More About Ageism in PBs & the Great Meme Hop

The reason I started posting about ageism in picture books is not that I write them, but that I love them. And, of course, because my interest has always been in the power of the word. 

The point in the studies I looked into last week wasn't that we see "old" differently as we ourselves age, but that if we present a negative view of aging to our young readers, that sends the very worst message to them. If old equates with sad and lonely, who in the hell can embrace aging? Not me.

Here's a great quote from Lindsey McDivitt's blog. 

"Many books for kids lead them to believe that old=bad. It’s not their natural inclination, it is us socializing them to believe it–by not showing them a more diverse older population."

Here's some good news. 

Although children are subjected to stereotypes of older people in their picture books, other mediums such as TV and films  still underrepresent and sometimes portray them in a negative light. So book writers aren't the only culprits here. Yay!There are some excellent PBs out there that depict older adults in a positive light. I'm finding them and buying them. I want the kids in my family to have a positive attitude about growing up and growing old. It's a natural and wonderful process, not something to fear.











My Very Own Meme!
If I can do it you can too.
Hope you're ready to jump on board our Blog Hop and have some MEME fun. If you're not sure how to create a meme, here's a quick and easy--also free--site for you. Imgflip Now go and make something amazing and win books and $$ to buy some.





Quote of the Week: “The thing is, you can’t see people as fully human if all you can feel for them is pity.” Uma Krishnaswami, picture book author.Beware the White Rabbit (Anthology: They Call Me Alice), Leap Books, Summer '15
Sliding on the Edge, C. Lee McKenzie, WestSide Books, Spring '09
The Princess of Las Pulgas, WestSide Books, Fall '10
The First Time, Fall '11 (Anthology story: Premeditated Cat)
Alligators Overhead, Outskirts Press, Fall '12
Two and Twenty Dark Tales (Anthology story: Into the Sea of Dew