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"Wild war‐whoops rang in their ears. When they ventured to open their eyes they saw four of their foes dancing round them with wild leaps and screams, and each of the four brandished in his hand a scalp of long flowing black hair. They put their hands to their heads—their own scalps were safe! The poor untutored savages had indeed scalped the children. But they had only, so to speak, scalped them of the black calico ringlets!"

(Nesbit, 246)

When I first picked up Five Children and It, I knew that it was an old book that may contain many dated views, but I was not prepared for the mess that the tenth chapter was, which was aptly titled Scalps. Much to my confusion and discomfort, I was often surrounded by this type of media and various games like Indians and Cowboys when I was growing up, but it would not be until much later on in life that I understood why. Thanks to this book, I was introduced to the Vanishing Indian trope for the first time, and I found it to be very informative as various media for children included negative stereotypes and tropes such as this chapter did, where the specific passage I chose further perpetrates the idea that we are blood-thirsty savages who cannot comprehend anything that is outside of our culture.

(Passage logged April 2nd, written April 3rd)

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"Bigwig realized that he had stumbled, quite unexpectedly, upon what he needed most of all: a strong, sensible friend, who would think on her own account and help to bear his burden."

(Adams, 427)

In Watership Down, Bigwig is one of the main rabbits who was asserted as the strongest and bravest character (amongst Sandleford’s warren) early on in the book. The reason why this specific quote stood out to me so much was due to how contrasting it is to the Bigwig that the reader came to know. It is important character development that was only briefly touched on in this moment of the book, and it is the character development that we rarely see in children’s literature unless in a lengthy story like this one. However, I was quite disappointed due to the fact that it was never really elaborated on much afterwards – like it was a passing moment rather than a pivotal one in Bigwig’s life.

(Passage logged March 27th, written April 3rd)

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"I came from a long line of hunters, trappers, and voyageurs. But now, with most of the rivers cut into pieces and lakes left as grey sludge puckers on the landscape, my own history seemed like a myth along the lines of dragons."

(Dimaline, 21)

This quote from the beginning of The Marrow Thieves stood out to me, as it does a phenomenal job at setting the tone for the rest of the novel. The comparison of First Nations cultures to myths like dragons (which are also frequently depicted in children’s literature) puts into perspective just how scarce it has become to practice their traditional ways, and it is also reminiscent of our past history with residential schools and other genocidal attempts. It shows just how much Indigenous people rely on the land as these practices deteriorated along with the rivers and lakes.

I also believe that it is worth mentioning how many people do think of Indigenous ways of living and knowing to be “mythical” of some sorts, as they have been mystified and even depicted as people of the past throughout plenty of early children’s literature.

(Passage logged March 31st, written April 2)

[niyacommonplace]

"For London is like prison for children, especially if their relations are not rich."

(Nesbit, 2).

This passage immediately brought me back to the very beginning of this course when we were discussing the origins of children’s literature. Although children’s literature can be traced back to oral traditions before publishing existed, it was hornbooks that began the printing of English literature for children through Bible verses and the Latin alphabet. The first “children’s book” was not released until much later by John Newbery via the Little Pretty Pocket-Book. Both hornbooks and pocket-books were typically enjoyed only by children of the wealthy since it was quite expensive to produce them, making Nesbit’s quote ring true many centuries later. It leaves one glad that the accessibility of literature has become more widespread, especially for children who are often left with nothing else to do but read in their free time.

(Passage logged February 12th, written April 1)

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"Grown-up people find it difficult to believe really wonderful things, unless they have what they call proof. But children will believe almost anything, and grown-ups know this."

(Nesbit, 7)

I was immediately reminded of Edgeworth’s interesting (for lack of a better word) theories to education and approach to children’s literature upon reading this passage. Edith Nesbit would not publish Five Children and It until many decades after Edgeworth’s release, but the child’s imagination seemingly continued to be a hot topic throughout these academic spheres.

To me, Nesbit’s words appear to be in favour of Edgeworth’s theories, since children believing almost anything they see (or read) can become an issue when trying to distinguish between fiction and reality. However, we would not get the classic, creative tales such as this one (and many others) if children’s literature was strictly based in reality like Simple Susan was.

