Which books should be promoted and reviewed?

I am so dismayed by all the promotion of books written by celebrities (I do know this is not a new practice) by publishers, chain stores, morning television chat shows and now children's book reviewers. This is difficult post to write (it is my third on this topic #1 #2) because I do not want to promote or even name the two books I am going to discuss here. If you want to discover them one appears as a colour advertisement on the back cover of our Australian children's book review journal Magpies (November, 2024). That issue also has a review. This same title was also shared on The Bottom Shelf (November 2024). The second title is featured on the website Kids' Book Review (November 2024). The Facebook group Your Kids Next Read have also offered this book as a giveaway prize. 

It is my policy with momotimetoread not to share books that do not appeal to me, but this issue of celebrity picture books is so important. I have found myself shaking my head in despair so many times over the last few weeks and then I saw these two books. In my view neither is a quality book and I would not add these two books to my library or personal shelves let alone share them with a child. I do need to say though, that writing and researching this blog post has also reinforced for me that we all read books differently. While most of the reviews of these two books do not express an opinion (good or bad) one reviewer deeply related to the themes of Book Two and she explains why she enjoyed it. It is good that we see and experience our world in different ways. 

Another concern I have relating to this topic is the issue of 'freedom of speech'. I will just pose a few questions. Should reviewers worry about 'biting the hand that feeds them'? Many reviewers and reviewing journals are sent books by publishers. Is it okay to post a negative review? Or is it better to set these books aside and not offer a review? And for print publications there is also the issue of paid advertising which is why Book Two has a full-page advertisement on the back cover of our wonderful Magpies Magazine. 

Book One

Celebrity author - Comedian and television personality, this is not his first children's book and he has adult titles too.

Plot: A glacier takes a journey. Why? Because he is bored? Where does he go? Away from his icy mountain home to the tropical coast. How does he travel? Using various forms of transport across different landscapes. Predictable outcome? Yes, he melts.

Themes: journeys, destinations, transport, Australia, leaving home, impatience

Better choices:

To Greenland

Bear's Adventure

Ivanhoe Swift left home at Six

Once upon a small Rhinoceros

Book Two

Celebrity author: AFL Football player and television media personality

Plot: A lonely boy wishes for a friend. A girl comes to rescue him. The boy has magical talents and so he is able to help the village where the girl lives and save them all from a dragon. His 'heroic' deed means others accept his difference and appreciate his talents and he gains a set of friends.

Themes: Shyness, self-acceptance, talents, friendship, belonging, identity, magic, wizards, dragons 
(there are also teachers notes for this book on the publisher page).

Better Choices:

The Boy, the Troll and the Chalk

Knight Owl

Benjamin and the Lonely Dragon

The Friendship Bench

Book One is not about glaciers or global warming but I did find these better books on those two topics:

Here is the Kirkus review

Here is the Kirkus review

Here are three final quotes from Besty Bird and her book Wild Things.

"If we sound cranky, it's because it often seems that what lies behind your typical celebrity book is an inherent level of disrespect for the craft of children's literature."

"Certainly during challenging economic times, publishers feel great pressure to sell blockbusters, drawing attention away from lesser-known authors and illustrators. There's no doubt that publishing is driven by sales, and just the right celebrity book can bring in the big bucks."

"... it's the poor tots of this world who not only have to read the often patronizing, flat prose offered by most celebrity authors, ... (but luckily) children are unrelenting critics, and they do not care about the number of movies or television shows in which someone has starred. ... They just want to read a good book."

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 ...)

The Fairy Tale Fan Club by Richard Ayoade illustrated by David Roberts

 

Fairy tales tell of adventure, adversity, courage, and love. But once the tale is told, all we know of our heroes and heroines is that they lived Happily Ever After. But surely there must be more to it than that? Ever After is a long time to be Merely Happy. What are our heroes and heroines doing now? How do they feel about the fantastic events that they encountered? What lessons have they learned? And if they could go back in time, would they do the same things again? Does life seem boring now in comparison, or are they relieved they no longer have to keep their eyes peeled for poisonous apples, fearsome dragons, uncomfortable peas, etc.? For the past few years, the curious among you have been asking these questions and sending them to me, C.C. Cecily, the Senior Secretary of the Fairy Tale Fan Club. I then pass on these communications to the Fairy Folk concerned and await their replies, which I then forward back to the relevant parties. If necessary, I add my own comments and clarifications. - from the introduction by C.C Cecily.

