I’ve written on here before about picture books fighting the good fight (These Books Kill Fascists) and equipping kids with imagination and hope (The Hungry Typewriter), but in light of yesterday’s inauguration, I want to dip in to this subject once again. This time, to say I really, really want #kidlit to step up to the challenges before us. After seeing the world’s richest asshole give a Nazi salute on stage, I was reminded of the time author-illustrator Ludwig Bemelmans found himself, unexpectedly, in the company of a group of Nazi officers.
“In an ashtray on our table was a cold cigar butt about the size and shape of a small mustache. I stuck it under my nose, rose to my feet with great effort, and gave the Nazi salute. I also made a short speech. I can’t remember what I said, but I screamed some words of encouragement in that hysterical tone, that falsetto pitch familiar to radio listeners all over the world.”
Bemelmans’ first instinct was to mock the Nazis. Sure, he got a beer stein thrown at his head…
and the next day he was arrested and had his passport confiscated, but you know what? He 100% did the right thing.
As creators for children, I think picture book authors and illustrators lean heavily into leading by example and saying things like “books about kindness and collaboration are more important than ever”. But if I’m honest, I don’t think this is enough. Kids books that work in allegory, stories of blue people and red people coming to work together, are unequal to the challenges of our time. I think there can be (and should be) stories about bullies getting their comeuppance. To practice, don’t clutch your pearls, clutch your pens in a fist of righteous outrage and let loose with your best one finger salute. Start writing stories where the villain is called out for what he is and where he literally eats shit.
Now, I said that, and I mean it, but I also want to point this out.
The story about the Nazis takes place in Bemelmans’ collection of essays titled I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU and I think this is a great framing. Love, kindness, and hope are our biggest and best weapons against hate. But there’s always room for calling out Nazis for the shit-eating chumps they are.
Listening to: