Chapter TenBeing an Effective Project Manager10-1Copyrig

Chapter Ten
Being an Effective Project Manager
10-1
Copyright © 2018 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved.
No reproduction or distribution without the prior written
consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
10–2
Where We Are Now
Project Management 6e.
10–2
Learning Objectives
Understand the difference between leading and managing a
project
Understand the need to manage project stakeholders
Identify and apply different “influence currencies” to build
positive relations with others
Create a stakeholder map and develop strategies for managing
project dependencies
Understand the need for a highly interactive management style
on projects
More effectively manage project expectations
Develop strategies for managing upward relations
Understand the importance of building trust and acting in an

ethical manner while working on a project
Identify the qualities of an effective project manager
10–3
Chapter Outline
10.1 Managing versus Leading a Project
10.2 Managing Project Stakeholders
10.3 Influence as Exchange
10.4 Social Network Building
10.5 Ethics and Project Management
10.6 Building Trust: The Key to Exercising
Influence
10.7 Qualities of an Effective Project Manager
10–4
10–5
Managing versus Leading a Project
Managing—coping with complexity
Formulate plans and objectives
Monitor results
Take corrective action
Expedite activities
Solve technical problems
Serve as peacemaker
Make tradeoffs among time, costs, and project scope
Leading—coping with change
Recognize the need to change to keep the project on track
Initiate change

Provide direction and motivation
Innovate and adapt as necessary
Integrate assigned resources
10–5
10–6
Managing Project Stakeholders
Project Management Maxims:
You can’t do it all and get it all done.
Projects usually involve a vast web of relationships.
Hands-on work is not the same as leading.
More pressure and more involvement can reduce
your effectiveness as a leader.
What’s important to you likely isn’t as important
to someone else.
Different groups have different stakes (responsibilities,
agendas, and priorities) in the outcome of a project.
Remember: project management is tough, exciting, and
rewarding—endeavor to persevere.
10–6

10–7
Network of Stakeholders
FIGURE 10.1
10–7
10–8
Influence as Exchange
The Law of Reciprocity
One good deed deserves another, and likewise, one bad deed
deserves another.
Quid pro Quo
Mutual exchanges of resources and services
(“back-scratching”) build relationships.
Influence “Currencies” (Cohen and Bradford)
Cooperative relationships are built on the exchange
of organizational “currencies” (favors).
10–8
10–9
Commonly Traded Organizational Currencies
TABLE 10.1
Task-related currencies

Resources Lending or giving money, budget increases,
personnel, etc.
Assistance Helping with existing projects or undertaking
unwanted tasks.
Cooperation Giving task support, providing quicker response
time, or aiding implementation.
Information Providing organizational as well as technical
knowledge.
Position-related currencies
Advancement Giving a task or assignment that can result in
promotion.
Recognition Acknowledging effort, accomplishments, or
abilities.
Visibility Providing a chance to be known by higher-ups or
significant others in the organization.
Network/ Providing opportunities for linking with others.
contacts
Source: Adapted from A. R. Cohen and David L. Bradford,
Influence without Authority (New York: John Wiley & Sons,
1990). Reprinted by permission of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
10–9
10–10
Organizational Currencies (cont’d)
TABLE 10.1 (cont’d)
Inspiration-related currencies
Vision Being involved in a task that has larger significance
for the unit, organization, customer, or society.

Excellence Having a chance to do important things really
well.
Ethical correctness Doing what is “right” by a higher standard
than efficiency.
Relationship-related currencies
Acceptance Providing closeness and friendship.
Personal support Giving personal and emotional backing.
Understanding Listening to others’ concerns and issues.
Personal-related currencies
Challenge/learning Sharing tasks that increase skills and
abilities.
Ownership/involvement Letting others have ownership and
influence.
Gratitude Expressing appreciation.
Source: Adapted from A. R. Cohen and David L. Bradford,
Influence without Authority (New York: John Wiley & Sons,
1990). Reprinted by permission of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
10–10
10–11
Social Network Building
Mapping Stakeholder Dependencies
Project team perspective:
Whose cooperation will we need?
Whose agreement or approval will we need?
Whose opposition would keep us from accomplishing the
project?

Stakeholders’ perspective:
What differences exist between the team and those on whom the
team will depend?
How do the stakeholders view the project?
What is the status of our relationships with the stakeholders?
What sources of influence does the team have relative
to the stakeholders?
10–11
10–12
Stakeholder Map for Financial Software Installation Project
FIGURE 10.2
10–12
10–13
Management by Wandering Around
Management by Wandering Around (MBWA)
Involves managers spending the majority of their time in face-
to-face interactions with employees building cooperative
relationships.
Characteristics of Effective Project Managers

Initiate contact with key stakeholders
Anticipate potential problems
Provide encouragement
Reinforce the objectives and vision of the project
Intervene to resolve conflicts and prevent stalemates
10–13
10–14
Managing Upward Relations
Project Success = Top Management Support
Appropriate budget
Responsiveness to unexpected needs
A clear signal to the organization of the importance of
cooperation
Motivating the Project Team
Influence top management in favor of the team:
Rescind unreasonable demands
Provide additional resources
Recognize the accomplishments of team members
10–14
10–15

The Significance of a Project Sponsor
FIGURE 10.3
Upper management
10–15
10–16
Leading by Example
FIGURE 10.4

10–16
10–17
Ethics and Project Management
Ethical Dilemmas
Situations where it is difficult to determine whether conduct is
right or wrong:
Padding of cost and time estimations
Exaggerating pay-offs of project proposals
Falsely assuring customers that everything is on track
Being pressured to alter status reports
Falsifying cost accounts
Compromising safety standards to accelerate progress
Approving shoddy work
Code of conduct
Professional standards and personal integrity
10–17
Building Trust: The Key to Exercising Influence
Trust
An elusive concept
See it as a function of character and competence
Character focuses on personal motives.
Competence focuses on skills necessary to realize motives.
The core of highly effective people is a character ethic (Stephen
Covey in Seven Habits of Highly Effective People).

Consistency—more predictable
Openness—more receptive to others
A sense of purpose—what is best for the organization and the
project
10–18
10–19
Contradictions of Project Management
Innovate and maintain stability
See the big picture while getting your hands dirty
Encourage individuals but stress the team
Hands-off/Hands-on
Flexible but firm
Team versus organizational loyalties
10–19
10–20
Traits of an Effective Project Manager
Systems thinker
Personal integrity
Proactive
High emotional intelligence (EQ)
General business perspective

Effective time management
Skillful politician
Optimist
10–20
10–21
Suggestions for Project Managers
Build relationships before you need them.
Trust is sustained through frequent
face-to-face contact.
Realize that “what goes around comes around.”
10–21
10–22
Key Terms
Emotional intelligence (EQ)
Inspiration-related currencies
Law of reciprocity
Leading by example
Management by wandering around (MBWA)

Personal-related currencies
Position-related currencies
Proactive
Relationship-related currencies
Social network building
Stakeholder
Systems thinking
Task-related currencies
10–22
As the diversity of our nation increases, so will the diversity in
our classrooms. Literature is one way that teachers can help to
ensure their students understand different cultures around them.
To prepare for this assignment,
· Read Chapter 2 of the course text.
· Note Section 2.4 of our textbook lists the following guidelines
for evaluating diversity in children’s books:
· Accurate representation of cultural specifics
· Avoidance of stereotypes
· Achievement
· Author/illustrator
· Copyright date
· Sensibility
· Language
·
· July: Discuss Pamela M. Tuck’s book after viewing As Fast as
Words Could Fly Read by Dulé Hill (Links to an external site.).

