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8 changes that were made to a classic Richard Scarry book to keep up with the times. Progress!

All the misogyny and racism you may not have noticed are now gone.

Images via Alan Taylor/Flickr, used with permission.

Updating the kitchen.


Remember those beloved Richard Scarry books?

Books from when you were a kid?

Like a lot of people, I grew up reading them.

And now, I read them to my kids.

books, education, philosophy

Richard Scarry’s Best Storybook Ever

Images via Alan Taylor/Flickr, used with permission.

If that doesn't ring a bell, perhaps this character from the "Busytown" series will. Classic!

evolution, gender roles, equality

Apple Car.

Images via Alan Taylor/Flickr, used with permission.

Scarry was an incredibly prolific children's author and illustrator. He created over 250 books during his career. His books were loved across the world — over 100 million were sold in many languages.

But here's something you may not have known about these classics: They've been slowly changing over the years.

Don't panic! They've been changing in a good way.

Scarry started publishing books in the 1950s, when times were, well, a little different. So some of the details were quietly updated.

Alan Taylor, a senior editor for the photo section of The Atlantic, noticed differences back in 2005 and decided to photograph them. From his Flickr album:

"The 1963 edition is my own, bought for me in the late 60's when I was a toddler, and read to tatters. The 1991 edition belongs to my kids today. I was so familiar with the older one that I immediately started noticing a few differences, and so have catalogued 14 of the more interesting differences here in this collection."

Taylor found 14 pages with differences between the original and updated versions.

Here are eight changes that reflect some of the progress society has made:

1. First up: The cover got a makeover. It might seem subtle at first glance, but look closely.

words, growth, creative

Richard Scarry’s Best Word Book Ever

Images via Alan Taylor/Flickr, used with permission.

The original has a woman (bunny) in the kitchen, while the updated cover has both a man and a woman (still bunnies) in the kitchen. Also: The "policeman" bear changed to a woman, and the label changed to "police officer." The word "mailman" became "letter carrier," and a female farmer was added. Oh, and we went from a cat-mom pushing the stroller to cat-dad! Progress!

(The bunny brushing its teeth in the house was changed from a boy to a girl, but I'm not gonna read into that because hopefully all bunny-kids brush their teeth, right? I mean, for the sake of their little bunny teefs!)

2. Men can be flight attendants and women can be pilots. And, you know, they don't have to be hot.

jobs, career, fairness

Pretty stewardess to flight attendant.

Images via Alan Taylor/Flickr, used with permission.

While the gender of each role remained the same in the newer version (which is, unfortunately, pretty legit, given the glaring lack of female pilots in real life), the stereotyping was eliminated by making the "handsome pilot" more of an everyday "pilot" (raccoon?) and by turning the "pretty stewardess" into a regular flight attendant.

3. Christmas isn't the only holiday people celebrate.

inclusive, menorah, bears

Adding the menorah.

Images via Alan Taylor/Flickr, used with permission.

Shhhh: Don't tell the Starbucks Christmas cup haters this, but there are a lot more winter holidays than just Christmas. The newer version of the book included a menorah in the blank space to recognize those who celebrate Hanukkah.

4. Mommy Bears are no longer expected to have breakfast prepared for Daddy Bears...

mommy bears, daddy bears, best word book ever

Dad bears being dad bears.

Images via Alan Taylor/Flickr, used with permission.

...and the subtle change from "called to breakfast" to "goes to the kitchen to eat his breakfast" reflects that.

(Side note: Do Daddy Bears realllllly want to be treated like Kid Bears by being called to a meal, where they must promptly appear? I'm thinking not.)

5. Because guess what?! Dads can cook, too! (Even Dad Bunnies.)

professionals, professions, 20th century

Dads can cook, too?

Images via Alan Taylor/Flickr, used with permission.

And Richard Scarry's book was updated to reflect the late-20th-century realization that everyone belongs in the kitchen!

6. Helping professions aren't just for men.

cowboys, grown ups, characters

No more cowboys.