(Passage logged February 12th, written April 1)

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"'There's terrible evil in the world. It comes from men,′ said Holly. 'Men will never rest till they've spoiled the earth and destroyed the  animals.'"

(Adams, 199)

Another popular quote from Richard Adams’ Watership Down. This time it is coming from Holly. This particular passage stood out to me because of the current climate we are living in, which has undoubtedly gotten worse since this book was published in the seventies.

Topics like this are often avoided in children’s media in an effort to keep it “pure” or innocent. However, they are important and must be discussed, even if it means having to translate them into words that make it digestible for a younger audience. I really like this quote as it puts the blame on our planet’s deterioration on humanity, which is an issue that many people prefer to be ignorant to. However, it is important to inform young people about the environment as they are our future and have the means to change the world with the proper education, which often begins with books.

(Passage written and logged on March 20th)

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"All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a Thousand Enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed."

(Adams, 38)

This is one of, if not the most, popular quote from Richard Adams’ book Watership Down. This quote seemed to follow me around in life even before coming across this novel, so I was quite surprised to see where it had originated from as the source was unknown to me prior to taking this class. I find that this quote is very inspirational especially as a First Nations woman, and given the popularity of it, I am certainly not the only reader to think so.

Although didacticism in children’s literature has been historically utilized to show young readers what is right from wrong, I believe that it is equally as important to instill other lessons such as this one into the minds of young readers, as it can further assist them – especially those who are part of marginalized groups – with survival and navigating a world that they feel was not made for them.

(Passage written and logged on March 18th)

[niyacommonplace]

(Potter, pg. 32)

In the Tale of Peter Rabbit, we are met with aesthetically pleasing illustrations done by the author herself, Beatrix Potter. The reason why I chose this particular page is because of how much it stood out to me. Throughout the book, the art invokes a sense of comfort and calmness due to Potter’s artistic style: realism with curved lines and choice of colour pallet, which makes use of warm and earthy tones. The illustrations are also frequently comforting in nature, pg. 57 for example, where it shows the bunnies next to one another as their mother cooks dinner for them, Peter laying in bed observing them. However, this comfort is taken away from us when Peter Rabbit is getting chased by the gardener, Mr. McGregor, and is almost caught when he gets entangled in a net (seen above). What I found interesting is how these troubling scenes are depicted in the same style, rather than utilizing sloppier linework and other artistic elements to match the tense, frantic emotion associated with the plotline – which I also thought was intriguing due to its dark undertones of their father dying and getting eaten by Mr. McGregor (pg. 10), something often avoided in literature for children today.

(Passage logged February 2nd. Reflection written on Feb. 20th. Edited and posted on March 15th).

[niyacommonplace]

(Sendak, pg. 10)

Where The Wild Things Are is a classic picture book that stayed with me as a child, so it was certainly a pleasure to read it again and further analyze it as an adult. Maurice Sendak is the author and illustrator of this fantastic tale, and I found that pg. 10 is the perfect visual depiction of the entire story as it shows us how vivid a child’s imagination can get.

This particular illustration I chose (and the rest of the book) kept reminding me of Edgeworth’s preface to The Parent’s Assistant, another reading we did earlier in the ENG230 class. Didacticism is a central component to children’s lit, and Edgeworth’s theories to education focused on teaching children useful knowledge rather than stories of “enflamed imagination,” which is exactly what Where The Wild Things Are is all about and what the illustration above represents.

Because this story and particular illustration stuck with me so much, I believe that the wildness of a child’s imagination is worth exploring and talking about within children’s literature, since there can still be ways to incorporate useful, important lessons much like Sendak did.

(Passage logged February 2nd. Reflection written on Feb. 20th. Edited and posted on March 16th)

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"Eat!" Sister Mary's stern voice cut into my thoughts. I forced some bitter, gritty mush down my throat. The smell nearly made me gag. But I remembered the warnings of the other girls. If you don't eat your meal at breakfast, they will serve it to you for lunch. And if you throw it up, you will have to eat the vomit.

(Kacer, pg. 12).