2.4 The 20th Century and Beyond
Alongside quality children's books in the early 20th century gre
w the popular, consumer-
driven side of children's literature. Comics, serializedsensationa
l stories justly called “penny dreadfuls” (because they cost a pe
nny and were in fact dreadfully cheesy), and dime novels (so-
called becausethey cost a dime), were readily consumed by eage
r young readers. Serial novels were very popular, with series lik
e Nancy Drew (1930–2003), theHardy Boys (1927–
2005), and the Bobbsey Twins (1904–
1979) written by ghost writers who worked for the Stratemeyer
Syndicate, the first bookpackager to have a target audience of c
hildren rather than adults. Howard Garis's Uncle Wiggily first a
ppeared in the NewarkNews in 1910 andstarred in nearly 80 boo
ks and a board game before the author died in 1950.
Online Resources: Classic 20th-Century Series
·
Nancy Drew Sleuth unofficial website: http://www.nancydrewsl
euth.com/
·
Hardy Boys Online: An unofficial online resource: http://www.h
ardyboysonline.net/content.php?page=home
·
Project Gutenberg's 16 Bobbsey Twins novels online: http://ww
w.gutenberg.org/browse/authors/h#a367
·
Project Gutenberg's Uncle Wiggily stories online: http://www.g
utenberg.org/ebooks/15281
These books, comics, and series novels are often recalled fondly
by parents and grandparents and are passed on to their children
as a result. They formwhat Deborah Stevenson (1997) has called
a “canon of sentiment” (p. 112) as opposed to a “canon of signi
ficance (p. 113).” Books like the BerenstainBears series (http://
www.berenstainbears.com/), Mercer Mayer's Little Critter books
(http://www.littlecritter.com/), and Ann M. Martin's The Baby-

sitters Club (http://www.scholastic.com/thebabysittersclub/) oft
en fall into the canon-of-
sentiment category for today's college students. These books are
n't necessarilyhigh-
quality literature, but they are fun, sometimes addictive reading
for children and therefore encourage literacy development and c
reate fond memories.
The war years (1914–
1945), however, produced some highly memorable books for chi
ldren, as adult authors turned to children's texts for a much-
neededescape into the fantasy world of an idyllic childhood suc
h as Winnie the Pooh's Hundred Acre Wood by A. A. Milne (18
82–
1956). Perhaps they were alsotrying to instill the values of a mo
re peaceful world into their child readers in hopes for a more co
operative future or to fortify them for the challenges theymight
face in creating a more just world, such as we find in J. R. R. T
olkien's (1892–1973) Middle Earth or C. S. Lewis's (1898–
1963) Narnia.
One text that explicitly addressed the anxieties of war for childr
en in the 1930s is Munro Leaf's The Story of Ferdinand. Ferdina
nd is best known forhis pacifism; unlike the other young bulls i
n his field, he is not at all interested in competing in the bullfig
hts in Madrid, instead preferring to sit “justquietly” under his c
ork tree and smell the flowers. When a misunderstanding leads t
o his being chosen to fight, he still refuses, angering thebanderil
leros, picadores, and the matador, who have no choice but to se
nd him home. This book, published within months of the outbre
ak of theSpanish Civil War, was considered political propagand
a and was burned in Nazi Germany and banned in Spain, but has
been in continuous print sinceits original publication and is stil
l being taught today as a heartening fable of both nonconformity
and nonviolence.
Online Resources: The Story of Ferdinand
·
An online reading of the book from the publisher: http://us.peng

uingroup.com/static/pages/publishersoffice/screeningroom/0110
/penguinstorytime/story_of_ferdinand.html#vmix_media_id=100
56137
·
Lesson plans and ideas for teaching Ferdinand within the Jewish
tradition from the Rosenfeld Legacy Project at the University o
fMiami: http://education.miami.edu/legacyproject/documents/Th
eStoryOfFerdinand.pdf
·
Lesson plan for teaching Ferdinand: http://www.bookitprogram.
com/redzone/Read&Do/farm_animals/TheStoryOfFerdinand.ai.p
df
In the wake of the world wars, people had lost faith in the idea t
hat humanity was becoming progressively more civilized and th
at technology wasnecessarily a sign of a glorious future. After a
ll, advances in technology during the wars had mostly resulted i
n more efficient ways to kill more peopleat one time. The dark s
ide of human nature was on full display, and Sigmund Freud's a
nd Carl Jung's insights into that dark side, which were originall
yrejected by many in mainstream culture, were becoming more a
ccepted by the 1950s as truth in the public and artistic imaginati
on.
Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud (1856–
1939) is probably best known for his idea that people's actions a
re influenced by their “unconscious” mind—
that is, a mentalspace that houses the instincts and impulses that
we must repress in order to function in society. According to Fr
eud, the id, that part of our mind thatis driven by the pleasure pr
inciple, demands that we satisfy our appetites in order to reduce
the tension that these appetites exert on us. Babies areentirely i
d driven; when they are hungry, they don't give any thought to
where they are or whether it is convenient for them to be fed. In
stead, theydemand to be fed right that instant.
As babies grow older, they begin to develop a sense of self, whi
ch Freud called the ego, and a sense of right and wrong that co

mes from outside,which Freud referred to as the superego. The s
uperego is revealed to children through parental discipline and r
ules but also through the rules andadvice they receive through b
ooks and media. Children internalize these rules about how to b
ehave and form a conscience that guides them in makingdecisio
ns. In Freud's view, the role of the ego is to negotiate between t
he id and the superego; the ego has to constantly figure out how
to satisfy theid's desires without getting in too much trouble wi
th the superego. The healthy ego thus learns how to delay gratifi
cation or deny aggressive impulses.On the other hand, though, t
he healthy ego also figures out ways to satisfy desires in sociall
y acceptable ways.
From The Story of Babar by Jean de Brunhoff,translated by Mer
le Haas, copyright 1933, renewed1961 by Random House, Inc.
Used by permissionof Random House Children's Books, a divisi
on ofRandom House, Inc.
One practical application of Freud's ideas was the acknowledge
ment that children had much more complicated innerlives than p
eople had previously given them credit for. Had Freud been a be
liever in God, he might have suggestedthat the idea of original s
in wasn't so far off the mark as thinkers like Locke and Roussea
u imagined. Instead hesuggested that children were born self-
absorbed and aggressively competitive and that they harbored m
urderousimpulses against their rivals. Carl Jung (1875–
1961) concurred, calling this dark side the Shadow, and both thi
nkersagreed that the purpose of art, on the individual as well as
the social level, was to sublimate these desires intofantasies so t
hat they could be acknowledged and worked through, exercised
and exorcised, as it were, in sociallyharmless ways.
Consider the levels of aggression in a story like The Story of Ba
bar the Little Elephant (1931), which contains whatis certainly
one of the most horrific scenes in children's literature—
that of a mother elephant shot and killed whilecarrying her baby
on her back. This illustration of a very common childhood fear
—the loss of the mother—

