, Publisher: Enchanted Lion
I grew up in a Victorian, red brick house. It had its fair share of spiders.
I’d spot them, scuttling away across the floor. In the bathroom lived the biggest of them all - George. I wasn’t afraid of him. Perhaps because my parents weren’t either. Mum always referred to the tiny ones as ‘money spiders’ and regarded them good omens. Dad affectionately referred to all spiders as George. I was there recently - yes, they still live in my childhood home - and Dad said, ‘Look there’s George!’ I wonder how long he’s been calling spiders, ‘George’? (My dad’s 88 now, and shows no sign of stopping the habit.)
I have a spider in my kitchen, who I refer to affectionately as Charlotte.
Because so ingrained in me is E.B. White’s story, Charlotte’s Web, that it didn’t occur to me to call her anything else. (Not even George!)
Charlotte was here when I first moved in four months ago. I had effectively taken up residence in her space, so I decided to let her be. And sharing my home with a spider has turned out to be a rather rewarding experience.
My Charlotte (like Wilbur the pig’s) is an orb-web spider - and she is absolutely beautiful. Her body is scrawled with lines and squiggles - an arachnid arabesque of great detail. Her long, stripy legs (which like her fictional counterpart’s, are awfully hairy) have a delicate touch.
No wonder Wilbur became entranced by his Charlotte!
© Tim Warnes 2019
Charlotte’s Web is is one of the best-selling children’s books of all time.
‘The tale of how a little girl named Fern, with the help of a friendly spider, saved her pig Wilbur from the usual fate of nice fat little pigs’, has sold more than 45 million copies and has been translated into 23 languages.
Author E.B. White became fascinated with spiders as he undertook the research for his book. ‘I spent a year studying spiders before I ever started writing this book,’ he wrote.
I get it! Observing and sharing my space with Charlotte has been fascinating. She is always to be found in her web, which she spins in front of the french doors (apart from one morning, when I was surprised to discover her on top of the teaspoons in my cutlery drawer.)
White studied the textbook, American Spiders by Gertsch as part of his research. Parts of it are quoted in White’s biography, The Story of Charlotte’s Web, including this thought-provoking reflection:
… [The orb web] represents a triumph in engineering worthy of great mechanical ingenuity and learning; yet it was arrived at by lowly spiders …
It’s hard not to marvel at the skill of a spider at work.
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White, ill. by Garth Williams. Text © E.B. White 1952, renewed 1980. (Hamish Hamilton 1952)
A spider can produce several kinds of thread. She uses a dry, tough thread for foundation lines, and she uses a sticky thread for snare lines - the ones that catch and hold insects. Charlotte decided to use her dry thread for writing the new message.
‘If I write the word TERRIFIC with sticky thread,’ she thought, ‘every bug that comes along will get stuck in it and spoil the effect.’
- Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White, ill. by Garth Williams. Puffin Books edition, 1972
I own two copies of Charlotte’s Web, considered by many to be a modern classic.
A prized, dog-eared paperback (featuring a still from the Hanna-Barbera animation as the cover illustration); and a more robust hardback that I found recently in a charity shop. Both with delightful pen and ink drawings by Garth Williams.
I have a real attachment to the original paperback. Like an artefact from my childhood, its yellowing pages feel fragile as you turn them. I daren’t open them fully now, as the glue of the spine has become so brittle (the outside is held together with sticky tape). And just inside the cover, on the first page, I have claimed ownership and carefully written my name, address and phone number.
As I remember, I erased my brother’s name first and replaced it with mine. It’s hard to tell now.
Either way, the point is - I took ownership of Charlotte’s Web. We would be forever bonded.
Or does it own me?
I often return to Charlotte’s Web and Zuckerman’s farm, picking it up from time to time to read a passage or two. (I recently downloaded the excellent audio version, read by E.B. White himself. His narration was suitably relaxed and authentic, and the way he phrased things lent new meaning to some of the dialogue). I remember being read it as a child and have enjoyed reading it with my sons, too. Disappointingly, they didn’t make the same connection as me (disappointing because I wanted them to find the same level of joy in it as I do).
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White, ill. by Garth Williams. Puffin Books edition, 1972
In the autumn, I went for an early morning walk through the meadow.
Walking across grass, wet with dew, always makes me think of these lines from Charlotte’s Web:
The grass was wet and the earth smelled of springtime. Fern’s sneakers were sopping by the time she caught up with her father.
It was 07.30, calm and ethereal, with the low light reflecting off the morning dew. Hundreds of spider webs - orb webs - decorated the grasses. They looked so delicate, so dazzling - yet they are so deathly (to some, at least). In places, the spider had pulled the line taught, causing the grass heads to bend under the tension. And running between them all were single, silver, gossamer threads. A few of the webs were torn like laddered tights. But most were complete and whole and so, so beautiful. It was magical.
As well as spiders and dewy grass, the excitement of a fairground on a summer’s evening (where the climactic scenes of Charlotte’s Web are played out) also takes me back to the book:
After the heat of the day, the evening came as a welcome relief to all. The Ferris wheel was lighted now. It went round and round in the sky and seemed twice as high as by day. There were lights on the midway, and you could hear the crackle of the gambling machines and the music of the merry-go-round and the voice of the man in the beano booth calling numbers.
Why is this important? Who cares about my recollection of a childhood favourite? What’s your take away, here?
Because it reveals how stories enrich our lives - and how they can help us make sense of it.
‘As a piece of work [Charlotte’s Web] is just about perfect, and just about magical in the way it is done …’, wrote the (wonderfully named) critic, Eudora Welty in the New York Times in 1952. And I agree. It’s hard to find fault with Charlotte’s Web, and I’m thankful that I was introduced to it at a young age.
So with that, and the holiday seasons - Thanksgiving and Christmas - in mind, what book (a favourite of yours) could you gift and introduce a young person to, before the year is out?
Maybe they’ll connect with it on a deep level, too. It might become entwined with them and you, as my parents are with some books that are important to me.
I’m certainly grateful that Charlotte A. Cavatica wove her magic into the very depths of me.
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White, ill. by Garth Williams. Text © E.B. White 1952, renewed 1980. (Hamish Hamilton 1952)
Charlotte’s Web is about friendship. it is also about the unavoidable cycle of life and death.
And sadly, as autumn creeps into winter, I sense that my Charlotte’s life, like her fictional counterpart’s, is coming to an end.
She looks rather swollen and seems listless, as Wilbur noted about his friend.
She is in demise.
Sitting there, hunched up in her corner. Very occasionally, I spot her tending to the web. But Charlotte is very slow now; her work on the web half-hearted.
‘Dada - she hasn’t moved for weeks.’
‘I know. I think she’s dying.’ There was a hint of sadness in my voice.
‘Maybe she’s just a very good actor!’ Levi replied cheerily.
‘Good-bye!’ [Charlotte] whispered. Then she summoned all her strength and waved one of her front legs at [Wilbur].
She never moved again.
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
© Tim Warnes 2019
Sources
Picture-book Publisher by Kristen Strezo (Harvard Magazine Jan - Feb 2014)
The Story of Charlotte’s Web: E.B. White’s Eccentric Life in Nature and the Birth of an American Classic by Michael Sims (Bloomsbury 2011)
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White, ill. by Garth Williams (Hamish Hamilton 1952)
Along Came a Spider by Eudora Welty (New York Times, 19 October 1952)
November 22, 2019
How timeless is Olivia?
We have to free half of the human race, the women, so that they can help to free the other half.
— Emmeline Pankhurst, suffragette
Olivia © by Ian Falconer
This week I was having tea with some friends. Their 20-month-old baby, Heidi, upended her bowl of custard on her head, and wore it as a hat. That’s the kind of family detail that you can expect to see in an Olivia book!
Written and illustrated by Ian Falconer, Olivia is a spunky, self-opinionated piglet, described by some as a prima donna. She certainly knows her own mind, and while being a little brattish at times, is utterly charming. "It would be so boring if she was as good as gold all the time," says Falconer, who based her on his niece, Olivia.
