When I moved to Chicago I became a member of 57th Street Books, a well known store between my crib and my work, and I’d often stop in to browse. I no longer do that much, and for two reasons. First, because I have no more room for books on my bookshelves, so I rarely buy any books (I get them from the library). Second. the store has become uber-woke, catering to buyers with “progressive” agendas. Books featured in the windows and inside cater to the oppressor/victim narrative, often with the sacralization of the oppressed. Here is just one example I photographed this morning: a window featuring children’s books about ethnic food.
If you look them over, you’ll conclude two things. First, they celebrate books about groups characterized as oppressed minorities. In other words, they hew closely to an “identity culture” mindset designed to sacralize various ethnic groups. I guess the intent in these children’s book is to make you feel proud of your group. That’s not necessarily so bad, but it seems to be not only a theme, but a ubiquitous theme. It’s as if kids can be interested only in the food of their group. But there is more to life than identity, and kids need to know that. (I hasten to add that I still haven’t found a publisher for my book about the Indian sweetmaker Mr. Das and his fifty cats, and that’s only because I’m not Indian; I presumably cannot write about India as an American.) Children’s and young-adult fiction are the two areas of publishing most affected by identity culture.
Second, the books (I’ve looked at some of them) stay away from the painful or unpleasant parts of life. You can tell by the titles that they are all sunshine and happiness, with plenty of exclamation marks. Again, you don’t want to traumatize kids with literature, but neither do you want to teach them that life is all peaches and cream. At the bottom of this post I’ve listed some children’s and young-adult books that have sad parts. Some of them, like Charlotte’s Web (1952) and Old Yeller (1956) have endings so sad that they’ll make you cry (at least they did for me). Could those books even be published today?
Oh, and I’ll add one more thing. If you look at the cultures represented below, you find African-American, African, Indian, Persian (Iranian), Hispanic, and Japanese. But one oppressed group culture is conspicuously absent. Can you guess what it is given the “progressive” nature of the display?
It’s not that children’s books about Jewish food don’t exist; they’re just not represented above, and I doubt they’ll ever be. As a joke, I invented one of my my own:
Actually, though, Grok found for me a list of children’s picture books about Jewish food. There are even two intersectional books!
Picture books (great for younger kids):
- Do Not Eat This Book!: Fun with Jewish Foods & Festivals by Beth Kander, illustrated by Mike Moran — A playful, interactive book full of Jewish holiday foods, Yiddish words, humor, and simple recipes kids can try.
- P Is for Pastrami by Alan Silberberg — An alphabet book that introduces classic Jewish foods like latkes, matzah, and hamantaschen in a fun, diverse way.
- 1, 2, 3, Nosh With Me by Micah Siva and Joshua Siva, illustrated by Sviatoslav Franko — A colorful counting book featuring Jewish foods associated with different holidays.
- Bubbie & Rivka’s Best-Ever Challah (So Far!) by Sarah Lynne Reul — A warm story about a girl and her grandmother baking challah together, with themes of love, persistence, and imperfect (but delicious) results.
- The Bagel King by Andrew Larsen, illustrated by Sandy Nichols — A sweet tale about the connecting power of bagels.
- Jalapeño Bagels by Natasha Wing, illustrated by Robert Casilla — A boy blends his Jewish and Mexican heritage by creating spicy jalapeño bagels.
- Queen of the Hanukkah Dosas by Pamela Ehrenberg, illustrated by Anjan Sarkar — An Indian-Jewish family celebrates Hanukkah with dosas instead of (or alongside) latkes.
- Chik Chak Shabbat by Mara Rockliff, illustrated by Kyrsten Brooker — Neighbors come together to help make a traditional slow-cooked cholent for Shabbat.
- The Matzo Ball Boy by Lisa Shulman, illustrated by Rosanne Litzinger — A lively Passover twist on the Gingerbread Man story, featuring a runaway matzo ball.
- Hanukkah Cookies with Sprinkles by David A. Adler, illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler — A story of making and sharing special Hanukkah cookies (and showing kindness).
- The Borrowed Hanukkah Latkes by Linda Glaser, illustrated by Nancy Cote — A girl “borrows” potatoes (and invites a lonely neighbor) so the family can make latkes for Hanukkah.
And here are some other children’s books with dark, sad, or depressing parts, again from Grok and with its descriptions. I had forgotten about The Yearling, which is a fantastic book intended for older children and adults. It is a must-read, and garnered a Pulitzer Prize for author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings.
- Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson — A close friendship ends abruptly with a sudden death, leaving deep grief and lasting impact.
- Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls — A boy and his two hunting dogs share a powerful bond that culminates in tragic loss.
- The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings — A boy raises a fawn amid hardship; the ending involves painful loss and maturation.
- Black Beauty by Anna Sewell — Follows a horse through years of kindness and cruelty, with many scenes of suffering (though it has some redemptive notes).
