Picture books that made me pause (for good, bad and surprising reasons) - Paeony Lewis

I read a lot of picture books and occasionally something will make me pause. This might be a good pause, a bad pause, or a surprised pause. It all depends on what has caught my attention. Here are a few of my picture-book ‘pauses’ (good, bad and surprising). Perhaps you wouldn’t have paused for some, though I bet many of you would pause at the third one. But first...

PAUSE 1: Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena, illus by Christian Robinson

I’ll begin with the book that gave me the idea for this blog post. Only published in 2015, Last Stop on Market Street has received an outstanding number of book awards in the USA, so I felt compelled to order a copy (I’m a bit of a pushover). When it arrived I opened the book and paused at the first sentence: CJ pushed through the church doors and skipped down the steps.

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From Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena and Christian Robinson (G P Putnam's Sons, 2015)

I wonder if some of you think it's weird that I paused? For me in the UK, it was the mention of the church doors in a mainstream picture book. Of course we all interpret books to reflect our beliefs, but in this book it’s clear the grandmother and child have been to Sunday church.

After my surprised ‘pause’, I realised it could be a cultural difference between the UK and USA. In the UK, I don't think it's usual for contemporary picture books to overtly include Christianity unless the books are specifically religious. Also, UK publishers rely on overseas editions and I suspect that makes them cautious. So although the message in the excellent Last Stop on Market Street is one of finding beauty in less obvious places, it’s so specifically a story set in urban America, with the speech cadence of a specific community, that perhaps it’s a story that doesn’t travel well outside the USA? Or perhaps you think I'm nuts?!

PAUSE 2: Croc and Bird by Alexis Deacon

Cute animals are sooooo cute. We adore them in picture books. So it was a refreshing surprise to discover the baby bird in Croc and Bird was, well, how can I say this… Not cute. This book is about being true to yourself and the people who matter, and is one of my favourites (and sometimes I still pause and grin).

From Croc and Bird by Alexis Deacon (Hutchinson 2012)

Now we come to the third book. A  bad ‘pause’ (in my opinion).

PAUSE 3: The Lonely Doll by Dare Wright

When my daughter was young I spied this on the picture-book shelves of a mainstream bookshop. I thought the use of photography was interesting, so I bought it. I think I only read it once to my daughter. ‘Disturbing’ is the word I’d use. I know it was first produced in 1957 and that was a different time, but then it was reprinted in 1985, and again in 1998. The text on the page that made me pause reads:
"I may be a silly," Mr. Bear answered, "but I know when a naughty little girl needs a spanking." Little Bear couldn't watch. He was afraid his turn was next.
And yes, Little Bear gets a spanking too in the next image. Nuff said.

From The Lonely Doll by Dare Wright 

PAUSE 4: The Three Robbers by Tomi Unigerer

This is another picture book that gave me a bad, shocked ‘pause’ when the robbers blew pepper dust at the frightened horses. However, when I finished the book I had a rethink. The robbers do terrible things, but is redemption possible? I’m not comfortable with the book, but I suspect it’s not meant to be ‘liked’; it’s meant to make adults and older children think about redemption. It was first published in German in 1963, then reissued in 2008 (Phaidon).
The text with the image below reads: To stop carriages, the robbers blew pepper dust in the horses' eyes.

Image from The Three Robbers by Tomi Unigerer

PAUSE 5: Tomorrow by Nadine Kaadan

Cover of Tomorrow by Nadine Kaadan
(Box of Tales Publishing House, 2012)

Here’s another book that could get us all thinking and I ‘paused’ several times. It's Syrian and currently only in Arabic (though my copy included two separate sheets with the text translated into English). On the surface this picture book is about a family coping with living in a city that has become dangerous and scary. Parts of the story and illustrations are darker than the picture books we’re used to seeing in the UK, but even in the UK not all children live in safe neighbourhoods and most catch glimpses of the TV news.

Image from Tomorrow by Nadine Kaadan

At first I questioned why the story didn't include the word 'war'. Nadine Kaadan (who has lived in the UK since 2012) explained that back in 2011, when she began the story, Syrians like herself didn’t believe the fighting around them was a ‘war’. They thought it would soon be over. Sadly not. 

Now I’ve thought more about the story, I can see it has a wider appeal by not specifically mentioning war. The ambiguity works well. For example, it could also be seen as coping with a depressed parent, or coping with living in an unsafe environment, or simply coping with not being allowed outside to play. Don't worry, there is a positive, uplifting ending.

PAUSE 6: The Yes by Sarah Bee and Satoshi Kitamura

As the owner of cute picture books by Satoshi Kitamura (eg the Comic Adventures of Boots), I experienced a surprised ‘pause’ when I discovered his illustrations in The Yes (Andersen Press, 2015). For me it was a good surprise because the images are innovative for picture books. Some of the pictures are almost semi abstract, though always understandable and always interesting.


PAUSE 7: The Great Dog Bottom Swap by Peter Bentley and Mei Matsuoka

From The Great Dog Bottom Swap by Peter Bentley and Mei Matsuoka

Another from Andersen Press (2010). I definitely paused when I came to this double-page spread. I was flabbergasted, bemused and then giggled. What more can I say?! Well I could tell you the text and then you might understand: So as they went in - every dog, pooch and pup -They took off their bottoms and hung them all up. Hundreds and hundreds of little pink 'o's All neatly arranged in methodical rows.


PAUSE 8: Hector and Hummingbird by Nicholas John Frith

When I’m in a bookshop I read a lot of picture books. Some I skim and some I read (and some I even buy - honestly!). So whilst in a bookshop I began to flick through Hector and Hummingbird (Alison Green Books, 2015) because I liked the colours and contemporary-retro illustrations, and then I paused. The snippets I'd read made me smile so much, I returned to the beginning and read it all through. It’s not often I come across such charming fun (it’s about coping with an annoying, overly chatty friend). A delightful ‘pause’ and a gentle place to finish my list.



I've had many more picture book 'pauses' but I think I've prattled on enough. Perhaps you’ll let me know your good, bad and surprising ‘pauses’?

- Paeony Lewis