followed bythe eventual triumph of Babar as he travels to the cit
y, becomes a very urbane fellow indeed, and returns to hisjungl
e family to be proclaimed as their king, takes child readers on a
n imaginary path from loss to recovery and offersreassurance th
at, even if children's worst fears are realized and they are left to
fend for themselves in the world,there is still hope. While there
are very complicated cultural problems with this book (Gopnik,
2008), at thepsychological level, it acknowledges and addresses
children's most traumatic fears and fervent hopes. Scores of20t
h and 21st century children's texts treat the loss of the mother a
nd its aftermath in similar ways.
Explore and Reflect: The Loss of the Mother
Make a list of movies and books that stage a significant scene w
here the child character is separated from the mother (you might
startwith Bambi, Free Willie, Horton Hatches an Egg). Consult
your friends, and then compare your list with those of others in
your class.Why do you think this is such a common feature of c
hildren's books and films? Try to think of multiple reasons and
discuss them withfriends and classmates.
Freudian and Jungian interpretations of folk and fairy tales also
became common as a means of explaining the lasting appeal of t
hese stories as wellas thinking about how they might be useful f
or children. Jung believed that folk stories grew out of what he
called the “collective unconscious,” whichis something that eac
h of us is born with that helps us organize experience. Character
s that he called archetypes inhabit the collective unconsciousan
d regularly show up in stories. Examples include the damsel in
distress, the hero, the wise old man or woman, the trickster, the
eternal child, thewicked witch or devil, the great mother. These
character types are found in tales from cultures around the worl
d. For instance, trickster figures includeAnansi the Spider (West
African), Brer Rabbit (African American), Coyote (Native Ame
rican), Jack (Appalachian), John the Conqueror (AfricanAmeric
an), Kirikou (West African), Loki (Norse), Ma-
ui (Polynesian), and Raven (Native American). Tricksters are es
pecially appealing to youngchildren because they are usually sm

all in size and must use their cunning to overcome people more
powerful than they are.
Like the cartoon images we will discuss in Chapter 3, these char
acters tendto be iconic. Because of this, children can project the
mselves and those they know onto characters in order to make t
he story theirs. When children listento stories with these charact
ers in them, they relate them to situations in their own lives, an
d this helps them organize experience—
in any given situation,who are their helpers, who are their bad g
uys, and how should they deal with their conflicts? But as they
grow older, they begin to realize that each of theattributes of th
ese archetypes is present in themselves. According to Jungian p
sychology, our job is to integrate the characteristics of the arche
types intouseful patterns that will help us in our daily lives. In o
ther words, one way to think of a fairy tale in Jungian terms is t
o consider that each characterrepresents an aspect of the self, an
d the story describes how each aspect might help or hinder grow
th and achieving goals.
Make a list of characters fromfamiliar stories that fit thearchety
pes of damsel in distress,hero, wise old man or woman, trickster
,eternal child, wicked witch or devil, and greatmother. Which ch
aracters do you find mostrelatable?
In “Hansel and Gretel,” for instance, the children can represent
the masculine and femininequalities of the self. The stepmother,
who fears that she won't have enough to eat and persuadesher h
usband to get rid of the children, represents a fear of scarcity th
at can lead to despicable acts.The father is compassionate but ul
timately too weak to counter fear. The children are resourceful,
but also naïve, as they scatter breadcrumbs in an attempt to find
their way back home. They thensuccumb to their own hunger an
d greed by attacking the witch's house. But it is the witch's gree
dthat is the most destructive, as she plans to eat the children. As
Hansel is placed in a cage to fattenup, both he and Gretel beco
me tricksters, and Gretel demonstrates her bravery by killing th
e witch.The children find the witch's treasure and are ferried ho

me by a pair of swans, where they find thattheir stepmother has
died and they can therefore live happily ever after with their fat
her. Thecharacteristics of the characters thus include fear, comp
assion, naivety, hunger, greed, resourcefulness, trickiness, and
bravery. The story demonstratesthat fear, naivety, and greed mu
st be overcome through resourcefulness, trickiness, and bravery
so that compassion can ultimately triumph.
Choose a fairy tale that you knowwell and consider how eachch
aracter demonstrates a dominantcharacteristic of the self. How d
oes the storydemonstrate the effective integration of thesecharac
teristics?
Freudian readings of fairy tales often focus on the relationship d
ynamics in the stories and howstories help children manage unc
onscious desires and conflicts. Freud suggested that childrenhav
e socially unacceptable desires and conflicts. For instance, a tod
dler may show no interest in atoy until another toddler does, an
d then that toy becomes the only one worth having, and conflict
ensues. One approach to such conflict would be to talk about th
e importance of sharing andperhaps read a story where the chara
cters are happily cooperative and share all of their toys.Bruno B
ettelheim (1903–
1990), a Freudian child psychologist, disagrees with this approa
ch. In TheUses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance o
f Fairy Tales (1975), he argues that childrenneed outlets for thei
r negative emotions, and the best option for this is stories that o
penlyacknowledge the intensity of those feelings. If children see
only models of sweet, cooperative children in their books, and t
hey themselves struggle withaggressive, angry feelings that get
them in trouble, then they will begin to suspect that they are the
only ones who have feelings like this. They will feel likemonst
ers. But if they read stories where jealous, punishing evil stepm
others are killed, and valiant princes slay menacing monsters, th
eir own innerdemons can be vicariously soothed through the ima
ginative acting out of their aggressive impulses.
Explore and Reflect: Return to a Favorite Childhood Story

Bruno Bettelheim (1975) suggests that children become attached
to a particular story that speaks to their particular situation. Th
inkback on your own reading history and try to remember your f
avorite story as a child. If you have access to some of your care
givers,you might ask them what they remember as being your fa
vorite. Write down the story as you remember it, and then locate
a copy toread. Consider the following: What have you forgotten
? Why do you think you don't remember? What issues or concer
ns in the storydo you think made the story important to you as a
child? Which still seem important to you today? In what ways d
o you think this storyhas influenced the way you think about yo
urself, your relationships, and the world around you?
Online Resources:When Sophie Gets Angry and The Red Tree
·
For a booktalk of Molly Bang's book, see http://www.youtube.c
om/watch?v=jYlf8Y_5_z0
·
For a look at some of the illustrations and the author's comment
s about Shaun Tan's book, see http://shauntan.net/books/red-
tree.html
·
For a stunning adaptation of The Red Tree, see http://www.yout
ube.com/watch?v=PrmMFFpKxgw
One of the literary milestones in the acknowledgement of aggres
sion and psychological depth in children is found in the 1963 Ca
ldecott Award-
winning Where the Wild Things Are. In this familiar tale, the m
ain character Max misbehaves, chasing his dog with a fork and
making “mischief of one kind /and another” until his mother has
had enough. She sends him to his room, where the aggrieved M
ax entertains an elaborate fantasy of getting hisown back—
that is, taking a troupe of wild things on a wild rumpus and then
treating them the same way his mother treated him. In The Chil
d ThatBooks Built, Francis Spufford remarks that this is “one of
the very few picture books to make an entirely deliberate, and b
eautiful, use of thepsychoanalytic story of anger” (2002, p. 60);