Picture Books and Shorter Works
- The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein — A tree repeatedly gives parts of itself to a boy throughout his life until little remains; widely seen as poignant or melancholy.
- The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams — A toy rabbit longs to become real and faces abandonment before a bittersweet transformation.
- City Dog, Country Frog by Mo Willems — A seasonal friendship ends with the implied loss of one character; the remaining friend processes loneliness and moves forward.
- The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen — A poor girl freezes to death on a cold night after lighting matches for warmth and visions; the ending is tragic yet includes a note of release.
Other Notable Mentions
- Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt — Explores immortality versus the natural cycle of life and death, with a reflective, poignant close.
- Watership Down by Richard Adams — An epic rabbit adventure filled with danger, death, and loss (including for key characters).
But no, you won’t see these in the window of 57th Street Books because they are neither uniformly joyful nor identitarian, and they don’t buy into the victim/oppressor narrative. They are, one might say, inclusive.
What happened to the books I liked to read, like “The Taxi that Hurried,” Engine No. 9,” and “Chien Bleu,” in French? No political messages that I can recall.
“Harold and the Purple Crayon”, “Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel”, “Gus and the Firefly”, anything by Richard Scarry.
Actually, when I was in college at UC, our Resident Heads (the faculty members who lived in our House) were expecting their first kid. We passed the hat, went to 57th Steet Books, and bought all the childrens books we loved. I wonder if they still sell them?
Un lecteur de “Chien bleu” ! Un des livres préférés de mes enfants —Salutation depuis la France ( pardonnez-moi de ne pas écrire en anglais, je suis fatigué). Bien à vous. Jean.
I used to teach Watership Down to HS kids in conjunction with Animal Farm–two allegories. I find it hard to read as a children’s book. True, Adams began by telling stories to his kids, but the novel is something else entirely.
To add some “progressive” attitudes to th post, I would like to share some of my favorite dishes from my childhood with you. 😉
Chris schmaust Currywurst (“Chris is enyoing a currywurst”).
Veronika verspeist Spätzle (“Veronika is eating Spätzle”).
Michael schnabuliert Mettbrötchen. Mit Zwiebeln, Salz und Pfeffer (“Michael munches minced raw pork on bread rolls. With onions, salt and pepper.”)
😀
When I hear about books aimed at forming “progressive” kids I immediately think of the many books aimed at convincing young people that whether they’re a boy or girl depends on what they believe they are. Given your description, I’m guessing 57th Street Books has more than a few on their shelves. Gender ideology is rampant in children’s literature.
On the other hand, Rachel Rooney’s wonderful book My Body Is Me has been quietly (or not so quietly) banned, given that it challenges gender stereotypes by emphasizing body acceptance. I wonder if they have that one? For a while the stores wouldn’t touch it.
“You’re born in your body, you don’t have a spare, so love it, hug it, treat it with care.” As with Mr Das and his 50 cats, the author’s status (in this case gender critical) threatens the extreme progressive narrative and makes the palatable unpalatable.
Actually there are many cultures not represented in the books in the window: Chinese, Russian, French, Italian, Polish, Arabic, various Scandinavian ones, etc., etc.–not just Jewish culture. There is a limited amount of space in that window, so I would hope that display changes frequently, including books representing other cultures.
Yes, I realize that. But I look at that window daily, and I’ve never seen anything remotely Jewish.
No The Cat in the Hat? No The Cat in the Hat Comes Back? No Green Eggs and Ham? No Schlomo Eats Tzimmes? None of the classics?
Yes, I’ve noticed the same thing.
Some people have decided that The Cat in the Hat is a minstrel-show caricature, so he is problematic. Also, Dr. Suess drew anti-Japanese cartoons during World War II, and depicted stereotypical Blacks, Asians and Arabs in some of his works, so this evidently makes his oeuvre taboo.
In 2017, Melania Trump made the mistake of donating some Dr. Seuss books to one school in every state, and was told by the school librarian in Cambridge, MA that Dr. Suess was considered “old hat” and “rooted in racial stereotypes.”
If I had children, or were buying for friends with children, I would just skip any book written in the last forty years.
A good plan, esp for the kids. There’s been little worthwhile since ‘Danny and the Dinosaur.’
Almost all the books I buy or borrow for my grandchildren are pre-2000, with an emphasis on nursery rhymes and fables when they’re little. I doubt I’ll ever find books based on my food heritage of Jell-O salad and Kool-aid.
People differ on The Giving Tree. I know it’s complex, but I came upon it as an adult and was horrified.
I highly recommend the True Lies books by George Shannon (ca. ~1980). They are simplified versions of delightful folk tales from all over the world – e.g. ever hear of Birbal or Nasruddin?
And – to PCC(E)’s point – it is how I came across:
A Treasury of Jewish Folklore
Nathan Ausubel
1948
741 pp
https://books.google.com/books/about/A_Treasury_of_Jewish_Folklore.html?id=mLKAAAAAMAAJ
wonderful tales … and much more to find!
