Children's picture books may seem to be the last place where gender stereotypes are present. However, stereotypical messages are evident in picture books and as a result, our children may be limited and restricted to mold into these stereotypes.
Gender stereotypes have always been a part of any given culture. In our culture, it is seen virtually everywhere we go; our schools, playgrounds, work places, homes, and even in picture books for children. Children are constantly developing and absorbing messages that society throws at them to better understand the world in which they are a part of. They constantly interpret the social messages they receive and try to mold themselves to fit into that norm. So what messages are they receiving from their books? Families, schools, teachers, and friends all influence children, but books are another important factor that alters their way of thinking. It implicitly gives children messages of what their gender roles are and gives limitations to they are capable of. Not knowing their full potential, these messages can stunt the growth of young people's dreams and manipulate their minds to believe that they must act within their “given place” in society. The articles discuss the popular stereotypes and images the children receive from picture books and emphasize the importance of differentiating the books with those stereotypes for the good of our children.
The most common gender messages that children's books give are the emphasis of traditional roles of men and women. Girls are always shown as passive and boys are always shown as being active. In “Female representation in Children's Literature”, Teya Cherland states that we are bombarded with gender messages from birth. We are taught what is appropriate and what is not. Even at an age when children are not able to talk, parents decide what toys to get them depending on their gender. Boys get trucks and super heroes while the girls are given Barbies and dollhouses. However, much of our knowledge of "appropriate" gender roles is interwoven with sexist stereotypes. Cherland states that, “these stereotypes blur the perception between what is real and what some would like reality to be.”
In Josie's Gift by Kathleen Long Bostrom, many gender roles and stereotypes are apparent. To briefly summarize, this story is about a girl who lost her dad and is facing her first Christmas without her dad. She dreams of receiving an expensive blue sweater for Christmas that her mom cannot afford. Memories of past Christmases with her dad make her sad until she sees others who are more unfortunate than her.
The beginning of the story starts by emphasizing this mysterious gift she has to have. It goes in depth about her feelings toward this gift; she just absolutely has to have it. After much buildup and hype about this gift, it is a mere sweater. But it is not just any sweater; it is a sweater with twelve shimmering buttons! The narration goes on for lengths about her interests in shoes, elegant clothes, sequins, rubies, emeralds, and fancy dresses with purses to match. She dreams of wearing a hat with silk flowers stitched to its brim. She pretends to dance in spike-heeled shoes and fantasizes about having those shoes in each color. In the illustrations, she does not look any older than eight or nine. Just these couples of pages alone in the beginning of the book give girls the message that this is what girls should be like; in love with clothes, shoes, and accessories.
In many other books, boys dream of becoming an astronaut, scientist, policeman, or other “masculine” occupations. In this book, the Josie's only concern is obtaining these fashion items. This may seem insignificant or far-fetched to some, but this type of message sends to girls, the role expectations of females. Cherland states, “It is vital to understand the messages that children's literature sends to them about the role expectations of females in order to understand how they view real life.” The repeated messages girls receive at an early age will alter and manipulate their minds, and they will be seeing the world with lenses that were created for them through stereotypes.
There is no question that the frequency of female characters has increased from the past. However, the roles that these female characters play remain very traditional. Cherland argues that the frequency of these female characters is irrelevant when the only roles given to them are the same passive roles we have been complaining about. In Josie's Gift, there are many female characters. Josie, her mother, and her brother are all main characters. However, Josie's mother is illustrated on almost every picture doing kitchen work or some type of "female" role.
Although her father is deceased, he is brought up constantly throughout the book. The messages that a reader can receive from this story is that life is miserable without your father, mothers cannot afford to buy you things, fathers make the holidays fun, and that mothers cannot resolve your problems. Even in the end when Josie's problems are resolved, her mother receives no credit for her resolutions. Her mother says at one point, “Christmas is not about what you want, but what you have.” This is a line that helps Josie through her obstacles. However, she tells strangers that it is her dad who has said this to her.