Which makes Olivia a suitably feisty role model for little girls everywhere!
There are several Olivia titles in Falconer's series, and they were always favourites to read with the boys when they were young. Even now, they never fail to put a smile on my face. Which is why I list Olivia in my Good to Read recommendations.
From Olivia by Ian Falconer (Atheneum 2000) | © Ian Falconer 2000
Olivia challenges the stereotypical view of girls.
She is loud and raucous. She hammers and paints on walls; yet loves opera and ballet, and remains a very feminine pig in her choice of attire.
At first glance, you'd be forgiven for thinking the Olivia books date from the 1950s or 60s. Falconer revealed that his use of white space was inspired by Dr Seuss. His elegant, charcoal drawings with occasional splashes of colour also lends the books a distinctively retro feel. This is further enhanced by the character's outfits: Olivia's mother wears buttoned-up cardigans and blouses with a pencil skirt. Olivia's father always wears a shirt (tucked into his slacks).
Perhaps the overall effect is what led the Bookseller to describe Olivia as 'timeless.'
But.
Last week, when I was looking through the picture books on my shelves for examples of storybook dads, I was struck by how outdated the family dynamics in the Olivia series felt.
It was a total surprise to me. And in a way, I wish I’d never noticed.
As far as my picture book collection goes, these are the worst offenders for their negative portrayal of fathers (and, by default, mothers). I'm used to hearing that levelled at Richard Scarry books. But, I've never heard it discussed concerning the Olivia series, which seem to receive nothing but praise. Considering the first Olivia title was published in 2000, I find this surprising. \
Somehow, the unstoppable Olivia has distracted us all from the bigger picture.
From Olivia Saves the Circus by Ian Falconer (Atheneum 2001) | © Ian Falconer 2001
Who is it who gets Olivia up for school? Olivia's mother.
A visit to the museum and a trip to the beach? Mother.
Who calls ‘time out’? That's right - Mother Pig again.
Bedtime stories.
A trip to the circus.
Cooking, sewing, overseeing packing for vacation, lugging the baby about, disciplining, clearing up the dishes. It all falls on Mother's hefty shoulders!
Detail from Olivia Goes to Venice by Ian Falconer (Atheneum 2010) | © 2010 by Ian Falconer
Never mind Richard Scarry's What do people do all day? I want to know what Father Pig does all day! Most of the time, he's nowhere to be seen. Off at work, presumably. Leaving Olivia's mother with all the domestic chores.
(When he does make an appearance, Olivia's father is often sitting behind his newspaper, oblivious to - or ignoring? - the ensuing chaos around him.)
Hmmm…
But wait! We learn from an aside in Olivia Saves the Circus that ‘…one time my dad took me sailing.’
Yay. Go, dad.
From Olivia… and the Missing Toy by Ian Falconer (Atheneum 2003) | © Ian Falconer 2003
Despite my criticism, I am a fan of the books, which are worthy of attention and have received rave reviews.
And let’s be honest, this is how many families live. (Which is a shame, because those dads are missing out.) But even if they are at work all day providing for the family, the dad’s that I know take on a share of parental responsibilities. (I’m pleased to say it was Heidi’s dad who got up and rinsed the custard off under the kitchen tap!)
USA Today described Olivia as 'a true heroine, a female ready to take her place among the immortals of children's literature.' Given how rapidly society is changing, I wonder whether Olivia will achieve that kind of longevity and status. Could she be left on the shelf for fear of the reader being judged for tolerating what already feels (to me at least) a very outdated portrayal of families? Perhaps the Bookseller was a bit premature in describing Olivia as 'timeless.'
I hope not. Arguably, Falconer missed the opportunity to celebrate fathers, which I think is regrettable. But fair play to him - the Olivia books really are, in all other ways, class acts, boasting 'buckets of style and wit.' (The Independent). I can’t deny that, like it or not, Olivia’s father has character! And to his credit, Falconer cleverly includes some noteworthy women from history, who are role models of Olivia: Eleanor Roosevelt, Maria Callas, and Martha Graham.
From Olivia… and the Missing Toy by Ian Falconer (Atheneum 2003) | © Ian Falconer 2003
Reasons to love the Olivia books!
They are FUNNY!
The humour - pithy comments and visual jokes - is dry and central to the books. For example, when Olivia gets angry at Perry her dog for chewing up her favourite toy (Olivia… and the Missing Toy), her stack of bedtime stories is made up entirely of cat-themed books.
They are STYLISH
"There are plenty of terrific picture books, although I suppose mine look different," says Falconer. "Many have so many colours and details. Mine are clean and spare, so maybe they stick out."
They are SO WELL OBSERVED and BEAUTIFULLY DRAWN
‘Olivia is a brilliant comic creation with touches of realism that strike many chords.’ - Book of the Month, Junior.
If pushed came to shove, I think I’d say my favourite is 2001’s Olivia saves the circus, which adds to the nostalgic feel of the series with its parade of elephants, performing dogs and lion taming. Not very politically correct - but great fun to read! (Olivia’s account of the circus is so over the top, that Falconer can get away with it as a product of Olivia’s imagination.)
From Olivia Saves the Circus by Ian Falconer (Atheneum 2001) | © Ian Falconer 2001
Finally - let's not forget the true heroine of the stories - Olivia's mother!
This great woman has chosen the noble (and traditional) role of stay at home mother (as one reviewer described her, 'a career mother'), to take care of her family. She is supportive of Olivia's father, and in many family scenarios, they appear happy together. If we were to knock her, we would be doing an injustice to generations of women.
But somehow, I can't help thinking that most mothers would rather have a partner like Daddy Rhino .
From Olivia helps with Christmas by Ian Falconer (Atheneum 2007) | © Ian Falconer 2007
Sources
The top 50 most empowering feminist quotes of all time (Stylist)
Olivia by Ian Falconer (Ateneum Books for Young Readers 2000)
Olivia Saves the Circus by Ian Falconer (Atheneum Books for Young Readers 2001)
Olivia… and the Missing Toy by Ian Falconer (Atheneum Books for Young Readers 2003)
Olivia helps with Christmas by Ian Falconer (Atheneum Books for Young Readers 2007)
Olivia Goes to Venice by Ian Falconer (Atheneum Books for Young Readers 2010)
Oink if you love 'Olivia' by Bob Minzesheimer (USA Today, October 6 2003)
November 15, 2019
Shaping society one picture book at a time
Archie and his daddy. From NO! by Tracey Corderoy, ill. by Tim Warnes (Little Tiger Press 2013) | Image © 2013 by Tim Warnes
We should not deny males the opportunity to nurture and care, just as we should not deny females the opportunity to kill and maim in the name of Western democracy, if they fancy it.
— Grayson Perry, The Descent of Man
In his book, A Death in the Family, Karl Ove Knausgaard writes disparagingly about his father. It’s Norway, in the mid-1970s:
… You could have taken him for one of those softie fathers beginning to emerge and assert themselves at that time, those who were not averse to pushing prams, changing nappies, sitting on the floor and playing with children.
- Karl Ove Knausgaard, A Death in the Family: My Struggle Book 1
People often say that the UK is not as progressive as the Scandinavian countries. True to form, by the time it was my turn to be a father, we hadn’t even begun to catch up.
It was 1999, and I was sharing the childcare duties (which, at the time, was quite unusual). I became used to being the only dad at the toddler group or baby gym or stuck in a creche. I was often the solitary father at the school gates. A lone wolf in the parenting world, I frequently resorted to making use of the women’s toilets to change nappies. I didn’t feel like a ‘softie father’. I felt like I was spearheading a movement. It was hard work - but the pleasure was all mine!
Knausgaard went on to become a hands-on dad himself. I love this description from the second book in his autobiographical series, My Struggle:
A large part of my relationship with [my daughter] Heidi was based on me carrying her. It was the basis of our relationship. She always wanted to be carried, never wanted to walk, stretched up her arms as soon as she saw me, and smiled with pleasure whenever she was allowed to hang from my arms. And I liked having her close, the little chubby creature with the greedy mouth.