Images via Alan Taylor/Flickr, used with permission.

The updated version recognized that fact by changing "policeman" to "police officer" and "fireman" to "fire fighter." The ever-important job of cowboy was eliminated ( sigh ... how many career hopes and dreams were squashed?), replaced with a gardener and a scientist, both of which are filled by female characters. Three cheers for women in STEM! Also: The milkman was replaced by a taxi driver, but I'm pretty sure that was had to do with the fact that milkman (or woman) isn't a growing occupation any longer.

7. Regular people need rescuing, too.

firemen, danger, hopes

Cat is in danger.

Images via Alan Taylor/Flickr, used with permission.

The newer version did away with the "beautiful screaming lady" (sigh... how many career hopes and dreams ... oh, wait — none) and replaced her with a regular "cat in danger." The "jumping gentleman" label was removed altogether, and the "fireman" became a "fire fighter" again.

8. "I" is for "ice cream" — and not stereotypical depictions of Native Americans.

dreams, updates, Florida State University

Adding the cone.

Images via Alan Taylor/Flickr, used with permission.

We're still waiting for our football teams to get with the times, but the folks behind the Richard Scarry book update eliminated the "Indian" character that was wearing stereotypical clothing.

Yay, progress! And before you shrug and say "It's just a book," listen to this:

Florida State University recently led "the most comprehensive study of 20th century children's books ever undertaken in the United States." As you can surely guess, they found a gender bias toward male lead characters, even in books about animals — books like those by Richard Scarry.

Janice McCabe, the assistant professor of sociology who led the study, wrote:

"The widespread pattern of underrepresentation of females that we find supports the belief that female characters are less important and interesting than male characters. This may contribute to a sense of unimportance among girls and privilege among boys. The gender inequalities we found may be particularly powerful because they are reinforced by patterns of male-dominated characters in many other aspects of children's media, including cartoons, G-rated films, video games and even coloring books."

It's kind of cool to think these changes were made at least two and a half decades ago! That's something.

And we need changes to keep happening! Kids should be able to read books with same-sex couples and characters who have disabilities, for example, because those are everyday occurrences and books are a great intro to the world for kids.

Anyone else up for modernizing other classic kids' books so we can feel good about sharing them with our kids?


This article was writen by Laura Willard and originally appeared on 11.11.15

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Joy

A new picture book, 'Pigeon & Cat,' teaches readers young and old about the power of compassion

“I want it to be like a unifying book, you know? Just to remind us all that we're all in this together,” author Edward Hemingway said.

Little, Brown and Company/Edward Hemingway

Edward Hemingway talks about his new picture book, "Pigeon & Cat."

I’m going to say it right now: I think picture books get a bad rap. They’re written off as silly books for little ones, but there are a lot of picture books out there that have strong messages and deal with real issues. A new picture book, “Pigeon & Cat,” by author Edward Hemingway, may be written for kids, but it’s certainly a book that will teach a lesson to everyone who reads it.

Dealing with issues like homelessness and empathy, “Pigeon & Cat” tells the story of an unlikely pair of animal friends who find each other and lose each other. But it also teaches how one simple act of kindness can change someone’s life.

I got to chat with Hemingway about what inspired him to write such a story and what writing this book has taught him about living life in the last couple years.

Inspiration for “Pigeon & Cat”

During the early 2000s and into the 2010s, Hemingway lived in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. The idea for the character, Cat, came from the time he lived there.

“I noticed all these feral cats living in the neighborhood and they would live in these abandoned lots,” Hemingway explained. “They were all so cute and I would go up to them and unfortunately they're very territorial. I was fascinated with them and I was always trying to win them over, but I wondered, you know, what would it take to win them over?”

After Hurricane Sandy in 2012, Hemingway was forced to leave his home in Red Hook. And even though he had left the neighborhood, he couldn’t help but wonder what had happened to those feral cats. So when he was creating this new character, he immediately thought of those cats.

