Yes, children's books are becoming more didactic. Some general consensus among the few children librarians I have spoken with was that these books are not appealing to children. They want to read silly things like Dogman.
Martha Speaks is the most recently published book that I mentioned, and it came out in 1992! Makes me think that the heyday of the picture book has come and gone, but I haven't followed the genre closely (which is why I decided to leave this post open-ended so that readers more in the know could contribute their impressions). I know Mo Willems is very popular and I didn't get the impression his books were didactic (but even he started in the early aughts), and there are titles that do well like "They All Saw A Cat" that seem like they aren't hitting the kids over the head with a message.
Are you familiar with the Rotten Ralph books? The first one came out in 1976! I didn't realize it was so old. Very funny series.
Also, something like Harold and the Purple Crayon is just so well done.
I can remember the early 1980s...in the first grade at St. Francis de Sales elementary school. I was so excited when they handed out these little books with R2-D2 and C-3P0 on the cover! Opened it up....and C. Everett Koop (with the aforementioned droids) was telling us about the dangers of smoking. Diseased lungs. Yellow teeth. I remember resenting the bait and switch. Don't tease me with Star Wars if the lesson is about smoking.
I have a child who is board book age. At my local public library, the board books that are typically available on the shelf are really disappointing to me. Many of them are didactic, or else geared more towards the adult reading them than the actual child. Things like "computer coding a-z" or "story of the Obama's" or "abridged Pride and Prejudice." The really didactic ones are about things like anti-racism or consent. Occasionally there will be a board book about animals or trucks, something my toddler is really excited about, and we'll snatch it up. I think the good ones are always in circulation and all these other titles just sit on the shelf.
Our home library has some good newer titles. I enjoy the ones that have a sense of rhythm and rhyme. Some have lessons, e.g:
Pout Pout Fish (2008) - happiness and love
Giraffes Can't Dance (2012) - be yourself
Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site (2011) - hard work and rest
Noni the Pony (2010) - friendship
"Stories in rhyme" is my favorite subject classification!
But we still have a lot of the old time-tested ones. Very Hungry Caterpillar is always a big hit. Goodnight Moon, Brown Bear Brown Bear...etc.
Somewhat related, but one of my board book peeves is too much text. A board book by definition is for a baby/ toddler so should not have many words! Also, yes, the concepts should be simple, and it goes without saying that propaganda is a big no.
I do research on parent-child picture-book sharing :) I hadn't thought they were becoming more didactic. But there is a Social Justice genre of children's picture books which seems a little like indoctrination!
Yes, children's books are becoming more didactic. Some general consensus among the few children librarians I have spoken with was that these books are not appealing to children. They want to read silly things like Dogman.
Martha Speaks is the most recently published book that I mentioned, and it came out in 1992! Makes me think that the heyday of the picture book has come and gone, but I haven't followed the genre closely (which is why I decided to leave this post open-ended so that readers more in the know could contribute their impressions). I know Mo Willems is very popular and I didn't get the impression his books were didactic (but even he started in the early aughts), and there are titles that do well like "They All Saw A Cat" that seem like they aren't hitting the kids over the head with a message.
Are you familiar with the Rotten Ralph books? The first one came out in 1976! I didn't realize it was so old. Very funny series.
Also, something like Harold and the Purple Crayon is just so well done.
I can remember the early 1980s...in the first grade at St. Francis de Sales elementary school. I was so excited when they handed out these little books with R2-D2 and C-3P0 on the cover! Opened it up....and C. Everett Koop (with the aforementioned droids) was telling us about the dangers of smoking. Diseased lungs. Yellow teeth. I remember resenting the bait and switch. Don't tease me with Star Wars if the lesson is about smoking.
Star Wars is a good example-- I am sure there are a ton of life lessons in there, but it is so entertaining that kids don't even notice...
I have a child who is board book age. At my local public library, the board books that are typically available on the shelf are really disappointing to me. Many of them are didactic, or else geared more towards the adult reading them than the actual child. Things like "computer coding a-z" or "story of the Obama's" or "abridged Pride and Prejudice." The really didactic ones are about things like anti-racism or consent. Occasionally there will be a board book about animals or trucks, something my toddler is really excited about, and we'll snatch it up. I think the good ones are always in circulation and all these other titles just sit on the shelf.
Our home library has some good newer titles. I enjoy the ones that have a sense of rhythm and rhyme. Some have lessons, e.g:
Pout Pout Fish (2008) - happiness and love
Giraffes Can't Dance (2012) - be yourself
Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site (2011) - hard work and rest
Noni the Pony (2010) - friendship
"Stories in rhyme" is my favorite subject classification!
But we still have a lot of the old time-tested ones. Very Hungry Caterpillar is always a big hit. Goodnight Moon, Brown Bear Brown Bear...etc.
Somewhat related, but one of my board book peeves is too much text. A board book by definition is for a baby/ toddler so should not have many words! Also, yes, the concepts should be simple, and it goes without saying that propaganda is a big no.
Indeed, I did my masters on this very topic and found that conversation happens at a greater rate when sharing books with less text!
I do research on parent-child picture-book sharing :) I hadn't thought they were becoming more didactic. But there is a Social Justice genre of children's picture books which seems a little like indoctrination!