it is certainly one of the first children's books to do so. Molly B
ang's When Sophie Gets Angry—
Really,Really Angry is another book that acknowledges the inte
nsity of child anger, just as Shaun Tan's The Red Tree acknowle
dges the depths of sadnessthat children are capable of, even if w
e as adults are reluctant to believe or acknowledge that children
feel these emotions so deeply. Works like theseowe a huge debt
to Maurice Sendak for opening up the possibilities of children's
literature to tackle serious emotional struggles.
The Red Tree, by Shaun Tan
Cover image reprinted with permission from TheRed Tree by Sh
aun Tan, Lothian Children's Books,an imprint of Hachette Austr
alia, 2001.
The 20th century thus saw the dawn of a new interest in and res
pect for children, the complexity of their innerworlds, and their
literature. Successful authors such as Gertrude Stein (1874–
1946), T. S. Eliot (1888–1965),Countee Cullen (1903–
1946), Langston Hughes (1902–1967), Arna Bontemps (1902–
1973), and Carl Sandburg(1878–
1967), began writing for children as well as adults. Oxford prof
essors C. S. Lewis (1898–
1963), author ofthe Chronicles of Narnia, and J. R. R. Tolkien (
1892–
1973), author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, notonly
wrote children's books but they also wrote about the art and pra
ctice of writing for children (Lewis, 1967;Tolkien, 1965). Takin
g issue with the idea that children need to be protected from fea
rful content, they side withBritish writer and philosopher G. K.
Chesterton, who famously argued that “[f]airy tales do not give
the child hisfirst idea of bogey. What fairy tales give the child i
s his first clear idea of the possible defeat of bogey” (1909), ani
dea that has been widely paraphrased as “Fairy tales are more th
an true—
not because they tell us dragonsexist, but because they tell us dr
agons can be beaten” (quoted as the epigraph for the horror/fant

asy novella Coraline, by Neil Gaiman [2002], and attributed to
G. K. Chesterton).
Online Resources: On Writing for Children
·
C. S. Lewis's “On Three Ways of Writing for Children” at http:/
/www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=911
7
· J. R. R. Tolkien's “On Fairy Stories” (especially pages 11–
15) at http://brainstorm-services.com/wcu-2004/fairystories-
tolkien.pdf
·
G. K. Chesterton's essay on children and fairy stories, “The Red
Angel,” is at http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/8092
But of course one of the most famous writers for children of the
mid-20th century was Theodore Geisel (1904–
1991), who adopted the pen nameSeuss so that he could continu
e writing incognito for the college humor magazine after being
caught drinking gin in his college dorm room (Nel, 2003).After
he graduated, of course, he became Dr. Seuss. He began writing
children's books in 1937, the first being And to Think That I Sa
w It on MulberryStreet, which was rejected by 27 publishers bef
ore it finally appeared from Vanguard Press. However, he conti
nued to write children's books while hemade a living doing adve
rtising work and political cartoons. His many books for children
are energetic, well-
plotted, funny, and engaged with thepsychology of young childr
en.
The Development of Diversity in Children's Books
As authors began to take the inner and outer worlds of the child
seriously, books for children became more diverse in their them
es, characters, andgenres. Realistic depictions of children in var
ious socioeconomic settings took their place alongside the fanta
sies of the Golden Age as children'sfavorites. However, the boo
ks of the 20th century continued to point to some persistent ideo
logies of childhood, especially in terms of gender, race,and ethn
icity.

Gender
What other naughty boys do youfind in children's books you hav
eread?
If we start with the characters of Tom Sawyer (1876), Huck Fin
n (1884), and Peter Rabbit (1901),for instance, we can see that
we view mischief as the birthright and special privilege of boys;
theseboy characters steal, disobey their elders, and run away fr
om home, yet they are ultimately valuedfor their ability to get i
n and out of trouble. The bad boy archetype is repeatedly refres
hed incharacters like Curious George (who first appeared in 194
1), Dennis the Menace (1951), Maxfrom Where the Wild Things
Are (1963), Calvin (1985) of Calvin and Hobbes fame, Bart Si
mpson(1987), and David (1997) from David Shannon's No, Davi
d books. Even Lenore Look's Alvin Ho (2008), who is much mo
re fearful and less intentionalabout his misbehavior, manages to
embody the archetype of the boy who always finds himself in tr
ouble and always manages to be forgiven.
Dennis the Menace, No David! and Alvin Ho all feature“bad bo
y” characters.
Dennis the Menace by Hank Ketcham (1951). Used by permissio
n ofFantagraphics Books.
From No David! By David Shannon. Scholastic Inc./The Blue S
ky Press.Copyright © 1998 by David Shannon. Used by permissi
on.
Book Cover [with illustration by LeUyen Pham], copyright © 20
08 by RandomHouse Children's Books. Cover illustration © 200
8 by LeUyen Pham., from AlvinHo: Allergic to Girls, School A
nd Other Scary Things by Lenore Look, Pictures byLeUyen Pha
m. Used by permission of Random House Children's Books, adi
vision of Random House, Inc.
Not so with girl characters, at least until far later in the 20th an
d early 21st century. LewisCarroll's Alice is curious, intelligent,
and headstrong, but she is also prissy and insistent onprotocol e
ven as she questions the absurdity of the adults in Wonderland a

nd, byimplication, adult culture in the real world. Most girl char
acters of the Golden Age ofchildren's literature, however, such
as Eleanor H. Porter's Pollyanna (Pollyanna, 1913), L.M. Montg
omery's Anne Shirley (Anne of Green Gables, 1908), and the nu
merousprincesses in fairy tales, are rewarded for their meek goo
dness rather than theirmischievous nature. It is not until the app
earance of Astrid Lindgren's Pippi Longstocking in1945 that gir
ls really get their shot at the mischievous, anti-
authoritarian life. Pippichallenges everything, from the superior
strength of boys and men, to the authority ofpolicemen, the inte
lligence of schooling, and the reserved protocols of polite societ
y.
Ten years later, in 1955, Eloise (Eloise, by Kay Thompson) and
Ramona (Beezus andRamona, by Beverly Cleary) make their ap
pearances, signaling that a real change hastaken place in the wa
y girls are depicted in children's literature, since Eloise and Ra
monaare realistic girls (that is, they don't have any supernatural
powers) rather than fantasyheroes like Pippi. Like her predecess
ors, Eloise renders adult society absurd through heroutrageous i
mitation of it, while Ramona's unsuccessful attempts to conform
to social rules calls them into question by other means.
Online Resources: Eloise and Ramona
·
Everything you always wanted to know about Eloise can be foun
d here: http://www.eloisewebsite.com/
·
For a taste of Ramona, see http://browseinside.harpercollinschil
drens.com/index.aspx?isbn13=9780380709182
·
Junie B. Jones books can be explored here: http://juniebjones.co
m/
Harriet the Spy represents a newkind of girl character.
“Book Cover (Yearling edition)”, copyright © 2001by Yearling,
from Harriet the Spy by LouiseFitzhugh. Used by permission of
Delacorte Press,an imprint of Random House Children's Books,

adivision of Random House, Inc. Any third party useof this mat
erial, outside of this publication, isprohibited. Interested parties
must apply directly toRandom House, Inc. for permission.
The character who really challenged the gender stereotype of th
e sweetly funny, good-
natured girl, however, isHarriet, from Louise Fitzhugh's Harriet
the Spy (1964). Harriet is a disturbing character because she is
a girlwho isn't at all nice or funny; indeed the only quality that
she possesses that could be considered positive is herintelligenc
e, which sets her apart and makes her judgmental of her peers ra
ther than understanding andsympathetic toward them. When her
beloved nanny leaves her and her friends discover her notebook,
hernervous breakdown has a subtle and unsettling realism that s
ets her apart from most characters in children'sliterature. Despit
e the awareness of the complexity of children's inner lives, we s
till harbor the hope that theirproblems will be easily solved thro
ugh the wisdom of adult intervention. Harriet is thus perhaps m
ore thepredecessor of the troubled heroine of young adult fictio
n rather than the culmination of heroines for youngerreaders. Th
e legacy of Pippi, Eloise, and Ramona is more appropriately on
display in characters like BarbaraPark's Junie B. Jones (who firs
t appeared in 1992), Lenore Look's Ruby Lu (2004), Annie Barr
ows' Ivy and Bean(2006), and Megan McDonald's Judy Moody (
2000), who get into mischief and emerge unscathed, much liketh
eir male predecessors and counterparts.
Children's picturebooks have also responded to cultural changes
in traditional family structures. LesleaNewman's (1989) Heathe
r Has Two Mommies, and Michael Willhoite's (1991) Daddy's R
oommate broke newground with their positive portrayals of gay
and lesbian family life. Since these books were published, many
morehave appeared that contain lesbian, gay, bisexual, and tran
ssexual content, as well as issues of losing a familymember to A
IDS, nontraditional families in general, children who don't follo
w traditional gender norms, and theexperience of donor offsprin
g. For a comprehensive, annotated list of books that feature gay,
lesbian, bisexual,and transsexual content, nontraditional famili

es and children, and donor children, see New York librarian Pat
riciaA. Sarles's blog: http://booksforkidsingayfamilies.blogspot.
com/.
Explore and Reflect: How Should We Address Questionable Ste
reotypes?
Consider the gender problems with fairy tales: The stories of Ci
nderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty all feature character
schosen only for their beauty and rewarded for their passivity in
waiting for their prince to come. Even in the movie Shrek, whic
hfeatures a strong, feisty princess, “love's true form” is the form
of the male character. What, if anything, do you think we shoul
d doabout continuing to relate these stories that convey stereoty
pical messages to children? What are the positive aspects of the
se stories?Do they outweigh the negative ones? How might we t
alk to children about the messages of these stories such that the
y become criticalreaders?
As the 20th century progressed, educators and parents became m
ore aware of the importance of children being about to see posit
ive portrayals ofthemselves, their cultures and lifestyles, and th
eir problems, in books. In a survey of over 5,000 children's boo
ks published between 1962 and 1964,Nancy Larrick (1965) foun
d that only 6.7% contained any reference to a non-
White character in the text or the illustrations. That percentage
hasincreased (Sims, 1982), however, and today there are many b
eautiful, affirmative picturebooks celebrating the family life an
d traditions of children fromdiverse backgrounds.
African Americans
Although the first books for children of color in America were p
ublished as early as 1890, the publishing history has been a rock
y one. For instance,some of the first stories that featured non-
White characters were by White authors and featured offensive
stereotypes. For instance, Little Black Sambowas written in 189
9 by a White woman named Helen Bannerman. Sambo is a South
Indian child who, upon encountering four hungry tigers, gives
upa piece of his colorful wardrobe to each tiger in exchange for
their not eating him. The tigers then become jealous of each oth

ers' finery and chaseeach other in a circle with such ferocity tha
t they melt into a pool of butter, which Sambo then eats with an
enormous pile of pancakes after herecovers his clothes. It's easy
to see why this story has appeal for children—
a trickster figure outsmarts characters far more powerful and da
ngerousthan himself and then ends up eating those who wanted t
o eat him. The imagery, however, was widely condemned as ster
eotypical and degrading toBlack children. Sambo was depicted
with very dark skin, a wide mouth and nose, startling white eyes
, and unkempt hair; in other words, he embodiedthe pickaninny
caricature, and his name, Sambo, became a racial slur.
Online Resources: The Little Black Sambo Controversy
·
For an explanation by a sociology professor of the history of Lit
tle Black Sambo and the controversy around it, see http://www.f
erris.edu/htmls/news/jimcrow/picaninny/
·
A lengthy discussion about Little Black Sambo among noted chi
ldren's literature authors, librarians, and critics can be found at
http://www.fairrosa.info/disc/sambo.html
Julius Lester, a noted Black author, had this heartbreaking react
ion to the book:
When I read Little Black Sambo as a child, I had no choice but t
o identify with him because I am black and so was he. Even as I
sit hereand write the feelings of shame, embarrassment and hurt
come back. And there was a bit of confusion because I liked th
e story and Iespecially liked all those pancakes, but the illustrat
ions exaggerated the racial features society had made it clear to
me represented myracial inferiority—
the black, black skin, the eyes shining white, the red protruding
lips. I did not feel good about myself as a black childlooking at
those pictures. (1997)
Lester's response was to write a new version of the book called
Sam and the Tigers, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. This version o
f the story preservesall of the wit and energy of the story, even
amping up those characteristics, while stripping away the racist

overtones.
Issues of representation became very important during the early
and mid-
20th century, which was characterized by the uplift tradition in
AfricanAmerican literature, particularly for children. W. E. B.
Dubois (1919) described what he called the “talented tenth,” tha
t is, the 10% of Black people whowould become world leaders t
hrough education and activism. In order to raise up a class of le
aders, he started a children's magazine called TheBrownies' Boo
k in 1920, with the following seven purposes:
a.
To make colored children realize that being ‘colored' is a norma
l, beautiful thing.
b. To make them familiar with the history of the Negro race.
c.
To make them know that other colored children have grown into
beautiful, useful, and famous persons.
d.
To teach them delicately a code of honor and action in their rela
tions with White children.
e.
To turn their little hurts and resentments into emulation, ambiti
on and love of their own homes and companions.
f.
To point out the best amusements and joys and worthwhile thing
s of life.
g.
To inspire them to prepare for definite occupations and duties w
ith a broad spirit of sacrifice. (p. 287)
The magazine's focus on noble behavior and didacticism makes
it an unlikely breeding ground for popular child characters who,
as we have noted, tend tohave a bit of vinegar in their dispositi
ons. However, its existence and goals indicate concern for the w
ay Black children were represented in books and aneed for posit
ive role models and iconic characters. For more information and
to read the issues of The Brownies Book, click here.