Kathy Kacer discusses the traumatic experiences of residential schools in her children’s book I Am Not a Number. This book does an amazing job at teaching younger people about the horrors of these institutions without going too far into depth regarding the darker details, except for the passage that I chose for this week’s entry. It stood out to me from everything else because of how graphic it is, and I find it particularly strong due to how raw it is as well, not shying away from the horrific truths. Although other children’s books about residential schools touch on the traumatic experiences that children were unfairly subjected to, I found that not many authors include such graphic details like Kacer did in this particular passage.

In recent children’s literature, there has been the desire to protect childhood innocence and stray away from troubling topics such as this, but I think that is unfair (for lack of a better word) towards the residential school survivors, whose innocence and childhoods were far from protected. Teaching children about topics like this is an important step towards reconciliation and books like Kacer’s will serve as great introductions for younger audiences. I also thought that the accompanying illustration for this passage that I attached above was quite a fitting and brilliant way to show children just how trauma works – how a simple image of the meal she was forced to eat (even if she threw it up) can bring back such troubling memories.

(Passage logged February 2nd. Reflection written on Feb. 23rd. Edited and posted on March 15th).

[niyacommonplace]

(Robertson, pg. 14)

When We Were Alone is a book by David Robertson that looks back on a dark time in history: Canada’s residential schools. Unlike Kathy Kacer’s book I Am Not a Number, Robertson’s book focuses on the aftermath and healing process after leaving these cruel institutions, which is equally as important. I chose to write about this particular illustration because I felt quite moved when I first saw it, a sense of empowerment washing over me.

The beautiful illustrations provided by Julie Flett are reminiscent of First Nations art styles, and paired with the Nēhiyawēwin (Cree) words, I could not help but feel emotional since these children’s books were not available to me when I was a young kid but were something that I needed as I am one of the first members in my family who did not attended these schools, facing many years of cultural shame as a result. In fact, I was able to see myself in the young girl of this story as her grandmother details the trauma to her.

To me, this illustration symbolizes Indigenous resilience and has something that many Indigenous children’s books should utilize more: language, since it helps with revitalization and teachers can incorporate it into their lessons, aiding in the path to reconciliation (and meeting some of the TRC’S 94 Calls to Action). This book as a whole is digestible for children and does a good job at telling the real, horrific story of residential schools in a way that protects them from some of the darker truths discussed in other stories like I Am Not a Number.

(Passage logged February 2nd. Reflection written on Feb. 22nd. Edited and posted on March 16th).

[niyacommonplace]

(Flett, Julie. Page 9 of The Girl and the Wolf, book by Katherena Vermette. Theytus Books, 2019.)

When doing our Red Riding Hood readings, this book immediately stood out to me; especially as a First Nations woman. It is an Indigenous rendition of the classic tale that showcases cultural practices/beliefs in a manner that I find reputable and authentic to our ways. This is especially appreciated in the unusual twist where the girl and the wolf are depicted as friends rather than foes, referencing the traditional Indigenous worldview of interconnectedness in which all creations (humans, plants, animals, etc.) are related to one another and thus share a mutual respect for each other. The red dress she wears is also noteworthy as it symbolizes the ongoing Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women crisis; this version of the tale having Little Red lost in the woods rather than the frequent tellings of her walking down a path she is already familiar with.

This children's book is very age-appropriate for "modern" standards when compared to the various traditional First Nations tales that were told to children, those of which typically consisting of violence and general disturbing imagery that has stuck with me and many other Indigenous people since we were kids. Though something that I found quite interesting was how The Story of Grandmother by Paul Delarue (recorded in 1885) - the original tale that this book is based off of - has similar themes to Indigenous folktales in regards to violent content, as this narrative depicts Little Red eating the flesh and drinking the blood of her grandmother (Tartar, Maria. The Classic Fairy Tales. Introduction: Little Red Riding Hood. W.W. Norton, 1999). It serves as a reminder of the fact that age-appropriate concepts and concepts of childhood change overtime and are culturally specific, as discussed in the beginning of this course.

With the erasure of Indigenous cultures came the loss of numerous stories, so both this book and course have had me heavily reflecting on the traditional stories I already know and the common folktales around the world; wondering what other stories are waiting to be told and/or Indigenized through children's literature.

(Passage logged Jan 18, reflection written on Jan 20, edited and posted on Jan 21.)

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But he thought all the strange words were beautiful, and he had never had a book of his own before.

Tove Jansson, Moominvalley in November.