Representation matters!

From Only You Can Be You! by Nathan and Sally Clarkson, ill. by Tim Warnes (Tommy Nelson) | © Tim Warnes 2019

“When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something.”

— Representative John Lewis.

 Next to me are copies of two of my bear books:

I Love You as Big as the World by David van Buren (Little Tiger Press 2008) and I Love You to the Moon and Back by Amelia Hepworth (Little Tiger Press 2015). (I’m currently working on the third, I Love You Night and Day and it’s helpful to refer back to them.)

Here’s the back cover blurb from I Love You as Big as the World:

 

Big Bear and Little Bear love each other so much that their love stretches high up into the mountains, far away to the stars and down deep to the bottom of the sea. It is big enough to fill the whole wide world.

 

From I Love You as Big as the World by David Van Buren, ill. by Tim Warnes (Little Tiger Press 2008) | Illustration © 2008 by Tim Warnes

 

So much love!

It reminds me of Psalm 139:

 

Where can I go from your Spirit?

Where can I flee from your presence?

If I go up to the heavens, you are there;

if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn,

if I settle on the far side of the sea,

even there your hand will guide me,

your right hand will hold me fast.

- Psalm 139: 7-10

 

(In the sense of conveying the Father’s love, I see much of my work as prophetic.)

But back to those bears: They are gender-neutral; meaning they could represent any intimate adult-child relationship.

 

From I Love You as Big as the World by David Van Buren, ill. by Tim Warnes (Little Tiger Press 2008) | Illustration © 2008 by Tim Warnes

Mum and baby.

Dad and baby.

Grandma, Grandad, Uncle …

(And yes, our Heavenly Father.)

You get the idea.

 

This interchangeability is an integral part of these books’ strength and widespread appeal. From a publishing perspective, it’s also makes good business sense. (Why limit your market, when you can open it right out and achieve more significant sales?)

From an illustrator’s perspective, I’d say: People are hard! 

It’s way easier (for me, at least) to draw a family of bears than people.

(Having said that, when it came to illustrating I’m Going to Give You a Bear Hug! and Only you Can Be You! I was given the option of people or animals. I chose people. Yes - it made my job harder. Yes - I was way out of my comfort zone. But I felt the stories deserved the best interpretation, and that meant illustrating people.) 

Which leads me to the point I want to discuss.

When illustrating people, how should I make them look? Who should I represent?

 

From Only You Can Be You! by Nathan and Sally Clarkson, ill. by Tim Warnes (Tommy Nelson) | © Tim Warnes 2019

 Representation matters!

That’s why the loss of black actor Chadwick Boseman, who brought to life the superhero, Black Panther, is so impactful. In him, black kids finally got to see someone with the same skin colour play the role of a superhero.

For precisely the same reason, picture books must represent not only White but Black, Asian and all ethnic minorities. There should be book that promote the Black Lives Matter movement; we must learn about slavery, and celebrate influential civil rights activists, like Gandhi or Rosa Parks. But perhaps as valuable are picture books which portray the ‘normal’, everyday lives, of black and ethnic families doing ‘normal’, everyday things. 

(Why? Because studies reveal that in their first few years, even babies pick up a lot of social information. Meaning exposure to diversity during the early years is vital if we want to see a change in society - and picture books play a part in this.)

Experts emphasise: it’s never too early to start openly talking about race with your children.

 

But just as important in the long run, especially for nonblack parents, is how to keep the conversation about race and racism going when we’re not in a moment of national outrage, and to make sure all children see black people as heroes in a wide range of their own stories, and not just as victims of oppression.

- These Books Can Help You Explain Racism and Protest to Your Kids, The New York Times

 

There has been a definite increase in such picture books, as the industry (including picture book creators) begins to reassess its roles and responsibilities. To be honest about our failings and shortcomings. And to find a positive (and more inclusive) way forward.

Sadly, in the past, the industry has used the argument that not enough people would buy a book about a brown/black family. I have heard that myself, straight from the mouth of a publisher (although admittedly, that was many years ago). Whether that’s true or not, it’s really tragic - and leads to non-white families not being honoured and served.

So what is being done to address the imbalance?

 

From Only You Can Be You! by Nathan and Sally Clarkson, ill. by Tim Warnes (Tommy Nelson) | Text © 2019 by Nathan and Sally Clarkson |Illustration © Tim Warnes 2019

Aside from publishers beginning to accept responsibility, non-profit organisations such as We Need Diverse Books are proclaiming their message loud and clear: children’s books should reflect and honour the lives of all young people. On a practical level, WNDB are creating opportunities for people from minority backgrounds to enter into the children’s publishing industry by working with publishers to create internships. They are developing mentorships, and amplifying the voices of black creators.

In previous articles, I have described my own personal journey, reflecting on my illustration work and the choices I made. The main reason I took on Only You Can Be You! was that it celebrated diversity and the individual - allowing me to illustrate a diverse cast with a multitude of skin tones.

Likewise, two recent projects from 2019 that have yet to be published will add to the growing list of picture book titles that reflect ethnic minority groups:

It’s Bedtime, Charlie! (DMind & the Prince) and I’m Going to Give You a Polar Bear Hug! (Zonderkidz). Both are scheduled for publication later this year.

My mandate for my business is to connect adults with kids through stories worth sharing.

My primary role is a storyteller/picture book creator.

Within that, I would like to explore how I can help promote the diversity cause and contribute to the change in society that so many are desperate to see. Articles like this seem a good place to start.

 Back to the bears on my desk.

I’m excited! I Love You Night and Day will deliver a hefty dose of love and tenderness and sit comfortably with the other two titles. In other words, it is sure to gain fans and win the hearts of families all over the place.

 

Unused art from I Love You as Big as the World by David Van Buren, ill. by Tim Warnes (Little Tiger Press 2008) | Illustration © 2008 by Tim Warnes

 Next week I will be highlighting a new picture book: The Suitcase by Chris Naylor-Ballesteros. 

At a time when over 65 million people are forcibly displaced around the world, this beautifully illustrated and wise, gentle tale of tolerance and kindness for fellow humans resonates deeply. I hope all parents share The Suitcase with their children.

- Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner

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 SourcesONLY YOU CAN BE YOU - WHAT MAKES YOU DIFFERENT MAKES YOU GREAT! BY NATHAN AND SALLY CLARKSON, ILL. BY TIM WARNES (TOMMY NELSON 2019)I Love You as Big As the World BY DAVID VAN BUREN, ILL. BY TIM WARNES (LITTLE TIGER PRESS 2008 Obituary: Representative John Lewis by Barrett Holmes Pitner (18 July, 2020 bbc.com)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.The New York Times Parenting Newsletter (August 8, 2020)These Books Can Help You Explain Racism and Protest to Your Kids By Jessica Grose (The New York Times June 2, 2020)We Need Diverse Books I’m Going to Give You a Polar Bear Hug! by Caroline B. Cooney, ill. by Tim Warnes (Zonderkidz 2020)I Love You Night and Day by Amelia Hepworth, ill. by Tim Warnes (Little Tiger Press 2021)ONLY YOU CAN BE YOU - WHAT MAKES YOU DIFFERENT MAKES YOU GREAT! BY NATHAN AND SALLY CLARKSON, ILL. BY TIM WARNES (TOMMY NELSON 2019)SILENT NIGHT BY JULIET GROOM, ILL. BY TIM WARNES (LITTLE TIGER PRESS 2010)I LOVE YOU TO THE MOON AND BACK BY AMELIA HEPWORTH (LITTLE TIGER PRESS 2015)