BTW : also – to keep with the WEIT theme :
Just So Stories
Rudyard Kipling
1902
One of my faves :
Stickly-Prickly hedgehog and Slow-and-Solid tortoise spinning Painted “Jag-YOO-ahh” in circles! (Audiobook works great here) 😆
57th St. Books must be close to Powells’ Books in Chicago, also on 57th St. When I noticed the latter on a Chicago visit years ago, I assumed it was related to the gigantic Powells’ City of Books in Portland, OR. It turns out that it is not related commercially, but genetically, or through mishpocha, as we say in the culture not advertised in the children’s books display under discussion.
I don’t believe that the Powell’s bookstores in Chicago (there are two), are affiliated with the Powell’s in Oregon. They have separate websites.
We watched a couple of World Cup games with the grandkids. ages 7 and 10. Both are voracious readers, and they are steered toward the types of books shown in the post.
Both rooted for Mexico until they lost and then switched to France and Argentina. Watching the final, our granddaughter, who is 7, said she hated Spain because, “Spain colonized Mexico”. Then she told us how after that, the US stole Mexico, and so she hates the US team too.
Books are very persuasive, especially with combined with parental and school reinforcement.
Well, she could also hate Islam for its displacement of other religions through military conquests, and persuasion by taxation and economic suppression of non-believers who were at least allowed to live.
Ask your granddaughter to name a people who aren’t living on land taken from someone else. Perhaps the Aboriginal Australians and the Basques; I can’t think of anyone else offhand. As Mark Twain said, the American Indians were stealing each others’ land before the Whites showed up.
Maybe point out that it is modern Mexicans who are descended from the Spaniards who colonised Mexico, not modern Spaniards.
Well, they were rooting for Norway to beat England (because England is the great colonizer), so I did point out to them that the Vikings colonized England and Ireland, so I did get that little bit of info in.
And to Doug’s point, my wife made a very similar point about everyone always moving and taking over other lands throughout history. I don’t think we moved the needle much though.
Oh, one more point: Dr. Seuss books and Harry Potter books are not allowed in their house.
Holy crap, Darryl. That’s just awful.
(I screw up again….obviously meant as reply to comment #10)
What Shape Is Your Bagel? A salute to Jewish Foods and Shapes — by Jewish kids’ group The Macaroons.
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/742960/oh-my-nosh-what-shape-is-your-bagel-by-the-macaroons-illustrated-by-shahar-kober/
Dr. Coyne, perhaps you could get your Mr. Das book published by using an Indian pseudonym. Many authors have used pseudonyms so that would not be unusual.
If the publisher asks for a photo of the author, just wear a turban and a Nehru jacket for the photo!
George Harrison sometimes used the pseudonym Jai Raj Harisein when playing on records by other artists. What would be a good one for “Jerry Coyne?”
See the ubiquitous Wheel of Power and Privilege by Sylvia Duckworth (2020), for example :
https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/app/uploads/sites/2238/2021/11/50245846893_50af0d5b60_k-1024×1024.jpg
From:
https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/universaldesign/chapter/positionality-intersectionality/
Intersectional identity (K. Crenshaw, 1991) is a dialectical theory of class-based contradictions, articulated with American Characteristics.
Identity groups stockpile specific properties such as whiteness (Sensoy, Ozlem, and Robin DiAngelo, 2012) to keep power to themselves.
This is the origin of marginalization.
The exclusionary praxis is the point, even accidentally. It appears to me to function as a generative theme (Paulo Freire) that generates demoralization (Yuri Bezmenov).
Dialectic is an alchemical process of thought, so if it seems like the social equivalent of turning lead into gold – that’s a consequence of the theory’s alchemical origin (Hegel and the Hermetic Tradition, Magee, 2001).
It’s my understanding that classic children’s books containing sadness, anger, and other so-called negative emotions as well as tragic events help readers learn to deal with these things and thus prepare them for life.
Even as a kid I found The Giving Tree horrifying. But I still love The Velveteen Rabbit.
I was recently in a local Barnes & Noble. Out of curiosity I went to the children’s section. They had a small section called “Classics” with many of the books others have mentioned. B&N also had Little Golden Books, Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys in their own sections.
The modern books were all woke — books about colonialism, sexual orientation, “gender identity,” racism, every culture except European, etc. I was appalled.
Libraries are no different.
My local public library features a different “Literature of the World” every month. One month their display was called “Literature of the Middle East.” All the nonfiction books displayed were pro-Palestine, Palestinians, Islam, anti-“Islamophobia,” and the fiction was all from Muslim authors. Not a single book about Israel or by an Israeli author. I checked this every day, and I did not find any Israeli books.
I considered asking the librarians about this, but I decided not to. I had asked them why most of the books featured for the hell that is Pride Month were all pro-trans books, and none were published prior to 2000 — no classics at all. The librarians first said they didn’t know what I was talking about, then they gave me the usual trantifa nonsense.
The library knows me as a troublemaker.