Feral cats are a very specific kind of cat. When we meet Cat, he lives alone in a vacant lot and is fiercely territorial of his space. He never wants to leave his lot for fear of losing the only thing that’s his, which keeps him from making meaningful relationships.

pigeon and cat, edward hemingway, unlikely friendships

Cat creates a lovely home for his friend Pigeon.

Edward Hemingway

The relationship between Pigeon and Cat

In the story, Cat finds Pigeon’s egg in a nearby nest. Despite knowing that the egg would make a wonderful meal for a hungry cat, he doesn’t eat the egg. Instead he allows it to hatch and cares for the little bird.

“Pigeon's also a stray, but she's known nothing but love because Cat loves her. And so she is able to show Cat that he's capable of loving so much more,” Hemingway said. “I love that idea of this small single act of kindness actually changing an entire community because it brings these two animals together.”

Cat pours so much love and care into Pigeon’s well-being. He begins to decorate their lot with pretty things and teaches Pigeon words. His love and care offers Pigeon the safety to explore, which eventually means that she leaves the lot, and Cat is alone again. But this time it’s different.

Empathy has a ripple effect

Throughout our conversation, one word came up a lot: empathy. The empathy Cat shows for Pigeon’s egg changes both of their lives for the better. And when Pigeon leaves their lot, Cat is a different animal than he was at the beginning of the book. He goes out into the world unafraid—he’s learned you can find friends where you least expect them.

“I really wanted to make a book that kind of celebrated the things that bring us all together, that make us a community,” Hemingway said.

During their time apart, both Pigeon and Cat see more of their city, making new friends and having new experiences. Cat especially learns that not everyone is a threat because he’s forced to talk to other animals in his quest to find Pigeon.

“This small act of kindness actually changes both of these characters' lives and not only changes their lives, but actually leads to urban renewal.” Hemingway explained.

In the end, Pigeon and Cat turn their lot into a home for more than just themselves. They create a new community for other stray animals who don’t have homes where they can share their resources and support each other.

pigeon and cat, edward hemingway, empathy

Empathy creates a ripple effect that can unite a community.

Edward Hemingway

Why did he choose a pigeon and cat of all the possible animal choices?

“I think visually I love the, sort of the difference between a, you know, a feral cat and a, and a city pigeon that they're both, they're so different, also dynamically in the way that they would move and think. And that's why I think they make kind of a charming pair as well.”

pigeon and cat, edward hemingway, city living

Pigeon soars high above her home city.

Edward Hemingway

On writing a book about homelessness, community and empathy during a pandemic

“It was just so trippy during the pandemic to be painting these big city scenes, you know?” he said. “And I was missing all that interaction. But also, when I painted it I was yearning for all that. So I think there's some of that in the feeling of the book too.”

Hemingway, who is an artist first (he studied at the Rhode Island School of Design), handpaints all of his illustrations on a board about three times the size of a book page. Though he now lives in Montana, he fondly remembers the community of living in a city during major devastation. Though a hurricane is different than a pandemic, there’s a similar sense of isolation.

So, what does he ultimately want readers to gain from reading “Pigeon & Cat?”

“I want it to be like a unifying book, you know? Just to remind us all that we're all in this together,” Hemingway said.

Whether you’re a kid or an adult, you will find something to take away from “Pigeon & Cat.” That’s the beauty of picture books.

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Culture

USPS announces 'The Giving Tree' stamp. Do they know what they've unleashed?

Eric Alper/USPS/Facebook

People have WILDLY different opinions on "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein.

I was excited to read "The Giving Tree" to my children when they were little. I'd read the Shel Silverstein classic so many times as a kid and remembered loving it. In my memory, it was a poetic story of a tree that gave selflessly, never expecting anything in return, and of the undying love she had for a little boy who eventually turned into an old man.

"And the tree was happy." It was sweet, I thought.

Then I read the book again as an adult and noticed some things I hadn't as a child. While I had focused on the generosity of the tree as a child, this time the boy-who-becomes-a-man stood out. Wow, what a selfish jerk he was. And the tree, while admirably willing to give selflessly, seemed a little too giving. Martyrdom for an important cause is one thing; sacrificing everything you are for a guy who uses you over and over and takes without any thought to your needs or well-being is entirely another.

I soon found out I wasn't alone in feeling conflicted about the story. In fact, "conflicted" is an understatement compared to what some people feel about it. Some say that it's the worst story they've ever read. Even some die-hard Shel Silverstein fans hate it. Others will defend it to their last breath as their favorite book of all time.

Publicist Eric Alper shared the news that U.S. Postal Service will be issuing a "The Giving Tree" forever stamp later this year, and the comments show how wildly people's opinions differ on this book.

Alper didn't share any commentary with the news. He just wrote, "The U.S. Postal Service will release a stamp to honor Shel Silverstein and his 'The Giving Tree' book in 2022."

But with the way people responded, you'd think he'd said, "Puppies are ugly and Paul Rudd is the devil."

People flooded the comments with their thoughts on the book, with many unleashing their fury over the book's premise:

"Ugh- this book keeps coming up! It’s a great representation of a manipulative, one-sided, narcissistic relationship. I can’t stand it."

"Nooooo! Not that! Anything but that! It's awful! A poor example! Bleah! Shel had so many great books. This is the only one I hate! I disagree with the modeling here. Very unhealthy! So sad."

"Hate that book. Teaches children how to not have boundaries. Love everything else by Uncle Shelby."

"Are you kidding me?!?! Let’s make a stamp celebrating how to be so selfish and keep taking until there’s nothing left to take. This was literally the worst children’s story ever written!!!!"

Others gave a bit less vehement responses, explaining exactly what their negative experiences with the book were:

"I picked this book up one day and started reading it to my kids, not knowing what I was getting into. And I found myself saying 'This boy is terrible!', after every page. And I looked at my kids and I said 'I love you, and I am so grateful for you, but you are going to grow up and take care of yourselves and you are not getting all my leaves.'"

"I do not understand why people love this book. On one side of the relationship there’s a someone who takes and takes and is perfectly happy for the tree to give all of itself while giving absolutely nothing in return. On the other side there’s the tree who literally destroys itself and only finds self-worth in sacrifice. It’s sickening."

Lovers of the book spoke their minds as well, sharing their perspectives that the book is about unconditional love:

"I am so excited about this stamp. As a kindergarten teacher, I read to my class several times every year. We would all have tears in our eyes by the end of the book!"

"All you haters have missed the point. The tree represents the parents. They give all they have to give for their children's success, and are brought the greatest joy and pain watching them grow and leave them."

"I love this book so much. As soon as I became a mom I understood exactly what was going on here. I’d give every last ounce of me to make my kiddo happy."

"This book is about sacrifice, and how the tree embodies nothing but love for the little boy. My 'Giving Tree' was my daddy, not because of financial reasons, but for his unwavering love for me."

"Wow! The comments are heartbreaking. This book is about unconditional love. I guess that’s been cancelled."

Interestingly, some people shared that they love the book precisely because of the problematic relationship they see in it:

"I love this book because it teaches a person what happens if he/she remains in an unhealthy relationship. In the end, both are sad."

"Maybe I’m alone in this but I always read it as a cautionary tale. Be careful how much you take from someone, someday you’ll learn that you’ve taken too much."

"I don’t hate this book. It is a cautionary tale. Teach your child that taking, taking, taking all the time will destroy the giver. (and the taker will lose their friend) Teach your child that while giving is good, too much is not healthy. Teach your child boundaries!!"

"I kinda noticed as a child, the person was kinda greedy and only visited when he wanted to take. As an adult leaving a narcissistic marriage, boom! Whoa! Good book tho. I'd honestly use this book to teach about it and how it's nice to give, but have boundaries."

One thing is certain: The book still has us talking after 57 years.

Perhaps the mark of a brilliant book isn't in teaching a clear lesson but in getting people talking. Different people take different things from stories, and good literature prompts discussion over those perspectives. It's not as often that we get this kind of debate out of a seemingly simple children's book, but Shel Silverstein had a way of tapping into adult complexity while writing for children, and he's certainly done it with "The Giving Tree."

Good for USPS for honoring Silverstein and his work with a stamp—and good luck with the can of worms it opened by choosing to do it with this particular book.

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People can't get enough of this sweet story of Eric Carle responding to a lost cat sign

Lara B. Sharp/Facebook

Eric Carle may be best known for his beloved children's classic, "A Very Hungry Caterpillar," but he actually created more than 70 children's books in his 91 years of life. His unique paper collage illustration style makes his books distinctive and instantly recognizable. With his passing this week, the world has lost not only an artist but a simply lovely human being, according to a delightful viral story shared by writer Lara B. Sharp on Facebook.

Sharp wrote:

"Eric Carle, the incredible children's book author, has passed away...

Many years ago my chonky cat Julian — I called him The Shmoo — was let out of my apartment by an irresponsible and perhaps, in hindsight, diabolical landlord of my rent-stabilized apartment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I was absolutely devastated, of course, so I posted homemade fliers: Have You Seen My Cat? — with several of The Shmoo's photos, and offering a substantial reward, ALL over the neighborhood.

The SchmooLara B. Sharp

Shortly after my fliers were up I received a phone call from a very concerned man telling me that HE was going out to look for my cat. Every day, for five days, morning and night, this unknown man called me to ask after my lost cat, and every day he reported back to me about his own search... He was so unbelievably kind to me, while I sobbed into my landline telephone... I told him that I had no education, and no career, and no family, and a boyfriend who was all Boy, and No friend... The Shmoo, my rescued dumpster cat, was my Everything... I talked and talked and talked about myself, and he endlessly listened...

Eventually, my extremely overweight cat was returned to me from the kitchen of the Italian restaurant a block away. He spent the whole time there, eating ravioli and meatballs. Aside from being four pounds heavier and stinking of roasted garlic and stewed tomatoes, he was fine.

The SchmooLara B. Sharp

The first person I called with the great news was the nice man on the phone!

He was as happy as I was about the return of The Shmoo, and he asked if he could meet him... Normally I'd be like, 'Nah bro, you ain't gettin' my address', but this unknown, older gentleman was so kind and so supportive of me - like the dad that I'd never had - that I said I'd love to meet him, and have him meet my fat, beloved kitty...

When he arrived, because I knew he loved cats, and not much else about him, and because I wanted to express my gratitude, I gave him a huge stuffed cat from FAO Schwartz as a gift, and after he met The Shmoo, as he was leaving, he handed me a thin envelope...

Inside, was a beautiful book, called 'Have You Seen My Cat', and it was signed by the author, Eric Carle.

The sensitive, selfless person who listened to my sobbing, for days on end, called me twice a day, and physically searched all of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, for my chubby lost cat, was the famous children's book author Eric Carle.

The revelation was so stunning to me that terminal shyness set in, and I never phoned him again.

To be treated like a daughter, when I'd never had a father, and by such an important person, who cared so much about a kitty that I loved so dearly, meant more to me than I was able to express at that time...

All these years later, it still means just as much. Many years later, when The Shmoo eventually passed away, I had him cremated with an Eric Carle postcard of 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar'.

I've never told this story before, because it was so precious of an experience that I kept it to myself.

I'm sharing it today, because I have so much love for him, and I always will, and because I can't stop thinking of him. I will never, ever forget him.

For five whole days, I had the world's greatest dad.

'Have You Seen MY Eric Carle?'"

People are loving Sharp's story, as it gives us a glimpse into the private character of the man most of us only know through his kids' books. What a lovely tribute to an author who not only brought joy into the lives of millions of families with his books, but who also took the time to help a stranger who needed support.

Rest in peace, Mr. Carle. Thank you for making our world a bit brighter while you were here.

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