Please stop this!

 

All of these publishers produce fantastic books. 

I own lots of them and have talked about so many here on this blog 

BUT

My question is: How can we persuade them to stop the barrage of 

celebrity titles for our children?

I do feel somewhat qualified to enter this debate/discussion about the proliferation of books written by celebrities because every week I read a big pile of picture books and novels for middle grade readers. I call this field knowledge. I also follow authors and read about their struggles to get their work which they have spent months or years writing, published. The issue of celebrity books is not new or recent but lately it seems to have become quite out of control.

With all the justified controversy over the second children's book by chef Jamie Oliver, I took at closer look at the recent books that have been added to the hospital library where I work as a volunteer. You can see a photo of some of the celebrity authors at the bottom of this post - I have not put their book covers (I absolutely do not want to promote their books) and I have not put their names, but I imagine many of these faces will look familiar. 

This is my second post about this topic - the first was entitled 'Fairy Floss Books'.

My focus here is WHY are these books published. Authors (and illustrators) do not receive very much money for their books and even less when books are sold in chain stores like BigW or Target so I don't imagine celebrities do this 'for the money'. Most are surely already millionaires AND of course they don't do this for the 'fame'? They are already, well, famous. SO, can we lay some of the blame for the writing, commissioning, publishing and promotion at the door of the publisher? Yes, I think we can. And none of this is about the children. These BIG names are mostly intended to lure in the adults who buy books for children - parents, grandparents, other relatives and possibly (but I sincerely hope not) librarians and Teacher-Librarians. 

If a celebrity writes a book for children about their actual field of interest or expertise - a chef writes a cookery book or someone like Costa Georgiadis writes (he has done this) a gardening book aimed at young gardeners, I think that is okay. But I do not want to read a book about a lost glacier by a television personality or a book about a small puppy that saves the day written by a football player. And often these books are written in rhyme (badly) - this is the most complex form to get right. Our children should be given the best books not, as I said in my previous post, fairy floss books, which are all hype and no substance.

If you can find a copy or you subscribe to the Sun Herald or The Age (Melbourne), find the issue from November 17, 2024. I really appreciate the way the author of "Hey, celebrities, leave those kids alone" Thomas Mitchell is not afraid to name names such as Tom Trbojevic (footballer) and Tony Armstrong (media personality). 

"Writing for children is an art form, one that required discipline, creativity and skill, qualities honed through years of practice and crippling rejection."

"Unfortunately, the industry's fragility means the lure of a big name always intoxicates publishers. Attach a famous face, and publicity takes care of itself, providing a shortcut to morning show TV appearances ..."

"Ultimately, the most cynical part about this business is that it is not designed with children in mind."

I agree wholeheartedly. In my view the blame for this lies in the two camps - the celebrity themselves and sorry to say this, but also the publisher. 

I have collected a series of quotes that echo my dismay. 

Celebrities need to stop writing children’s books: they’re woefully underqualified. The Guardian

The celebrity children’s book trend is out of control ... Which has naturally frustrated non-famous authors who rely on their talent, rather than their name to sell books, particularly as trying to eke out a living as a writer is increasingly difficult.

Are celebrities ruining children's books? The week.com

"In many ways, children's books are the most important section of literature," said Philip Womack for The Spectator World. Studies have shown time and again that reading at a young age has an array of benefits from expanding vocabularies to improving cognitive skills; well-written children's books "lay down the groundwork for a happy, successful adulthood". But celebrities' efforts tend to be "formulaic" and "composed in haste".

Why Do So Many Celebs Write Children’s Books? The Cut

Why do so many celebrities write children’s books? It can’t be that they think to themselves, Gee, I’d like to write a book, and kids’ books seem short, simple, and easy. I’ll crank one out before dinnertime! The answer must be that since they have already attained global success in the realms of singing or acting or morning-show hosting or playing professional sports, they now feel ready to take on the biggest challenge known to mankind. Because writing a great children’s book is really, really hard ...

The frustrating rise of celebrities ‘writing’ children’s books. The Spectator

Remember: when you give a child a book by a celebrity, you are feeding their minds with advertising. When you buy a book by a celebrity, a children’s author, somewhere in the world, is forced to work as a seasonal turkey wrangler. Buy a book by a celebrity, and a fairy dies. ... In many ways, children’s books are the most important section of literature. Good children’s books lay down the groundwork for a happy, successful adulthood. Time and time again, studies show that children who read widely fare better, intellectually and socially, than those that don’t. ... There is a solution, and it’s not even that radical. Could the vast pools of money currently sustaining celebrity children’s books be funneled, instead, into decent advances for midlist authors and debut writers? Investment could go into supporting as wide and rich a range of voices as possible, so that people from across the social spectrum can have the opportunity to become serious, committed and innovative children’s authors.

Who are these men? 

Yes, they have all written a picture book (or two or three ...)