- Karl Ove Knausgaard, A Man In Love: My Struggle Book 2
Sketchbook © 2002 by Tim Warnes
In picture books, men/fathers tend to be represented in traditionally masculine roles.
They go out to work, leaving Mummy at home as the primary caregiver. They play football and fix cars, and loaf about watching tv (or reading a newspaper) while Mummy cooks dinner.
In the past, this would have been an honest reflection of societal norms. (My own father was the breadwinner, leaving mum to tend the home and kids - although he was changing nappies in the 1970s!). But read, for example, Judith Kerr’s The Tiger Who Came to Tea today, and the stereotypes represented can feel uncomfortable. Perhaps because the implication is that this is still the norm.
But of course, things are changing. Slowly, maybe; but changing nonetheless. Even in Busytown - the crazy world created by storyteller Richard Scarry!
Busytown (‘a community, full of friendly busybodies’) reflected small towns and big cities of the time - the 1950s. In ensuing years, Scarry was criticised for under representing female characters - and assigning those who did appear traditional roles. “If it’s wearing an apron they automatically assume it must be a female animal,” he complained. (I have my sympathies. The big bear in I Love You to the Moon and Back isn’t assigned a gender. In my head the character represents me - but it usually referred to as ‘mummy’ in reviews.) It was inevitable that Scarry’s hugely popular books have undergone a series of revisions to the text and art, making them more palatable to today’s readers. Which is a good thing if it means more kids get to enjoy them.
Detail from Richard Scarry’s Find Your ABC’s (Picture Lions 1973) © Richard Scarry 1973
Now father rabbits as well as mothers cook for their families, lady bears drive steamrollers and the cat labelled ‘beautiful screaming lady’ being rescued by a ‘brave hero’ in one of Busytown’s many conflagrations is the more prosaic, but accurate, ‘cat in danger’ being saved by a ‘firefighter’. I regret the loss of whimsy, but times change and what we lose in gently wry humour we gain in the next generation growing up to be not quite so rigidly sociosexually codified and casually racist as the one before, I guess. Good work, Lowly Worm and pals.
- Lucy Mangan, Bookworm | A Memoir of Childhood Reading
I frequently took the kids to the library to borrow a new selection of picture books. But my experience as a hands-on dad was (and still is) hard to find reflected in picture books.
According to a survey of the hundred most popular picture books carried out by the Observer in 2017,
Female adults undertaking caring roles were common in the stories, and there were twice as many female as male teachers. Mothers were also present almost twice as often as fathers. By contrast, fathers barely featured at all unless accompanied by a co-parent, appearing alone in just four books.
Donna Ferguson, Must monsters always be male? Huge gender bias revealed in children’s books
So it was a no-brainer that I would use any opportunities given to me as a picture book maker to make the changes I sought to see.
November 19 is International Men’s Day. As well as raising awareness of men’s well-being, IMD celebrates the value men bring to the world, their families and communities by highlighting positive role models.Enter Daddy Rhino.
His son, Archie (or Otto as he is known in the US) is a feisty little character, making his debut in the book NO! Written by Tracey Corderoy, its success led to a further four titles. I immediately related to Archie’s beleaguered parents (honestly, who knew parenting could be so exhausting?!). At that time, I was back at the school gate after a few years reprieve with kid number two - and noticed that things had progressed. Now I wasn’t the only dad doing the pick-up. Dads of all shapes and sizes made frequent appearances. I quickly befriended Andy, a full-time house-husband-artist. He was there to pick up his daughter every single day. Elsewhere, one of my brother-in-laws had given up his job to become a house husband and primary caregiver; the other shared child duties as I did. (These men were duly honoured in the book’s dedication!)
From NO! by Tracey Corderoy, ill. by Tim Warnes (Little Tiger Press 2013) | Image © 2013 by Tim Warnes
But Tracey’s text just didn’t reflect my own experience as a dad. Her original manuscript had Mummy doing the cooking, dropping off little Archie at school, collecting and being his source of comfort. And to be fair to Tracey, that was (is) the normal state of affairs. But I wanted to illustrate a modern attitude - more reflective of my life and community.
After some persuasion (publishers and authors can be set in their ways, too) Daddy Rhino was allowed to step up and take the place of Mummy Rhino. Through school runs, baking, gift wrapping, reading bedtime stories, playing and engaging with Archie, Daddy Rhino has helped challenge traditional gender roles.
From Why? by Tracey Corderoy, ill. by Tim Warnes (Little Tiger Press 2014) | Image © 2014 by Tim Warnes
In the 1990s, a social experiment was carried out to see what babies understand about gender roles in the home. The babies were given ‘mummy’ and ‘daddy’ dolls and, a selection of common activities for them to perform. These included hoovering, childcare and working on the car. The majority of babies chose the mummy doll for cleaning and childcare, and dads for boisterous play (and fixing the car). The studies were ‘a revelation to scientists because it showed just how early the home environment was shaping babies’ views.’
The experiment was repeated twenty years later by Professor Uta Frith for the BBC TV series, Babies: Their Wonderful World. Professor Frith noted:
‘We are living in a less gendered world. It’s not so easy to say what’s really typical for a man to do, what’s really typical for a woman to do. So, can we see that reflected in what the children absorb about their environment?’
The result?
Today’s toddlers are a lot more even-minded about traditional gender roles in the home.
‘It appears that mummy is no longer seen by the toddlers as their main carer, and that cleaning is not predominantly a role for mummy. Similarly, today’s toddlers are just as likely to chose mummy as the parent to engage in boisterous play.’
Perhaps Archie’s daddy is a softie father. (Maybe I am, too.) But maybe that anthropomorphic rhino and I will help shape children's views for the better, making it a little easier for them to switch up the roles, if they fancy it.
From NOW!by Tracey Corderoy, ill. by Tim Warnes (Little Tiger Press 2016) | Image © 2016 by Tim Warnes
Good To Read
Kids’ books with positive male role models
The Archie / Otto series (No! Why? More! Now! It’s Christmas!) by Tracey Corderoy, ill. by Tim Warnes (Little Tiger Press)
Danny, the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl (Jonathan Cape 1975)
The Gruffalo’s Child by Julia Donaldson, ill. by Axel Scheffler (Macmillan 2004)
The Storm Whale by Benji Davies (Simon & Schuster 2013)
SOURCESNO! by Tracey Corderoy, ill. by Tim Warnes (Little Tiger Press 2013)THE DESCENT OF MAN BY GRAYSON PERRY (ALLEN LANE 2016)MY STRUGGLE:1 - A DEATH IN THE FAMILY BY KARL OVE KNAUSGAARD. TRANSLATED BY DON BARTLETT (VINTAGE 2014)MY STRUGGLE:2 - A Man in Love BY KARL OVE KNAUSGAARD. TRANSLATED BY DON BARTLETT (VINTAGE 2014)BUSY DAYS ON ONE MAN’S ANIMAL FARM BY ELIZABETH GRICE (THE DAILY TELEGRAPH, 5 MAY 1994)RICHARD SCARRY - OBITUARY (THE DAILY TELEGRAPH, 5 MAY 5 1994)Bookworm | A Memoir of Childhood Reading by Lucy Mangan (Vintage 2018) MUST MONSTERS ALWAYS BE MALE? HUGE GENDER BIAS REVEALED IN CHILDREN’S BOOKS BY DONNA FERGUSON (THE GUARDIAN, 21 JANUARY 2018)internationalmensday.comWhy? by Tracey Corderoy, ill. by Tim Warnes (Little Tiger Press 2014)BABIES: THEIR WONDERFUL WORLD (BBC SERIES, 2018)NOW! by Tracey Corderoy, ill. by Tim Warnes (Little Tiger Press 2013)November 8, 2019
Old Masters and Ninja Turtles
“You can’t have those,” the man said to his son, nodding his head towards the stack of comic books the boy had grabbed from the library’s shelves.
“Why not?” the boy asked.
“Because comic books aren’t real books, you need to get proper books. Those don’t count.”
— Lucas Maxwell
I come from artistic stock.
