Gender Roles in Children’s Picture Books – The Little Bookroom This image is from a London department store in 2013. First of all let me just say: this subject is a minefield. People can get very fired-up about gender roles, especially if it involves their children. Otherwise intelligent people can collapse into confusion, wracked with indecision over the simple question of what colour wrapping paper they would like. Grown men have actually asked me to wait while they call their wives to check, because they are so afraid of making some kind of inadvertent political statement and bringing shame upon their entire family at a two year old’s birthday party. There are more theories about gender roles than I could possibly cover in this blog post. It seems that most parents are more accepting of traditional gender roles when it comes to boys than girls. So when it comes to choosing books that won’t push traditional gender roles onto children what am I looking for? Here are some books that have the kind have positive gender representations that I look for:
Community Club Home Community Club Firefighter Level A, Community Club What happens when the fire alarm rings? Early readers will follow along with images and audio as a firefighter races to work. Librarian Librarians love to read, too, as early learners will find out in this read-along book about life at the library. Mayor What's it like to be a mayor? Pediatrician Listen and read along as a pediatrician describes how she takes care of children in this interactive book for early learners. Pizza Maker Dough, sauce, and cheese combine to make a delicious pizza pie in this fun early-learner read-aloud about being a pizza maker. Police Officer A police officer's most important duty is keeping people safe, as early readers will learn through the words, images, and audio in this interactive book. Utility Worker Follow along with images and sounds as a utility worker climbs down into manholes and up high on electric poles in this exciting read-aloud book. Veterinarian Animals Animal Moves Level A, Animals Level B, Animals