Indeed, the complaints leveled at books written about children o
f color throughout the early and mid-
century focused on the fact that the charactersalmost always lea
rn that growing up means learning to accept an inferior role in s
ociety, a lesson that boys like Jim Hawkins (of Treasure Island)
andTom Sawyer never have to learn (Harris, 1990; Kline, 1992).
Given that, and the fact that even in a book featuring Black cha
racters that won theNewbery Award, Sounder (by William H. Ar
mstrong, 1969), only the dog is given a name, there are few mod
els of Black childhood that snag a placeon children's literature's
greatest hits list. Armstrong, a White author, defends his choic
e to leave his characters nameless by saying that in doing so hec
reates characters that are universal, but the prejudice and harsh
treatment of the family are clearly related to their ethnicity, so c
laims of universalityin this situation falter. Albert Schwartz (19
70) argues that the absence of names is related to the fact that l
ong-
standing racism has prevented thedominant culture from seeing
people of color as individuals.
Since the 1990s, however, conditions have changed for the bette
r. Today's children can listen to and read beautifully written pic
turebooks by AshleyBryan, Lucille Clifton, Donald Crews, Elois
e Greenfield, Nikki Grimes, Patricia McKissack, Walter Dean M
yers, Faith Ringgold, Joyce Carol Thomas,Carole Boston Weath
erford, and Jacqueline Woodson. Illustrators Bryan Collier, Flo
yd Cooper, E. B. Lewis, Christopher Myers, Kadir Nelson, Jerry
Pinkney, and Javaka Steptoe have expanded the repertoire of po
ssibilities for children's picturebook art with their innovative st
yles. These authors andillustrators, as well as many others, pres
ent personal stories, civil rights history, biographies, and folktal
es that highlight Black experience and culture.Fluent readers wi
ll find the folktale retellings and original early chapter books by
Christopher Paul Curtis, Nikki Grimes, Virginia Hamilton, and
JuliusLester challenging and fun. Since 1969, the American Libr
ary Association has been awarding the Coretta Scott King Awar
d to outstanding AfricanAmerican authors and illustrators whos

e work demonstrates an appreciation for African American cultu
re.
Latino/Latina and Hispanic Americans
Pérez and Martina: A Portorican Folk Tale, written by Pura Bel
pré in 1932, is usually considered the first children's book writt
en by a Latina author inthe United States. Belpré is most well-
known as the first Puerto Rican librarian in the New York Publi
c Library system, and her influence as achildren's librarian, auth
or, and storyteller has been honored by the American Library As
sociation with the establishment of the Pura Belpré Awardgiven
to the Latino/Latina author and illustrator that “best portrays, af
firms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outsta
nding work ofliterature for children and youth” (para. 1).
Another important milestone in the representation of Latino/Lati
na culture in children's literature and media is the advent of Ses
ame Street, whichfeatured human Latino/Latina cast members M
iguel, Luis, and Maria as early as its second season in 1970. But
despite the early publication ofBelpré's work, the establishment
of the award, and the presence of Latino/Latina characters in o
ne of the most popular children's shows of all time,most critics
agree that the publishing industry is not keeping up with the nee
d for quality literature that addresses the expanding diversity of
Americanculture, particularly the rapidly growing population of
Latino/Latina children in America. Marisa Treviño (2012) attri
butes this to two factors: (1) that“[a]bout 75% of children's boo
k buyers [in America] are white,” and (2) that the vast majority
of published children's authors, over 90%, are White aswell. Sh
e sees some positive change on the horizon, but such change wil
l require enthusiastic advocacy on the part of educators and pare
nts.
Another problem identified by critics is the lack of diversity wit
hin representations of Latino/Latina culture (see, for instance, t
he statistics at the bottom ofPat Mora's Bookjoy website: http://
www.patmora.com./sampler.htm). Even the term—
Latino/Latina—
has a vexedhistory, since it seems to erase the rich diversity of t

raditions that emerge from the range of Latin American countrie
s and cultures. It has come to be thepreferred term over Hispani
c, for instance, because Hispanic seems to privilege Spanish ori
gin rather than Latin American. And many authors of Mexicanh
eritage still refer to themselves as Chicano, a term that, since th
e 1960s and 1970s, connotes ethnic pride for many Mexican Am
ericans as an expressionof the uniquely hybrid nature of their cu
lture. Phillip Serrato (2011) argues that the important thing for t
eachers to remember is that terms such as these aremore often th
an not overly simplified conveniences for categorizing a range o
f books and that teachers should be attentive to the distinguishin
gcharacteristics of the books they share with children.
Despite these problems, there are still many respected Latino ch
ildren's authors. Look for books by Alma Flor Ada, Francisco A
larcón, George Ancona,Monica Brown, Carmen Agra Deedy, Lu
lu Delacre, David Diaz, Pat Mora, Yuyi Morales, and Gary Soto
for picturebooks, and Rudolfo Anaya andCarmen Lomas Garza
for fluent readers.
Native Americans
Representation is also a problem with Native American texts, be
cause our culture has tended to romanticize so much of the histo
ry of NativeAmericans. Lavish headdresses and costuming, whic
h is often connected to sacred tribal tradition and not intended f
or public viewing or imitation, isused indiscreetly and irreveren
tly in much children's literature. For instance, Susan Jeffer's Br
other Eagle, Sister Sky (1991) is a wildly popular bookthat has i
nspired many a bulletin board, but it completely misrepresents t
he speech, questionably attributed to someone she calls Chief S
eattle, fromwhich she adapts her text, the message it contains, a
nd the nation of the person who supposedly spoke the words. Jef
fers uses a stylized stereotypeof a Plains Indian to give a generi
c sense of “Indian-
ness” to her book, and her nostalgic tone seems to insist that A
merican Indians no longer exist,putting this book at the top of O
yate website's Books to Avoid (Seale, n.d.). Oyate is an organiz
ation that reviews children's literature and advocatesfor Native