The fairy tales featured in this book are: Little Red Riding Hood; The Emperor's New Clothes; The Princess and the Pea; The Frog Prince; Rapunzel; Rumpelstiltskin; The Little Mermaid; Cinderella; Hansel and Gretel; Jack the Beanstalk; and The elves and the Shoemaker. And there are stories/letters to characters that are not from fairy tales -  Humpty Dumpty (it's a nursery rhyme) and Pinocchio.

Older readers who dip into The Fairy Tale Fan club will probably need to revisit some of the fairy tales especially The Little Mermaid. And they may find some of the vocabulary quite challenging: esteem, solemnizes, sham, gist, propulsive, prowess, and perplexed.

Why did I buy this book? Well, it was bound to happen sometime - I accidentally bought a 'celebrity' book! In fairness to myself this guy is a UK celebrity (not Australian) and there is no indication of his celeb status in the bio notes at the back of this book. Also, in fairness to myself, this book has had some very positive reviews which is how it came to my attention. 

Actor/comedian Ayoade presents a tongue-in-cheek collection of purported letters to and from well-known fairy-tale characters from Western tradition. ... Happily ever after, mortal reader!  Kirkus Star review

At the heart of The Fairy Tale Fan Club is a delightful exploration of friendship and community. As the characters come together to celebrate their love for fairy tales, the story highlights the importance of finding your tribe and sharing passions with others. It’s a heart-warming reminder that connection and collaboration can lead to the most magical adventures! Better Reading

And finally, I do like illustrations by David Roberts such as The Dunderheads and this series by Andrea Beaty.  Oh, and this book was a little cheaper at Gleebooks who generously offered participants at a recent event a 20% discount. 

You will notice I have not given this book any stars. I found it hugely disappointing. I love the idea of what happened after the 'they all lived happily ever after' ending of all classic fairy tales and I also love books that are fractured fairy tales or that innovate on well-known fairy tale stories. Here is my Pinterest. But this book feels as though it is trying too hard and somehow it just didn't work for me.  All this means I won't add this book to my own bookshelves instead I will add it to my book gift box of titles I am taking to a local teacher-librarian network meeting. 

I heartily agree with the comments from this Good Reads reviewer: My main struggle with this book was that I found the intended audience really confusing. The letters are witty - dry wit, oftentimes - as you’d expect from an accomplished comedian like this and much better suited to adult readers (still accessible to a more mature older child perhaps). However, there are also parts which reference a parent might be reading this book to their child, i.e. a much younger child, and the illustrations are certainly geared towards a younger reader too. Equally the very short length and large illustrative component is suggestive of younger readers, so I’m a bit lost as to who this book might be best intended for. 

I had a long discussion recently with a colleague in the Book Bunker library at Westmead children's hospital about celebrity books and about the way so many of them seem to have to mention farts or farting. I think we found over twenty in our small library collection. AND so yes, I am sad to report that The Fairy Tale Fan Club meets these criteria too. At times the humour in this book feels too adult to be included in a children's book. You can read a text extract here. Read this review from Red Reading Hub which begins This is essentially a satirical collection of letters supposedly written to or from well-known fairy tale characters, each with an introduction by the supposed narrator—C.C. Cecily, the Senior Secretary of the Fairy Tale Fan Club. That word SATIRICAL feels like an adult label to me. 

There are two covers above. I prefer the top one but copies of this book here in Australia have the second cover. 

Other (better) fairy tale continuation stories for younger readers:

Who is Richard Ayoade. His photo might seem familiar. You can hear him (and others) reading an audio sample of his book here: