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| Blood and bedtime stories | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| There's rarely room in children's books for scenes of slaughter and pictures of people being impaled, so why does one author want to change this? | There's rarely room in children's books for scenes of slaughter and pictures of people being impaled, so why does one author want to change this? |
| There have been many calls to protect the young from violent images, but it's not often the opposite case is argued, that there aren't enough aggressive pictures in children's books. | There have been many calls to protect the young from violent images, but it's not often the opposite case is argued, that there aren't enough aggressive pictures in children's books. |
| But award-winning children's author Ted Dewan is conscientiously putting scenes of mayhem and destruction into his latest book, not drawn by an adult but by the children themselves. | But award-winning children's author Ted Dewan is conscientiously putting scenes of mayhem and destruction into his latest book, not drawn by an adult but by the children themselves. |
| Children, particularly boys, often produce violent images in their drawings, he says. But when it comes to children's books, this becomes a taboo. They're often fluffy and fleecy, but there's rarely room in the children's section for the scenes of slaughter that many boys like to draw. | Children, particularly boys, often produce violent images in their drawings, he says. But when it comes to children's books, this becomes a taboo. They're often fluffy and fleecy, but there's rarely room in the children's section for the scenes of slaughter that many boys like to draw. |
| One True Bear is a moral tale about a bear and boy | One True Bear is a moral tale about a bear and boy |
| Mr Dewan wants children's literature to face up to this "hidden art" and to cast some light on the "type of pictures that don't get put up on the fridge". | Mr Dewan wants children's literature to face up to this "hidden art" and to cast some light on the "type of pictures that don't get put up on the fridge". |
| "I think that boys' exploration of violence is often confused with the commercial products that exploit their interest in violence and that makes parents nervous," he says. | "I think that boys' exploration of violence is often confused with the commercial products that exploit their interest in violence and that makes parents nervous," he says. |
| In the anxious, risk-averse, cotton-wool culture of modern parenting, a picture of machine gun massacres isn't going to look good on the wall. | In the anxious, risk-averse, cotton-wool culture of modern parenting, a picture of machine gun massacres isn't going to look good on the wall. |
| His book, One True Bear, is being claimed as the first picture book of its kind to include the "particular kind of drawing that boys do". Which he says parents of boys "know all about". | His book, One True Bear, is being claimed as the first picture book of its kind to include the "particular kind of drawing that boys do". Which he says parents of boys "know all about". |
| These primary school children's line drawings include battlefield scenes, planes dropping bombs, people shooting each other, tanks, someone impaled on a spike, buildings on fire and a clown with limbs pulled off. | These primary school children's line drawings include battlefield scenes, planes dropping bombs, people shooting each other, tanks, someone impaled on a spike, buildings on fire and a clown with limbs pulled off. |
| 'Double standards' | 'Double standards' |
| It's not some kind of Tarantino for toddlers. It's a moral tale of how a self-sacrificing teddy bear wins the affections of a violent boy. The bear's gruff generosity redeems the angry youngster. And almost all the illustrations are soothingly traditional, with these grittier images kept in the background. | It's not some kind of Tarantino for toddlers. It's a moral tale of how a self-sacrificing teddy bear wins the affections of a violent boy. The bear's gruff generosity redeems the angry youngster. And almost all the illustrations are soothingly traditional, with these grittier images kept in the background. |
| But should there be any place for these violent outpourings from children? Is it a bad influence? Should we be discouraging these pencil-drawn horror shows? | But should there be any place for these violent outpourings from children? Is it a bad influence? Should we be discouraging these pencil-drawn horror shows? |
| "These pictures are part of boyhood," says Mark Haddon, author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. | "These pictures are part of boyhood," says Mark Haddon, author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. |
| When children watch Peter Pan we don't expect them to jump out of the window Author Mark Haddon | When children watch Peter Pan we don't expect them to jump out of the window Author Mark Haddon |
| His own son is one of the children whose drawings are used in the book. He says as the father of boys, when it comes to boys' artistic self-expression, it's "Armageddon on paper". | His own son is one of the children whose drawings are used in the book. He says as the father of boys, when it comes to boys' artistic self-expression, it's "Armageddon on paper". |
| Among the children's drawings in Ted Dewan's book, he says his son particularly loved the picture of people being catapulted onto a giant cactus. | Among the children's drawings in Ted Dewan's book, he says his son particularly loved the picture of people being catapulted onto a giant cactus. |