Americans/American Indians to be portrayed with historical acc
uracy, cultural appropriateness, and without anti-
Indian bias and stereotypes.
The Oyate website (http://www.oyate.org/) offers guidance for t
eachers in evaluating books they might want to choose for inclu
sionin their curriculum. These guidelines could be easily adapte
d for considering any books about children of color. Another ve
ry useful resource is DebbieReese's American Indians in Childre
n's Literature blog (http://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.b
logspot.com/), where she has book lists, articles, reviews, and n
ews updates on issues affecting therepresentation of indigenous
people in children's and young adult literature and culture. Whe
n considering which books to include in your curriculum, it is a
good idea to consult these sources for specific recommendations
as well as books and images to avoid. You will find books by N
icola Campbell, Joy Harjo,Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve, and Ti
m Tingle consistently recommended for very young children, an
d Joseph Bruchac, Louise Erdrich, and Cynthia LeitichSmith as
recommended authors of books for young readers.
Asian Americans
Like Latino/Latina children's literature, Asian American and As
ian Heritage children's books represent a variety of cultural trad
itions and cultures. Unlikethe other ethnicities we have discusse
d, however, the critical discussions around representation are no
t as robust or developed. While the majority ofAsian American
books for children today are folktales, there is a growing trend i
n realistic representations of Asian American children. Allen Sa
y andKen Mochizuki, for instance, write from the perspective of
Japanese Americans, often focusing on the difficulties of assim
ilating to life in a new culture.Minfong Ho takes her very young
readers to Thailand. Janet Wong writes poetry that honors her
Chinese and Korean heritage while being groundedfirmly in the
universal landscapes of childhood dreams, hopes, and fears. The
re is also a growing body of literature featuring recent immigran
ts andadoptees and the challenges they face. For instance, My N
ame Is Yoon, by Helen Recorvits, and The Name Jar, by Yangso

ok Choi, both focus onyoung Korean girls entering American sc
hools where their names present difficulties until they learn thei
r value and meaning.
Explore and Reflect: Diversity in Picturebooks
Select one of the authors or illustrators listed in the preceding s
ections and research his or her professional biography. Make a p
osterthat highlights his or her work. Contact a local day care, li
brary, or elementary school and ask if you can make a short pres
entation onthe author or illustrator to the class. Read at least on
e of his or her books to a group of children, share the informatio
n on your poster,and then present it as a gift.
Choosing the Best Multicultural Children's Literature
According to statistics gathered by the Cooperative Children's B
ook Center at the University of Wisconsin-
Madison, between the years of 1985 and1993, the number of bo
oks created by African American authors increased dramatically
. Since that time, however, the number of books by and aboutAf
rican Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and Lati
nos has been trended downward (see Figure 2.1). As people who
work with children,we must be intentional in ensuring that the l
iterature we share with them reflects a full spectrum of experien
ce. Publishing is a business, and whilepublishers may have stron
g ideological commitments, they must also respond to market de
mand. If we want a robust supply of quality multiculturalbooks,
we must ensure that we are creating sufficient demand for them.
Figure 2.1: Children's books about people of color published in
theUnited States, 1994–2011
Since 1993 the number of books by and about minorities has tre
nded downward.
Cooperative Children's Book Center, School of Education, Univ
ersity of Wisconsin–
Madison. (n.d.). Children's books by and about people ofcolor i
n the United States. Retrieved from http://www.education.wisc.e
du/ccbc/books/pcstats.asp
Research shows that children develop their most persistent attit

udes toward race when they are 3–
7 years old, and that not talking about racial issuesis more detri
mental toward developing an open attitude toward diversity than
explicit discussion, even in schools and neighborhoods where d
iversity isthe norm (Vittrup, 2007). Children are not color-
blind: They notice racial difference, and they overwhelmingly p
refer people who look similar tothemselves, but we adults are th
e ones who teach them what skin color means. Vague, color-
blind statements such as “we are all equal” mean little tochildre
n, but explicitly showing doctors, rescue workers, or plumbers,
say, with a variety of skin colors or both genders, and talking ab
out theirrepresentations, is much more effective. Passive exposu
re has also been disproven as a means of promoting mixed-
race interaction in schools; rather,children must be encouraged t
o talk about racial difference as we have learned to talk about g
ender difference (Bronson & Merryman, 2009).
Guidelines for Evaluating Diversity in Children's Books
·
Accurate representation of cultural specifics: Are countries of o
rigin specifically named where appropriate? (For instance, Afric
a isnot a country, nor is Latin America.) Does the style of dress
represent time period accurately? Do pictured setting details acc
ord withtextual setting? Do the intergenerational relationships d
epicted reflect the values prevalent in the culture? (For instance
, respect forelders, importance of extended families, etc.)
·
Avoidance of stereotypes: Are characters depicted as individual
s? Are characters shown in a variety of activities, with a variety
ofskin tones and body types? Pay particular attention to gender
—
are men and women always shown performing activities traditio
nallythought of as male or female activities, or do they behave i
n ways that more accurately represent the contemporary diversit
y ofroles?
·
Achievement: Are characters shown to be resourceful and able t

o solve their own problems? Are authority figures diverse in ter
ms ofethnicity and gender? Are power dynamics equally distribu
ted among characters of various ethnicities and genders?
·
Author/Illustrator: Does the author/illustrator come from the cul
ture depicted? If not, is there evidence that sufficient research h
asbeen done regarding the portrayal of the culture? It is useful t
o check reviews for this information if it is not provided in thea
uthor's/illustrator's note.
·
Copyright Date: Generally speaking, the newer the book, the mo
re likely it will address cultural issues with contemporarysensib
ilities.
·
Sensibility: If the book portrays a struggle between a minority c
haracter and the dominant culture, does the book give appropria
teweight to the conflict and the minority character's right to just
ice, even if that right challenges the status quo or laws of the do
minantculture?
·
Language: Does the language of the characters and/or the narrat
or accurately reflect, but not stereotype, typical language use in
that culture?
Icons and Children's Media Today
Children's authors and illustrators today are sensitive to the exci
ting challenges of living in a world where gender roles are more
fluid and culturaldifferences are increasingly valued. While so
me authors, such as Mo Willems, are creating new icons of chil
d culture, such as the Pigeon, KnuffleBunny, and Elephant and
Piggie, in some cases, the authors themselves are becoming icon
s, such as, again, Mo Willems, with children eagerlyawaiting th
e next offering by Kevin Henkes or Kadir Nelson. These authors
have an almost unlimited range of artistic tools available to the
m, and theyare re-
creating the picturebook as a work of art, shaping the aesthetic
vision of child readers in diverse and fascinating ways. Children

's picturebookstoday are more sophisticated than they have ever
been, offering visual and verbal challenges that demonstrate an
unprecedented respect for thecognitive and affective abilities of
child readers.
In today's media-
saturated culture, whether characters become children's literatur
e icons often depends on whether they are picked up for TV and
movies.The Walt Disney Company, for example, is largely resp
onsible for keeping the fairy tale princess alive and well in cont
emporary culture. Disney's remakesof classic fairy tales have be
en criticized for their perpetuation of impossible ideals of femin
ine beauty, as their wasp-waisted, big-
eyed beauties set thestandard for pretty among young girls. How
ever, what seems to bother people most about Disney is their ov
erwhelminghold on children's culture. The“Disney version” of a
ny particular story is likely to be the one children are most fami
liar with, and thus, to their minds, the “right” version. For insta
nce,Disney's bright, colorful imageof Winnie the Pooh with his i
ll-fitting T-
shirt and very chubby tummy is very different fromthe original i
llustrationsby E. H. Shepard . Although the first movies Disney
producedwere very respectful of the book, their continual repac
kaging of Pooh over the years has diminished the power of thos
e original stories, makingcontemporary Pooh a very silly bear in
deed.
Other purveyors of children's literature and culture have created
cultural icons as well. For instance, the Sesame Street character
s are widelyrecognized around the world. Interestingly, these ch
aracters have gone from TV to books, rather than the other way
around like such characters asMarc Brown's Arthur, Rosemary
Wells's Max and Ruby, Susan Meddaugh's Martha, and Dr. Seus
s's Cat in the Hat. The main purveyors of children'smedia today
are Disney, Nickelodeon, and PBS. While each network, produc
er, and distributor has a slightly different emphasis and mission
statement,their products are marketed across the spectrum of chi
ld culture, creating books, TV shows, music, stage shows, amus

ement parks, toys, games, andplay sets to immerse children in th
e world of their products and gain brand loyalty. As we look mo
re closely at media specifically targeted to thevarious age group
s, we will discuss the philosophy and dominant aesthetic statem
ents of each of these purveyors more closely. For the most part,t
hough, these media outlets are competing for market share while
attempting to maintain their ideal of what children should and s
hould not experiencethrough their storytelling.
Explore and Reflect: Children's TV
Look at the websites for Disney (http://www.disneyabctv.com/w
eb/index.aspx), Nickelodeon(http://www.nick.com/), and PBS (h
ttp://pbskids.org/go/), and explore their content forchildren. In
what ways are they selling their products? In what ways are the
y striving to educate as they entertain? How does thiscombinati
on fit into the larger history of children's literature that we have
outlined here? What level of commitment to diversity do youob
serve in each case?
PBS, for instance, has very clear guidelines regarding their chil
dren's television programming(http://www.pbs.org/producers/pb
skidssubmissionguidelines.pdf). They have a clearlyarticulated
“Child Development and Learning Framework” that all of their
programs must be responsive to, and they encourage periodic ev
aluation throughfocus groups to see if the program's goals are h
aving the desired effects on child learning. They also have a list
of specific prohibitions in children'sprogramming. Violence of
any kind, as well as any dangerous or illegal behavior that child
ren might model, are prohibited, as is any sort of image orprogr
amming that might evoke fear in children. They also put strict li
mits on “grossness” and images of bathroom use; clearly, the Sh
rek franchise couldnot be distributed through PBS. PBS also has
explicit guidelines against racial and gender stereotyping and i
nsists that any depictions of antisocialbehavior be portrayed wit
h negative consequences.
Disney, on the other hand, places its emphasis on creativity, inn
ovation, and profitability. Their official website (http://thewaltd
isneycompany.com/) highlights this mission across all of their b

usinesses and programs. Their focus is now and always has been
oncreative and memorable storytelling. This means that they wi
ll occasionally present fearful images and violent scenes in their
films, although they do findways to imply the more gratuitous s
cenes of violence rather than actually show what happens. For i
nstance, when the wicked queen falls to her death inDisney's fir
st full-
length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
, all the audience sees are two very interested vultures watching
over theedge of the cliff. Likewise, some 50 years later, Gaston
falls off a rain-
soaked roof after stabbing the Beast in Beauty and the Beast (19
91), but viewers donot witness either his entire fall or his landin
g. The Beast survives the stabbing and is transformed back into
his former self. Violent deaths are actuallyquite common in ani
mated Disney films, but they always function within the storytel
ling role of vanquishing villains who deserve to be vanquished.
Explore and Reflect: Deaths of Disney Villains
Play this game that tests your knowledge of how Disney villains
meet their deaths: http://www.sporcle.com/games/mrness86/dis
neyvillain
Repeat, this time having a child fill in the blanks if possible. (T
his activity will be most successful with children 4 years old an
d older.)Discuss with the child, or reflect on your own, if and h
ow the deaths are appropriate for the crimes committed by the v
illains.
PBS and the Disney-
ABC Television Group represent two extremes in children's med
ia programming. PBS's focus is explicitly on providingdevelop
mentally appropriate educational media that emphasizes social e
quality and explicitly rejects stereotyping. Disney's focus is on
creativestorytelling, which requires the use of icons and archety
pes, if not stereotypes, so that children are drawn into identifica
tions. Other purveyors ofchildren's media fall somewhere in bet
ween. For instance, Nickelodeon, which is owned by Viacom, pl
aces a high emphasis on humor and theempowerment of viewers

, which they promote through online interaction, viewer's choice
programming and awards, and gaming. They then claim touse t
heir influence to promote healthy lifestyles by using their well-
known characters, like Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob Squar
ePants, toencourage exercise through their “Let's Just Play” cam
paign (Altschuler, 2008). While many of the shows distributed t
hrough these outlets end upseeming similar, it is nonetheless po
ssible to detect their various commitments by watching with an
analytical eye.
Explore and Reflect: Nickelodeon Programming
Browse the interview of Nickelodeon's early program director,
Geraldine Layborne:
http://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/geraldine-
laybourne#
You can select topics of interest to you by clicking on the links
within the chapters.
What insights into the programming philosophy of Nickelodeon
do you find interesting?
What's Next for Children's Literature
Children's literature has a long history of availability in audio a
nd visual formats, including touch-and-feel books, pop-ups, lift-
the-
flap, and other formatsthat encourage interaction. The developm
ent of digital technologies offers exciting possibilities for childr
en's reading in the future. Color versions of e-
readers offer a natural platform for picturebooks, and YouTube
has any number of videos that feature people telling stories, rea
ding children's books,setting them to music, and adapting them i
n various child-
friendly ways. Many local public library websites also feature o
nline children's books that childrencan access for free from a co
mputer. For instance, explore Tumblebooks at http://www.norm
alpl.org/online-tools/kids/.
Apps are also being developed based on children's books. Some
of these are similar to the computerized versions of children's b
ooks that firstbecame available in the 1980s in that they offer o

ptions for being read to or reading alone, hot spots with animati
ons, and the ability to receive thestory in other languages. Beca
use these new apps have been developed for tablets, they includ
e features that are activated by swiping and shakingthe tablet as
well. Some include interactive features, such as Mo Willems' D
on't Let the Pigeon Run This App, based on his popular pigeon c
haracter.This app allows children to record their answers to que
stions and create new stories in a fill-in-the-
blank fashion, where players are asked for specifickinds of wor
ds to fill in blanks that can be saved and replayed. And of cours
e, Disney offers a wide range of apps based on its recent movies
. Manynonfiction apps are also available that encourage childre
n to learn through interactive edutainment.
Most exciting, perhaps, though is the development of augmented
reality (AR) children's books. These books use a webcam (or ot
her device such as acamera phone) to project 3-
D images that have been encoded in the book itself. In addition,
readers can interact with the image in their books. It reallymust
be seen to be fully understood. You'll find videos demonstratin
g AR in Websites to Save and Explore at the end of the chapter.
Summary
This chapter has looked at the history of how culture produces b
ooks for children according to what people believe about their i
nner lives and theirneeds and capacities. You have been asked t
o consider your own beliefs about childhood, which will certain
ly influence your decisions about whatsorts of books to include
in your curriculum. You have also been introduced to some of th
e ideological problems with race and gender that are implicitin
books for children, and to checklists that you can use to evaluat
e the portrayal of minority cultures in the books you choose. Fin
ally, we have lookedat the way children's literature icons cross f
rom books to other media and how the various purveyors of chil
dren's media influence the kinds of storiesavailable to children.

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