On the paternal side, my grandfather was a jewellery designer. Both my great-grandfather and great, great-grandfather were master tailors and livery makers with a royal warrant. My father studied textile design at the Royal College of Art in London and worked briefly as a freelancer, before beginning his lifelong career as a paper conservator. He trained at the British Museum, then spent the rest of his working life at the Royal Library in Windsor Castle, where he became head conservator of the Queen’s collection of Old Master drawings.
This year I caught some of the Leonardo centenary exhibitions, including the one at the National Museum Cardiff, which I saw with Dad. As a kid, I sometimes watched Dad restoring Her Majesty’s Leonardos when I visited him at work. So it was good to see the works of art up close, once again - with him by my side.
You can’t fail to admire Leonardo’s drawings. But despite having that first-hand contact with the Old Masters at such an early age, the most significant influence on me, artistically speaking, was comic art. (In that respect, I was not that dissimilar to many other five-year-olds.) So whilst I’d be a fool not to rate Leonardo da Vinci, I do hold Leonardo the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle in high regard!
Old Masters. Dad reunited with a Leonardo drawing that he restored…
I began reading a weekly Disney comic (complete with invaluable step-by-step tutorials on how to draw the characters) which was later usurped by the Beano.
I amassed and devoured a whole load of Schulz’s Peanuts (‘Snoopy books’ as they were known). Various Marvel / DC comics came next (Spiderman was my favourite), followed by as much Asterix as I could get.
The influence of comics continued into my teenage years when I absorbed MAD magazine, Garfield and Gary Larson’s Far Side. I eventually discovered graphic novels and Calvin and Hobbes as an art student (thanks to Dave's Comics in Brighton). These examples and more besides (Mutts, Cul de Sac) have conjoined to influence my work as a picture book artist.
Comics (and graphic novels) - in the UK and US at least - have always been regarded as a lower art form in comparison to ‘proper books.’ Fast-food burgers to filet mignon, if you will. But they are becoming increasingly popular and influential and beginning to receive the recognition they deserve. Dr Laura Jiménez, a lecturer at Boston University, praises the medium of graphic novels because they ‘might provide an entry point for struggling readers, challenge gifted readers, and help more students learn.’
Emma Nichols, manager at Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle, agrees: ‘For the reluctant reader, comics can be easier to grasp and more fun to read than text-only books.’
Nichols continues:
‘Comics are more complex than prose books. I know this seems counterintuitive to argument #1 [for the reluctant reader, comics can be easier to grasp and more fun to read than text-only books], but it’s true; they demand engagement on both a visual and textual level.
- The Graphic Novel Is a Perfect Teachable Format by Emma Nichols
I think this ‘engagement on both a visual and textual level’ is the appeal - and the power - of comic art (including graphic novels). When done well, the way the text and images are integrated serve to communicate the story in a truly effective way. Throw in some visual shorthand in the form of symbols (for example, hearts for eyes to show a character is in love), and they can become master classes in visual literacy. As such, I think they have great value.
The most obvious example of comics leveraging my work is Chalk & Cheese. But look closely, and you’ll see their influence seeping in here, there and everywhere:
Oh, Boris! by Carrie Weston, ill. by Tim Warnes (Oxford University Press 2007) | Image © 2007 by Tim Warnes
Oh, Boris! features a gang of ninja rats who burst into the story in a most manga-inspired way (plus a few speech bubbles);
Monty and Milli - the magical starbursts, another effect borrowed from manga;
Jesus Loves Me! - a straightforward narrative told through sequential panels;
The Archie (Otto) series and The Great Cheese Robbery all rely heavily on speech bubbles.
Detail from The Great Cheese Robbery by Tim Warnes (Little Tiger Press 2015) | Image © 2015 by Tim Warnes
I’m not alone in my appreciation of comic art. You can see the comic influence again in many of my favourite children’s book illustrators - in particular, the work of Bob Graham, Satoshi Kitamura and Posy Simmonds. Perhaps less obvious (at least at first glance) is the work of Maurice Sendak, whose In the Night Kitchen was directly influenced by Winsor McCay’s Little Nemo comic strip.
Aside from Chalk & Cheese, the closest I’ve come to creating a comic (other than those as a kid) can be found in The Big Book Adventure By Emily Ford (Silver Dolphin 2018).‘ Flying over Neverland, swimming with a mermaid, joining in a mad tea party, soaring on a magic carpet—old classics come to life in the eyes of two readers [Foxy and Piggy] who can’t believe what they’ve seen.’
Featuring Foxy and Piggy, this award-winning book revisits several old classics such as Alice, Peter Pan and The Three Bears. Another story that Foxy relays is the fictional Galactic Race, which I decided to show as a comic (with my accompanying illustrations looking like they’ve come from the insides). Some old Eagle and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics helped me achieve the look I was after.
I inked the line art and sent it through with some colour notes for a designer to weave their magic (my IT skills are zero when it comes to digital art) - specifying that I wanted it coloured with a dot matrix for that classic comics feel. The result blew me away.
Detail from The Big Book Adventure by Emily Ford, ill. by Tim Warnes (Silver Dolphin 2018) | Image © 2018 by Tim Warnes
I wanted to make sure that the page representing the comic, Galactic Race, was self-contained - in other words, to have enough of a story within those few panels to feel satisfying, while suggesting they are part of something bigger:
Foxy’s giant rocket zooms out of nowhere, surprising an alien in an archetypal UFO. The alien is not happy. He wants to win the race. But Foxy is determined.
He reaches out and decisively presses a big, red button.
*Click*
The alien looks on in horror as Foxy’s rocket engages Warp Factor 9 and blasts ahead!
I only wish there was a complete Galactic Race comic to read. I’d love to see more of that competitive, cephalopod-ic alien!
From The Big Book Adventure by Emily Ford, ill. by Tim Warnes (Silver Dolphin 2018) | Image © 2018 by Tim Warnes
The Big Book Adventure by Emily Ford, illustrated by Tim Warnes (Silver Dolphin Books 2018)
‘Truly delightful’ - books4yourkids.com
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Winner: 2019 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Silver Award (Children's Picture Books)
Winner: 2018 Foreword INDIE Gold Award (Picture Books, Early Reader)
Picture Books with a comic book vibe
Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea by Ben Clanton (Egmont 2016)
Queenie the Bantam by Bob Graham (Walker Books 1997)
Baker Cat by Posy Simmonds (Red Fox 2004)
Tiger Vs. Nightmare by Emily Tetri (First Second 2018)
Chalk & Cheese by Tim Warnes (Simon & Schuster 2008)
Sources A FRIENDLY REMINDER THAT COMIC BOOKS STILL COUNT AS READING by Lucas Maxwell (Book Riot, 8 February 2018) Graphic Novels 101 by Laura Ehrlich (Boston University Today, 24 July 2014)The Graphic Novel Is a Perfect Teachable Format by Emma Nichols (Publishers Weekly, April 19, 2019)Oh, Boris! by Carrie Weston, ill. by Tim Warnes (Oxford University Press 2007)The Great Cheese Robbery by Tim Warnes (Little Tiger Press 2015)The Big Book Adventure by Emily Ford, ill. by Tim Warnes (Silver Dolphin 2018)
November 1, 2019
When is a children’s book an unsuitable read?
Chalk & Cheese © Tim Warnes 2012
[A]rt is nuanced and complex, and in any artist’s life there is going to be something objectionable, but that’s not an excuse to close ourselves off from engaging with the art.
— Emily Gowen, a literature instructor at Boston University
When is a children’s book an unsuitable read?
Perhaps the answer should be when it’s a dissatisfying read.
In a previous article, I objected to the labelling of books, ‘for boys’ or ‘for girls’. Similarly, I’m not convinced about books being given age ratings. C.S. Lewis sums it up beautifully:
“A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.”
