Misty of Chincoteague
by Marguerite Henry. Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. I read these novels multiple times as a kid.
I adored the fierce mare, Phantom, who cared for her domesticated foal until
Misty could live on her own, and then returned to the wild. I cried over the trials of sensitive,
observant Black Beauty, the male horse in the 19th century bestseller
that galvanized the movement for more humane treatment of animals.
Lassie Come-Home
by Eric Knight. The Incredible Journey
by Sheila Burnford. The Hundred and One
Dalmatians by Dodie Smith. No matter
their sex, the animal characters in these books were, by turns, loyal,
cooperative, intelligent, kind, sturdy, afraid, vulnerable, and angry. They had personality strengths and flaws. They fought, strategized, searched for food,
and cared for their young. They
persisted. They triumphed, in different
ways. They were the heroes of their
stories.
Growing up in the 1960s and ‘70s, I remember very, very few
books with strong human girl and gentle human boy characters. I didn’t even realize what I was searching
for until, as an adult, I examined my favorite books more closely. Yes, I had
been a country kid, a lover of animals and the natural world, but even deeper
than that, I think I was hoping for depictions in books that better reflected
some of the change I was glimpsing in the wider world. The realistic, slightly
anthropomorphized critter-characters in these novels pushed boundaries. They
brought nuance to, and even subverted the traditional gender-assigned roles and
traits of the times. (Interestingly, for
picture books, almost the opposite is true.
In her research, children’s author/scholar Jennifer Mann discovered that
anthropomorphized animals—especially parents, teachers and other adults--tended
to remain gender typed, especially in terms of clothing.)
In the blog post that opened this #kidlitwomen discussion,
Shannon Hale asked us to deeply consider how we as creators and as
teachers/librarians/parents present books to young people. Do we or others unconsciously label or have
expectations of a book as being “for girls” or of a particular author as
appealing primarily to boys? How might
we work against this? In their posts,
Susan Van Metre, Meg Frazer Blakemore, and Elizabeth Dulemba further explore ideas
and possibilities around re-shaping the cultural narrative.
As a writer of nonfiction about/fiction with animal
characters, I’ve tried to be alert to my own shortcomings, blind spots, and
expectations (with full awareness of how much I still need to
learn/unlearn)—and those of the larger society.
And I want to present my work—and that of others—in a way that encourages
kids to think more deeply and critically about these issues too.
For a nonfiction chapter book about Hero Dogs, I wanted to broaden the narrative about heroic animals
beyond the usual stories about military/law-enforcement dogs and the single act
of bravery, so I included true stories about a female detective dog who has
found hundreds of lost pets; two female “nurse” dogs at a wildlife sanctuary;
and a male Dalmatian who is a fire-safety educator. At schools, I ask kids to think about the
term “hero” and what it means to them—and we talk about examples of heroes in
history and their lives who may exemplify a range of heroic traits.
Mighty Mole and Super
Soil depicts the real-life superhero of the animal kingdom, a female mole
with super strength, super speed, and a super appetite. Mighty Mole is like Wonder Woman, I tell
kids. Only she has fur and claws and
teeny-tiny eyes (and no bustier, I might add, but that’s the subject for
another post).
Many kids love reading and talking about animals. Since #kidlit women encourages solution-based
discussions, I want to ask: What’s your
favorite book about animals that works against gender typing? And/or your favorite book about/with animal
characters by a woman?
My choice: Hello,
Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly. So
much love for this year’s Newbery Medal winner!
I especially admire the characterizations of the gentle boy and his
beloved guinea pig and the fierce Nature-loving deaf girl who helps to rescue
them.
