NEW YORK TIMES Has Been Paying Attention, Changes its Tune About Picture Books

 A recent opinion piece in the NEW YORK TIMES is titled: 

YOUR KIDS AREN'T TOO OLD FOR PICTURE BOOKS-- and NEITHER ARE YOU!

it's not a good look to be an  "I-told-you-so" or "know-it-all", but what the heck, I'll go for it! I've been paraphrasing that NYT headline for decades as I work with kids of all ages, sharing picture books with eager audiences for many purposes. In addition to educational settings, I give picture books as gifts for every age and every occasion. And I read picture books for the sheer joy of it.

My voice is by no means the only one singing the praises of and celebrating the variety, beauty, bounty, and brilliance of picture books. 

Nearly a decade ago, a quickly disparaged New York Times article trumpeted the presumed demise of the picture book, asserting that picture books would find diminishing space and commitment in the publishing world. The piece (and its author) were objects of protest and even derision immediately after that article hit the streets and screens. It triggered a massive outcry on then-emerging social media. 

That piece provided a nudge I needed to launch this blog about the power of picture books. (First post ever: HERE)

Before that post, I had contemplated taking my mission to explore and elevate picture books into the blog-o-sphere. For several years I had been faithfully reading blogs on this topic, many focused on reviews and interviews, some providing suggested uses for educational purposes, and others aimed at guiding writers to outstanding mentor text in various picture book formats and types. I was interested in all of those. I had been leading professional development workshops, sharing ways picture books serve and develop readers and learners at every age. Writing a blog on this topic might amplify my tiny, local voice just a few decibels more power. But I was afraid to try. It felt like too great a challenge. 

That original New York Times article  (HERE) was the challenge I couldn't ignore. Such a misguided position on the value of picture books lit a fire under my intentions and burned away any hesitation. I was obviously a blogging novice, which showed, especially in my earliest posts. Now I am many weeks into my tenth year of writing this blog, I've served as a Cybils panelist for years, I've added a Goodreads review profile (HERE) that includes ratings and reviews of many of the thousands of books I read, and I feature select reviews and interviews on my website blog, HERE.

In a very real sense, I should thank that original NYT post for providing the nudge I needed.

I've change, and so has the New York Times. A quick search (above) indicates that picture books feature in their arts and opinion pages quite often in the years since that early post. During many struggles of the past decade within the publishing industry, including a year of Covid19 issues, children's publishing has been a stable and growing business. The picture book segment of children's publishing has been among the strongest. 

Major changes have happened, especially consolidation and shuffling of personnel. But specialty imprints provide boutique and focused professional services that can expand audiences and creative voices while accessing the services-at-scale for marketing and distribution within their parent organizations. 

Even more importantly, social media and activism and persistent, amplified voices have increased power among groups who are standing up and speaking up to support inclusivity, globalism, and reflections of richly varied lives. (Find links to outstanding resources HERE.) 

The need for continued effort and outreach for under-represented voices and lived experiences is undeniable. Shelves now contain some newer, better, more engaging and amazing picture books than ever before, with all indicators suggesting that this is not a "trend" but a renaissance and transformation. Picture books are here to stay, and growing in every good way.

Perhaps the recent post is just a "sign of the TIMES". 

Remarkably, this 2018 chart shows doubling and tripling of under-represented creators and images in the past decade, yet so much more progress is needed.