The only time I think age is a consideration is if the subject matter might cause distress (used in the same manner as advisory labelling on movies). So, for example, the picture book The Day War Came by Nicola Davies and Rebecca Cobb (Walker Books 2018), inspired by the Syrian refugee crisis, has a recommended age of five plus. In my review, I concluded that ‘a sensitive child could find the book upsetting, despite the subtlety of the incidental details (for example the tiny helicopters, flowers in the rubble, the shoes adrift). It would work equally well for much older children, too.’ On the other hand, the presence of such a rating can have a negative effect by putting off older readers from taking a book seriously - and in this particular example, from experiencing a profoundly moving story, some beautiful prose, and accomplished illustration.
I ask the question, When is a children’s book an unsuitable read? because I have an idea for a story about Picasso.I have tentatively started researching and writing it, so it is beyond the stage of a story seed (although sadly shelved until 2020 due to work commitments.) I’m not sure what form would best suit the idea. Possibly a picture book. Perhaps a longer read. But I wonder: is Picasso someone that should be promoted to young children? Undoubtedly a Great Artist, Picasso is also criticized for his treatment of women. So is that enough for my idea to be outlawed from the start and deemed unsuitable for kids?
If so, then how do we educate our children if we try and erase ‘inappropriate’ people from the past? (Is that even possible - especially when you’re talking about someone as influential as Picasso?)
A real-life example: on my bookshelf, I have a well-worn copy of the picture book, Little Bill: An Adventure with Captain Brainstorm! by Francesca Hyman, ill. by Robert Powers (Simon Spotlight/Nick Jr. 2001)
Little Bill: An Adventure with Captain Brainstorm! by Francesca Hyman, ill. by Robert Powers (Simon Spotlight/Nick Jr. 2001) © Viacom International Inc.
It’s one of many tv tie-ins from the Nick Jr. series, Little Bill, created by US comedian Bill Cosby. (Charming, well written and creative, Little Bill unsurprisingly won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children’s Animated Program.) If you’re unfamiliar with it, imagine The Cosby Show for kids: Little Bill lives with his parents, Alice the Great (his great-grandmother), older sister April and brother Bobby (not forgetting Elephant the hamster). I spent hours watching it with Noah on Nick Jr. - and on the back of that, bought the tie-in picture book.
Little Bill: An Adventure with Captain Brainstorm! by Francesca Hyman, ill. by Robert Powers (Simon Spotlight/Nick Jr. 2001) © Viacom International Inc.
Little Bill encourages children to value their family and friends, to feel good about themselves, and to learn to solve problems creatively.
- Bill Cosby
So where does that leave Little Bill and his pet hamster, Elephant? Answer: Dropped by Nick Jnr. In 2014 after airing for 15 years due to the sexual assault allegations of Cosby. And in all probability, from many a storytime.
In contrast, some classic children’s books are considered unsuitable nowadays because of societal change. Having shared her beloved Berenstein Bears books with her own children, Sara Peterson sums the problem up eloquently:
‘I wonder how many harmful, gendered messages are seeping into their tender little psyches by way of seemingly innocuous children’s books.’
And it’s true - we need to be mindful of how attitudes (once considered socially acceptable) are presented, and how characters (and the sexes) are portrayed to our kids. There’s not much we can do about books from the past aside from avoiding or editing out the objectionable bits. But those of us working in the industry today have a responsibility in the way we approach these subjects, just as we do to portray diversity.
Back to my example of Cosby’s Little Bill (and my idea that features Picasso). They encourage us to approach the question, Is this book suitable for children? by looking at (and making a judgement on) the moral integrity of the book’s creators (rather than the book’s content.)
This presents a very different angle to the arguments against outdated gender roles or racist portrayals .
(And on the question of race, isn’t it counterproductive to the diversity debate to avoid Cosby’s books or TV show because of the actions of the man, rather than his oeuvre?)
Clare Hayes-Brady, a professor of American Literature at University College Dublin, surmises:
“Shakespeare abandoned his family. Norman Mailer stabbed his wife. We don’t love the people we love because they’re morally virtuous.”
Is it really that simple? Is a book (children’s or not) an unsuitable read only if it’s a dissatisfying read?
Honestly, when you start picking away at it, it’s an absolute minefield.
Little Bill: An Adventure with Captain Brainstorm! by Francesca Hyman, ill. by Robert Powers (Simon Spotlight/Nick Jr. 2001) © Viacom International Inc.
Sources Do Works by Men Implicated by #MeToo Belong in the Classroom? by Emma Goldberg (The New York Times, 7 October 2019) Teaching Empathy through picture books by Tim Warnes (My Life in Books, 7 June 2019)Chalk & Cheese: In Memory of Maurice Sendak by Tim WarnesLittle Bill: An Adventure with Captain Brainstorm! by Francesca Hyman, ill. by Robert Powers (Simon Spotlight/Nick Jr. 2001)Wikipedia: Little Bill Cosby Makes 9-Year-Old’s ‘Little Bill’ Dream Come True by Stacy M. Brown (The Washington Informer, 18 April 2018) Mama Bear knows best: The enduring problem with children’s picture books by Sara Petersen (The Washington Post, 22 October 2018)
October 25, 2019
Only You Can Be You
Detail from Only You Can Be You by Nathan and Sally Clarkson, ill. by Tim Warnes (Tommy Nelson 2019) / © Tim Warnes 2019
Identify and honour the you that God made.
— Stephen Roach
In the early summer of 2018, I began a period of self reflection.
Part of the process (inspired by Andy J Pizza’s Creative Pep Talk podcast) was asking myself the question: What Makes Me Unique? I began writing an extensive (though not exhaustive), list of all the things about me that, when put together, make a unique whole. My personality traits; likes and dislikes; things that move me to tears or laughter; things that make my heart sing. From time to time over the next days and weeks, I’d add to the list.
Here’s the first page of my notes:
© Tim Warnes 2018
Bird knowledge
Passion for story
Banjo!
My faith
Clowning
Puppets / Muppets
Comic strips
Music moves me: I like jazz, melancholic folky stuff, songs that tell a story...
As the list grew, my passion for story showed up in other areas: picture books, wanting to inspire kids to read; ability to write, reading aloud, playing with my voice. (It’s partly due to this realisation of the value I place on storytelling, and identifying myself as a storyteller, that I began this blog, My Life in Books.)
This introspection was fuelled by stuff going on in my personal life at the time. I had also just begun working on the illustrations for a text by Nathan and Sally Clarkson. At the time it was called, Perfectly Different. It has just been published as Only You Can Be You -What Makes You Different Makes You Great! It couldn’t have come at a better time for me - recognising who I am and being comfortable with who God made me.
In his letter to the church in Galatia, the apostle Paul urges the Christians there not to ‘compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse.’I love the way Paul’s conclusion is translated in the Message:
Each of us is an original.
- Galatians 5: 26
There’s a lot of talk in the media at the moment about helping teenagers and young children deal with identity issues. The current focus is on gender identity, but zoom right out, and you’ll see - identity issues affect us all:
Am I strong enough? Brave enough? Rich enough? Smart enough?
Will I be laughed at? Ridiculed? Shunned or accepted?
Those of us with children in their care are in a unique position to help them feel good about themselves. Not only to understand what makes them tick, but also to show them that, it’s okay to be different, and to teach them to have empathy for others. And picture books - and storytime - provide the magic ingredient!
Dr Caroline Leaf teaches that difference is not a value judgement:
I am so proud of my work on Only You Can Be You, for several reasons:[W] e’ve got to help our kids understand that it’s okay to be different; that there’s something you can do that no one else can do. Tell them that often. Help them to understand and accept that people don’t have to be like you. People think differently, have different belief systems. We need to teach our children to be much more tolerant of others. A lot of bullying happens when people don’t understand how someone else operates or functions or that they’re so different to them that they start to bully them. Everyone is different; that it’s impossible for people to be the same. When we don’t understand that differences are actually okay, ...then that’s where bullying will come from. The majority of bullying comes from people not understanding that someone else is different, so they bully them… [B]y encouraging children that differences are okay and by us listening and tolerating our own children, we then teach children to accept others… and [their] differences.
