Illustration from The Very Hungry Caterpillar copyright © 1969 and 1987 by Eric Carle

The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art will hold its annual Carle Honor Awards Gala this Thursday, celebrating significant contributions to the picture book. For the past several years, I’ve asked the four Honor recipients a salient question about the current state of the medium. This year I’ve had this on my mind:

Considering the rise of book banning in recent times, can you re-stress the importance of picture books and letting children choose what they read by having unfettered access to all matter of literature?

Uri Shulevitz, Artist Honoree

If I had had books, I would have been the happiest kid alive. But I did not have any. Luckily, what I had was a mother, who told me stories, while we lived in Central Asia during World War II, which you can read about in my book, CHANCE. In those years of terrible hunger due to lack of food, I can say the stories gave me hope and saved my life. Banning books, stories, deprives children of spiritual sustenance.

We Need Diverse Books, Angel Honoree
Represented by Ellen Oh, Co-Founder, CEO & President

My daughter just graduated from college and is now a brand new 2nd grade teacher at a Title 1 school. The first thing we did was build up a library filled with diverse picture books. She was determined that every child that came to her classroom would be able to find a book that represented them. And she marveled at the extraordinary amount of diverse picture books we were able to find for her extremely diverse student body. We talked about how different it was from when she was little. Every day, she gets the pleasure of seeing a child grab a book from her library and hug it tightly, exclaiming “Look Ms. Oh, this book is like me!” As a reading teacher, she knows how challenging her job is, especially now. Fortunately, she is in a county that has not had any book banning or challenges. Her community of parents are supportive of all children and their right to read. I wish this were true for all children across the country but know the harm that is being caused in far too many areas of the country. Book bans are rarely about protecting the children from real harm. They are about controlling morality and power based on the prejudiced beliefs of a self-righteous minority. Which is why books with LGBT+ and BIPOC stories are overwhelmingly challenged and banned. Picture books are a fundamental building block of literacy. When marginalized children don’t see themselves in the books they read, it impacts their ability to read because visual literacy is so important for young readers. It impacts their self-worth when they don’t see themselves in the pages of a book. It impacts all children who don’t learn to recognize the importance of all diverse stories. Book bans harm all children. 

KidLitTV, Bridge Honoree
Represented by Julie Gribble, Founder

It’s crucial to emphasize the significance of visual literacy, the positive impact of seeing oneself reflected in the pictures of a book, and the long-term benefits of empowering children to select books that inspire empathy and independence. We can’t afford to underestimate targeted attempts to ban books with LGBTQ+ characters, characters of color, or themes of race and racism.

Here’s what I’d like to contribute to this conversation.

This is a political issue, yet many people refrain from discussing or following politics to prevent confrontation or conflict. However, it’s important to remember that politics will impact you regardless.

Let’s discuss the recent surge in book bans and the reasons behind it.

Sensing a changing demographic led fearlessly by an empathic younger generation who believe in equality, justice, and human rights, extremist right-wing groups are leading the effort to roll back the clock.

As a creator of books that instill kindness and fairness in young readers, you and your books pose a significant threat to an entire political movement. This is a testament to the power of children’s book creators. You’re a force that can shape the future. When these readers grow up, they become voters who are more inclined to challenge right-wing extremism. By limiting the literature available to children, extremist groups are attempting to
control the perspectives and values that young readers are exposed to, thereby influencing their future voting decisions. It’s no coincidence that book bans are often implemented by the same organizations that are restricting voting access.

So, as Michelle Obama says, “Do something.”

Here are a few resources to help us do something:

  • Vote!
  • From PEN America: 5 Ways to Fight Book Bans
  • Do you know when school board elections happen in your state? School boards
    play an important role in ensuring students in your schools have access to books, and often have the power to allow or prevent book bans.
  • Text “READ” to 26797 for more information from Let America Read and to register to vote.
  • RESOURCES to Help FIGHT Against BOOK BANS & CENSORSHIP!
  • The above post includes a link to this constructive initiative: We Are Stronger Than Censorship. At the center of this campaign is the pledge to distribute over 2,000 inclusive books to areas most affected by censorship, reinforcing the vital role that diverse voices play in promoting understanding and empathy within our communities.

Let’s be fearless in this fight. Speak up and take action.

The Horn Book Inc., Mentor Honoree
Represented by Elissa Gershowitz, Executive Editor

Picture books are usually the first encounters children have with books and reading, ideally setting them on a path to: engagement, enjoyment, escapism, entertainment; creativity, compassion, critical thinking; imagination, empathy, problem-solving, and more. In short: all the reasons readers love to read! The more diverse the books, the more diverse the readers, the greater chance a young person will feel seen and understood and will be open to the experiences of others (Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop’s classic “Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors” analogy). All young people deserve to find their books–the ones that speak to them and keep them turning pages. (Or they can put a book down–that’s fine too!) 

Many thanks to The 2024 Carle Honor recipients and The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art for inspiring creators and readers of all ages.

For more info about the museum and its mission, please visit CarleMuseum.org.