| But he says children themselves make a clear distinction between such imaginary violence and real conflict and adults exaggerate the susceptibility of the young to be influenced. | But he says children themselves make a clear distinction between such imaginary violence and real conflict and adults exaggerate the susceptibility of the young to be influenced. |
| "When children watch Peter Pan we don't expect them to jump out of the window. We underestimate their ability to filter," he said. | "When children watch Peter Pan we don't expect them to jump out of the window. We underestimate their ability to filter," he said. |
| "We don't trust children to understand the difference between reality and play acting." | "We don't trust children to understand the difference between reality and play acting." |
| Pressures | Pressures |
| Mr Haddon is also scathing about how parents can have double standards about violent games. | Mr Haddon is also scathing about how parents can have double standards about violent games. |
| "We hate violence with a contemporary feel," he says. "There are Guardian-reading families who would hate to see their children with plastic machine guns, but they're quite happy to give them swords and shields. It's more heritage." | "We hate violence with a contemporary feel," he says. "There are Guardian-reading families who would hate to see their children with plastic machine guns, but they're quite happy to give them swords and shields. It's more heritage." |
| So where is the boundary between allowing children to express themselves and exposing them to unnecessary violence? | So where is the boundary between allowing children to express themselves and exposing them to unnecessary violence? |
| US-based psychologist Michael Thompson is the author of the best-selling book, Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys. It examines the contradictory pressures on boys and to help parents understand their behaviour. | US-based psychologist Michael Thompson is the author of the best-selling book, Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys. It examines the contradictory pressures on boys and to help parents understand their behaviour. |
| Ted Dewan says these pictures don't go up on the fridge | Ted Dewan says these pictures don't go up on the fridge |
| Dr Thompson's book hit a chord - and put him on the Oprah circuit - by expressing the anxieties parents felt around modern boyhood. | Dr Thompson's book hit a chord - and put him on the Oprah circuit - by expressing the anxieties parents felt around modern boyhood. |
| Why were boys doing so badly at school compared to girls? Is there anything wrong with boys being boisterous and physical? And if they keep drawing guns, does it mean they want to shoot someone? | Why were boys doing so badly at school compared to girls? Is there anything wrong with boys being boisterous and physical? And if they keep drawing guns, does it mean they want to shoot someone? |
| "What makes boys violent is being treated with violence, seeing their fathers commit violent acts, watching bigger boys commit violent acts in gangs," he says. | "What makes boys violent is being treated with violence, seeing their fathers commit violent acts, watching bigger boys commit violent acts in gangs," he says. |
| But he concludes there is a major distinction between such exposure to real violence and the imaginary violence that is a natural part of growing up, either in play or in drawings or stories. | But he concludes there is a major distinction between such exposure to real violence and the imaginary violence that is a natural part of growing up, either in play or in drawings or stories. |
| "Children, boys in particular, have been play acting at hunting, chasing, killing and dying since the beginning of human history," says Dr Thompson. | "Children, boys in particular, have been play acting at hunting, chasing, killing and dying since the beginning of human history," says Dr Thompson. |
| "There is no connection between writing violent stories and committing violence. If you write violent stories, you are not going to end up in jail, you are going to end up in Hollywood writing action movies." | "There is no connection between writing violent stories and committing violence. If you write violent stories, you are not going to end up in jail, you are going to end up in Hollywood writing action movies." |
| One True Bear, By Ted Dewan, published by Orchard Books. | One True Bear, By Ted Dewan, published by Orchard Books. |
| Add your comments on this story, using the form below. | Add your comments on this story, using the form below. |
| I think Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake beat him to the pip.S. Cruickshank, Glasgow | |
| Finally, someone who is talking sense. I have 3 boys and they love to draw war scenes and other fight scenes. This doesn't mean they want to act this out. They enjoy riding their bikes, building dens and getting dirty. They once came home covered head to toe in mud after making mud slides in the woods. They even climb trees too! All a totally normal part of growing up. They have not been exposed to violence as I don't smack them as punishment. I think it is far worse for boys to feel like they have suppress their feelings. Better to act it out on a page than keep it locked in your head. Wendy, Northamptonshire, UK | |
| My five-year-old son is forever imagining mass scenes of destruction. When we play pirates, cowboys and indians, or an array of different super heroes, violence is key and that's the thrill for him as he knows its just play when he's chopped my head off for the umpteenth time or impaled me with an arrow. It's no coincidence his favourite cartoon is Tom and Jerry. I look forward to One True Bear we will love it.Paul Price, Carmarthen Wales | |
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