- Cleaning Up the Mental Mess with Dr Caroline Leaf
Not known for depicting humans, it hurled me way outside my comfort zone (Only You Can Be You contains 85 kids!);
It also stretched me by taking my art in a slightly different direction. For this project, I used a lot of collage. (I had dabbled with it here and there in my previous book, The Big Book Adventure, and I really liked the results.) Not new-fangled digital collage - I’m talking old school, cut-and-paste-paper-scissors-and-glue collage. I dare say creating the style digitally would have been quicker - but only if I had the software skills. (I don’t!). I also used a lot of marker pens.
Inspired by Andy J Pizza, I decided to include something that I’d identified as important to me, and filled my illustrations with birds (52 in all);
Most importantly, Only You Can Be You! celebrates diversity - both through the Clarkson’s text, and my art.
I love this photo of the authors, Nathan with his mother, Sally.
Authors Nathan and Sally Clarkson. Courtesy of Nathan Clarkson / @nathanjclarkson
Nathan writes:
… [F]rom this picture it’s clear to see I’m STILL the different kid. Which is why I wrote this book. This book was written to my younger self. This book was written to the kid who doesn’t fit in. This book was written to the kid who feels like they’re always too much. This book was written to the out-of-the-box kids to help them know from a young age, the uniqueness God has created you and others with is GOOD! “What makes you different makes you great!”
- Nathan Clarkson on Instagram
Detail from Only You Can Be You by Nathan and Sally Clarkson, ill. by Tim Warnes (Tommy Nelson 2019) / © Tim Warnes 2019
I think this book has come at just the right time. It seems to have hit the zeitgeist in children’s books.
As I’ve written before, kids of all colour must get to see themselves represented in the books they read, so I’m pleased I had the opportunity to depict so many different skin tones in one project. If you look very closely, you’ll even find a kid with a hearing aid. There’s also a boy in a wheelchair, telling jokes and making his friends laugh!
It’s more than just necessary that our children understand that not everyone is the same as them. It’s crucial. So a book like this, with its diverse cast of characters and the underlying message of, What makes you different makes you great, is a gift.
The United States of America has a president who made undeniably racist comments and fails to disavow himself from those comments (and the actions of racist groups). Here in the UK, a similar tone is reflected in government from the top-down, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson refusing to apologise for earlier comments describing Muslim women wearing niqaabs as ‘letter boxes’ and ‘bank robbers’.
We have a problem, and we have the solution.
Our children.
Because amongst them are the future presidents and heads of states, employers, judges, teachers, law makers… So let’s shoulder the responsibility and teach them that it’s okay to be different.
#1 New Release in Amazon’s Special Needs Books
Amazon review s:
‘Colorfully and creatively illustrated’
‘As the mom of three two of which are special needs makes me love this message even more.’
‘be inspired by the diversity of children and animals throughout the book’
‘The message … is so needed in this divided world.’
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Good to Read
Other picture books that celebrate the individual
So Much by Trish Cooke, ill. by Helen Oxenbury (Walker Books 1994)
Olivia by Ian Falconer (Atheneum Books 2000)
Little Nelly’s Big Book by Pippa Goodheart, ill. by Andy Rowland (Bloomsbury 2012)
Lavender by Posy Simmonds (Red Fox 2003)
Development work for Only You Can Be You © Tim Warnes 2018
SourcesOnly You Can Be You - What Makes You Different Makes You Great! by Nathan and Sally Clarkson, ill. by Tim Warnes (Tommy Nelson 2019)Stephen Roach, speaking at Created to Worship, Shaftesbury 2018Creative Pep TalkSCRIPTURE quoted FROM THE MESSAGE REMIX TRANSLATED BY EUGENE H. PETERSON (NAV PRESS PUBLISHING 2003)Nathan Clarkson on InstagramCleaning Up the Mental Mess with Dr Caroline Leaf - Podcast episode #64: how to help teenagers and young children deal with identity issuesHere Are 13 Examples Of Donald Trump Being Racist by Lydia O'Connor, Daniel Marans (HuffPost US, 29 February 2016)
October 17, 2019
Big Bear, Little Bear
Detail from I Love You to the Moon and Back (Little Tiger Press 2015) / Image © 2010 by Tim Warnes
Bears feature heavily in picture books (and kid lit) in general.
I wrote recently how the hatted Mr Bear was a firm favourite of mine as a young kid. For some reason, our local library had several titles from the series, that originated in Japan (which gives them an enticing, and distinctly ‘foreign’ feel, even to this day).
Other ursine friends from my childhood include that bear of little brain, Pooh (of course); Brer Bear; Rupert; Maurice Sendak’s Little Bear (written by Else Holmelund Minarik) and of course, Paddington.
These friendly chaps are in contrast to some of the bears on offer now to older readers. Tweens and teens can get their bear kicks from Iorek Byrnison and the armoured polar bears of Philip Pulman’s Northern Lights, or become gripped by the terrifying demon-possessed bear in Michelle Paver’s Wolf Brother (the first book in her Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series).
I recently bemoaned the fact that picture books feature so many bears. And I do wish I got to illustrate a more diverse set of characters. But I’m not knocking them. Ironically, I actually love drawing bears! They’re just so easy to make anthropomorphic (there’s a word I struggle to say). I used to be a slave to reference, which was a great discipline. Now I’ve drawn so many bears that I can usually conjure them up from my imagination.
It turns out that I can create them from clay, too!
Ceramic sculpture © 2018 by Tim Warnes
As my art style has matured and developed over the years, so too have my bears. Looking at my first characterisations, they look very static and laboured. A few even make me cringe.
In contrast, I can see freedom in my line and confidence to my bears today that gives them extra appeal and life. I guess that’s to be expected after 25+ years. (Something like 28 of my titles include bears, though not always as the main characters).
With publishers demanding more and more bears, the challenge is to find ways to make them look subtly different each time. I find going back to life helpful, and picking up on some overlooked, or individual, features. For example, the dark, contrasting ears of the bears in I Love You to the Moon and Back. Or my character, Boris, with the dark rings around his eyes - both characteristics that I picked up on from looking at photographic reference. (I feel very attached to my series of Boris books by the way - I’ll definitely write about him in the future!)
Oh, Boris! later repackaged as Boris Starts School by Carrie Weston and Tim Warnes (Oxford University Press) / Image © Tim Warnes 2007
Image © Tim Warnes 2010
A favourite bear book of my own is I Love You to the Moon and Back (Little Tiger Press 2015).
It has everything going for it - a big full moon on the cover, ‘I love you’ in the title, gently lilting rhyme - and a pair of cuddly bears!
One big. One small.
A recurring theme in picture books. (Because we do love our bears.)
I’m always struck by how small, and dainty bears’ paws appear to be, but in my experience, this has been a hard one to get past the editorial team. (Jim Field succeeded, capturing this characteristic so well in the series, Rabbit & Bear, written by Julian Gough). I went to the extreme opposite with the bears in Moon and Back. Aside from the bears' dark ears, in a bid to make them look different from my previous bear characters, I gave them great, big fumbly paws. Not a claw in sight - just those gentle, ‘take-my-hand-it’ll-be-alright’ sort of paws.
Detail from I Love You to the Moon and Back (Little Tiger Press 2015) / Image © 2010 by Tim Warnes
I Love You to the Moon and Back is a follow up to my 2008 book, I Love You As Big As the World by David van Buren (Little Tiger Press). Both titles focus on the relationship between a child (in this case, a little bear) and a caring adult (big bear), who is invariably referred to by most reviewers as mummy. Written in the first person, the text itself doesn’t give us any clues as to the identity of that big bear, or its relationship to the cub - so it is open to interpretation. Leaving the reader to take their pick and associate it with anyone - friend, uncle, grandparent etc. (Maybe that’s been part of the books’ success?)
One reviewer wrote,
… I love how big the big bear looks, and how safe the baby bear seems with the big bear.
It’s no coincidence that at the time, my boys were still young (Levi was only three). I was/am a hands-on dad and shared my child care responsibilities. So to me, that bear is absolutely a daddy. I simply channelled my own paternal feelings and experiences, and translated that intimacy into the art, bringing depth to the emotions. I think that’s why people connect so strongly with the books. It’s based on personal, intimate moments, and that genuine love shines through.
Detail from I Love You to the Moon and Back (Little Tiger Press 2015) / Image © 2010 by Tim Warnes
I have to say, I absolutely love my art for Moon and Back! Created with a mixture of water-soluble crayons, watercolour and acrylic paint (plus touches of wax-resist) it has a freedom that I wish I could capture in all my work. This was partly down to the art director. He knew I preferred working on a smaller scale, so he played to my strengths. Between us, we decided to copy my final drawings (which were A4 size) directly onto watercolour paper - but only to 90% the final book size. The artwork was then enlarged once more at printing to the final size of the book - meaning all those lovely textures of paint on watercolour paper were enhanced.
The process worked so well for me, that now it’s my normal way of working for all my publishers. (Unlike most other illustrators, whose work - if still created physically, rather than digitally - is larger than final book size, and scaled down.)
Incidentally, the art for Moon and Back was previously published by Little Tiger Press in an earlier incarnation, Silent Night (2010). The text was very loosely based on the Christmas carol of the same name, but I always felt it lacked snow! Despite that, the book did well. Publisher’s Weekly wrote favourably about it, declaring: ‘[r]eaders will take a shine to the irrepressibly sweet bear and cub.’
I’m glad my artwork was given a new lease of life. And although I Love You to the Moon and Back somehow feels a more satisfying package to me, I did strongly object to the new title. I thought it was too derivative of Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney, which closes with the phrase, I love you to the moon and back. At the point of publication though, the phrase had become ubiquitous, and the publisher’s decision was final. (As far as I know, no one else has objected.)
At the moment I’m working on two bear-related books.
The first is with Little Tiger Press - a cheery Christmas story about a family of bears, ending with a satisfying, cuddly bedtime. This time I have made the little bear overweight and given Daddy quite heavy eyebrows. The second project (another Christmas title) is a follow up to I’m Going to Give You a Bear Hug! with Zonderkidz in the US - this time featuring a polar bear. I haven’t illustrated a polar bear for a very long time, so that will make a refreshing change for me!
It’s just a shame I can’t give him any armour.
Development work from I Love You More than Christmas! (Little Tiger Press) © by Tim Warnes 2019
Good to Read
Bears to snuggle up with
A Bedtime for Bear by Bonny Becker, ill. by Kady Macdonald Denton (Walker Books 2010)
The Bear by Raymond Briggs (Julia MacRae Books 1994)
Little Honey Bear and the Smiley Moon by Gillian Lobel, ill. by Tim Warnes (Little Tiger Press 2006)
Mr. Bear, Postman by Chizuko Kuratomi, ill. by Kōzō Kakimoto (MacDonald 1979)
Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik, ill. by Maurice Sendak. (Harper and Bros. 1957)
Can’t You Sleep, Little Bear? by Martin Waddell, ill. by Barbara Firth (Walker Books 1988)
Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman (Simon & Schuster 2002)
October 11, 2019
Using picture books to improve your mental health
© by Tim Warnes 2018
It’s dark and getting darker. My well of emotion is no longer being channelled and safely pipelined to the surface. There’s been an “event”, and my depression is spewing like an oil spill all over the beautiful, turquoise-green gulf of my carefully planned and controlled existence. Its black sludge is threatening to smother every last living part of me.
— Bruce Springsteen, Born to Run
The little boy looked up from his work. The sound of a handbell being rung. Faint at first, getting louder as the proud holder came nearer along the corridor.
The dreaded sound of the bell’s clapper striking metal upon metal was not a welcome one.
Breaktime.
Outside the playground was a mess of noise and activity as kids went berserk around him. Sometimes they’d hurtle right past - or into him. It felt too unpredictable. Too dangerous. His senses were being bombarded. His buckled sandals, once buffed and gleaming as a pair of conkers, had lost their shine. The leather felt too stiff. His trousers scratchy.
The little boy tucked himself out of harm’s way as best he could. On the cold surface of the playground, he sat - alone - his back to the wall. (Well, not entirely alone. He had Teddy.) He liked that wall - soft, red Victorian bricks. If it was sunny, they felt warm. They reminded him of home. Of the security of mum and dad. But that made him feel more vulnerable. The little boy wiped away a tear, but he couldn’t extinguish the ache in his heart. Pulling his hood up, he tried to block out the sights and sounds that were so overwhelming.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a sketchbook. His father had made it for him from scraps, from paper cut-offs. It was small and square, with a stiff blue cover. Dangling from it, on a piece of thin, waxed twine, was a yellow pencil stub - the end thoroughly chewed (like the boy’s nails). The string got in the way, which was mildly annoying. But it kept his pencil from getting lost.
That pencil was the boy’s lifeline. It took him out of himself long enough to forget the fear and anxiety, to a different place altogether.
The little boy pulled his knees up to his chest. Leaning against the makeshift surface, he began to draw. Today it was a pig. For no particular reason. The next drawing would likely be some kind of bird. Maybe a dragon. Or a clown. He liked clowns.
He did not like going to school.
© by Tim Warnes 2015
With the wisdom of hindsight, I can see that I’ve suffered from poor mental health throughout my life.
Not consistently - periodically; times which have come and gone. In recent years, healing prayer, medication, and talking therapy have all played their part to restore me to a positive mindset. But it’s a road I still walk.
I wonder how much of my attachment to books and story arises out of those experiences. Like drawing (and to a lesser extent writing) they provided a means of escape when things got too much. A place to shelter. I certainly have positive, sentimental attachments to particular childhood books which have been read aloud to me, especially by my father.
There is plenty of anecdotal - and scientific - evidence that children benefit mentally from having stories read to them. For example, an innovative reading program in Jordan, where volunteers are trained to read aloud to refugee children, is helping to heal some of their emotional wounds. ‘Their findings reveal that the program appeared to improve the children’s mental health and cognitive development’, helping them to recover from trauma.
And I’m delighted to be joining their ranks.
Next year sees the publication of A Little Bit Worried by Ciara Gavin (Little Tiger Press). Titled, Weasel is Worried in the US, it deals very gently with anxiety and fear, showing that there may be more than one way to look at a situation.
Weasel told Mole about the wind and the rain, the damp and the chill, the snow and the ice. All the things that frightened him most.
“The storm is scary,” sighed Weasel. “And much, much bigger than me.”
A Little Bit Worried by Ciara Gavin (Little Tiger Press)
© by Tim Warnes 2020 | From A Little Bit Worried by Ciara Gavin and Tim Warnes (Little Tiger Press 2020)
Mole is our guide. He has ‘such a different way of seeing things.’ He finds the positive in the things Weasel worries about. When Weasel asks how he copes when the wind knocks him off his feet, Mole replies, “Oh, I love when that happens!... The wind lifts my fur and it feels all ticklish.”
He is a mindful Mole. And learning to be aware of (and appreciate) our surroundings, emotions and sensations is essential to maintaining good mental health. So I’m excited to have contributed to the cause of promoting it as a life skill.
Sharing books helps you - and your kids - create and maintain good mental health.
Here’s how!
These early years are precious - spend quality, intimate time to create positive, lasting memories.
Reap the benefits of being snuggled up with your kid over a book - skin-to-skin contact and human touch can comfort and heal you both.
Find some funny books and laugh together. Proverbs 17:22 says, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Laughter produces dopamine, giving you (among other benefits) that feel-good factor!
Use picture books to open up discussion. Talk about things that are bothering your child.
There are a gazillion picture books out there about unconditional love. Use them to reinforce your love for your child - especially if you find it hard to express naturally.
Many picture books celebrate quirky individuals. Use them to reinforce the idea that we are all unique, and that it’s okay to be different.
Finally - the books you share may spark positive messages that YOU need to hear! Listen to what your children tell you and believe the positive things they say about you (even if they are hard to receive)!
SourcesBorn To Run by Bruce Springsteen (Simon & Schuster 2016)Experts Say Storytime Can Help Children Recover From Trauma by Emily Petsko (Mental Floss, 22 April 2019) Can picture books meet the crisis in children's mental health? by Donna Ferguson (The Guardian, 18 October 2018)A Little Bit Worried by Ciara Gavin, ill. by Tim Warnes (Little Tiger Press 2020) 6 Ways to take care of yourself when you are depressed by Kris Vallotton Skin-to-skin contact and the benefits of human touch (MedBroadcast)October 4, 2019
Hats off to Klassen
Chalk & Cheese Comics © 2011 by Tim Warnes
How a hat makes you feel is what a hat is all about.
— Philip Treacy
I have always had a penchant for fancy hats.
I don’t know what it is about wearing a hat, but it fills me with joy. If I feel low, putting on some fancy headgear can boost my spirits and renew my confidence. They put a spring in my step. I’ve noticed this over the years so that now it can be a deliberate act on my part. Several years ago, when Jane was seriously ill in hospital with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, I wore a hat every day. I remember talking about it at the time with my therapist, and we decided it was absolutely a Good Thing to do.
My love of fancy hats goes way back. Tiny Tim wore a turquoise tasselled fez to clown about in (lovingly made by his nan), trying his hand at some magic tricks. From some years later, there’s a photo of a pre-teen me, birdwatching in a flat cap on the clifftops of Berwick, Northumberland.
For about a decade, it was a Yankee’s baseball cap. (I pretty much wore it out.) In the 80’s I also sported a black beret (thanks, Ferris Bueller!) and a baker boy hat.
I have fancy Panama hats, cowboy hats, and three bowler hats. A trapper’s hat. A packable fedora that can be folded in half.
My prized charity shop find - a vintage Homburg by ‘Hatter and Cap Maker’ A.J. White Ltd.
And the piece de resistance - my Thomas Farthing high crowned Fedora.
Hats are terribly useful when it comes to characterisation, and I make frequent use of them in my work. Top a character with a hat, and it becomes instantly recognisable.
For example:
Papa Bear wears my battered suede cowboy hat in Jesus Loves Me;
Daddy Rhino wears an assortment of fancy hats in the Archie/Otto series;
Mole in my forthcoming book, A Bit Worried, sports a dapper, blue bowler.
Cornelius J. Parker. The Great Cheese Robbery (Little Tiger Press) © 2015 by Tim Warnes
Cornelius J. Parker also wears a dinky bowler hat as part of his Cheese Inspector disguise (The Great Cheese Robbery);
Mr Gander from Buttercup Farm (Boris Gets Spots) has a suitably battered straw hat;
Santa;
And of course, the magic top hat that the Lumpy-Bumpy Thing discovers in WARNING! This Book May Contain Rabbits (I would love to own that vintage topper!).
WARNING! This Book May Contain Rabbits (Little Tiger Press) © 2016 by Tim Warnes
Some children’s characters have reached iconic status, due in part to their fancy hats.
Examples include: the Cat in the Hat, Paddington, Wally aka Waldo (there he is!), Babar the Elephant, Raymond Briggs’ Snowman; Mr Willy Wonka and the Mad Hatter.
Other contemporary illustrators have used hats to their advantage. Benji Davies’ character Noi (with his distinctive, knitted balaclava) and Oliver Jeffer’s bobble-hatted boy come to mind. Also, a childhood favourite of mine - Mr Bear, illustrated by Kozo Kakimoto (maybe the first to spark my hat addiction!).
Perhaps none have maximised hats more so than writer-illustrator Jon Klassen.
With a trilogy of hat-themed picture books that began in 2011 with I Want My Hat Back, Klassen has established what is already an enviable career as a writer-illustrator. His distinctive, deadpan characters inhabit a stylised, minimalist environments reminiscent of stage sets.
This Is Not My Hat followed in 2012 (notably the first book to receive both the Caldecott and the Kate Greenaway Medal). I was reminded about it after writing last week's article about Owl Babies. Because like illustrator Patrick Benson, Jon Klassen also uses a lot of solid black in his book.
This Is Not My Hat (Candlewick Press 2012) © 2012 by Jon Klassen
A cautionary tale, This Is Not My Hat opens with the main character and our narrator - a small fish wearing a bowler hat:
This hat is not mine.
I just stole it.
A small fish of dubious integrity in a bowler hat. I’m already intrigued!
The thief continues his monologue, explaining that he stole it from a big fish. (‘He was asleep when I did it.’)
At this point, Klassen reveals what a masterful picture book creator he is. By juxtaposing the narrator's version of events with the illustrations, two conflicting stories unfold.
[H]e probably won’t wake up for a long time.
(Klassen shows the big fish, its eye popped open wide.)
This Is Not My Hat (Candlewick Press 2012) © 2012 by Jon Klassen
And even if he does wake up, he probably won’t notice that it’s gone.
(Big Fish looks up to where his hat should be).
We are drawn deeper into the drama (and the gently swaying weed) as the big fish starts to hunt the little fish down. How long will the thief get away with his crime? Commentary by David Attenborough wouldn’t go amiss!
"There is someone who saw me already," admits the little fish, about a goggle-eyed crab. "But he said he wouldn't tell anyone which way I went. So I am not worried about that." The spread tells another story; the crab betrays the small fish in a heartbeat, pointing to its hiding place, "where the plants are big and tall and close together."
- Publisher’s Weekly
This Is Not My Hat (Candlewick Press 2012) © 2012 by Jon Klassen
It would be reasonable to expect the protagonist to learn the error of his ways and live to see another day. (Not My Hat is aimed at a very young audience, after all.) But as with its predecessor, I Want My Hat Back, it ‘ends somewhat controversially in picture-book terms, with severe off-screen violence perpetrated upon the [character] who took it.’ (The Oxford Companion to Children’s Literature by Daniel Hahn). I suppose this makes Klassen’s stories more in keeping with traditional tales (before they were tamed and made more palatable for modern sensibilities). But unlike them, the violence is never shown or described. Whatever happens off-screen, is down to our own, twisted imaginations!
Liz Bicknell, from Klassen’s publisher, Candlewick:
I think [Jon’s] genius lies in revealing the human emotions that we pretend we don’t have, ... and putting them in the characters of these slightly absurd animals. It’s the combination of funny little animals and the enormous human psyche that makes his books so wonderful.”
- Jon Klassen's Latest Solo Act
I can’t understand how Klassen gets a commissioning team on board - let alone Sales.
His stories are quirky and dark, with a sense of foreboding and underlying menace. They are not usual picture book fair. They are subversive. They present deep, ethical questions. His characters are flawed and upfront about it. (‘This hat is not mine. I just stole it.’) All presented in the most innocent looking package.
I love Jon Klassen’s books. But maybe they are not for everyone.
Beautiful to look at, his well-designed books are funny, dark and intriguing. But if you need any other reason, This Is Not My Hat (as with the other titles in the trilogy) opens up the opportunity to discuss some pretty deep ideas with kids. This aids their communication skills and helps develop a sense of self. Allowing you the opportunity to engage and bond:
Does stealing make the fish an evil character?
Why would he steal?
Why would he tell us?
How does the victim feel?
Who even is the victim?
How would you feel?
Is it wrong to seek revenge?
Is it always wrong to steal?
Etc. Etc.
Jon Klassen is a class act.
His children's books may not have the winsome, saccharine characters that many of us are known for. But the world of picture books is all the richer for them.
And his fans will be delighted to know that in his forthcoming book, The Rock from the Sky (2021) - almost everyone is wearing a hat!
Jon Klassen’s Hat trilogy
I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen (Candlewick Press 2011)
This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen (Candlewick Press 2012)
We Found A Hat by Jon Klassen (Candlewick Press 2016)
Sources Chalk & Cheese Comics by Tim WarnesBrainyQuote.com (BrainyMedia Inc, 2019)This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen (Candlewick Press 2012)This Is Not My Hat - Publisher’s Weekly ReviewTHE OXFORD COMPANION TO CHILDREN’S LITERATURE BY DANIEL HAHN (OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS SECOND EDITION, 2015) Jon Klassen's Latest Solo Act By Sally Lodge (publishersweekly.com)My Life in Books
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