Comments on: The Case for Re-Illustration: William’s Doll by Charlotte Zolotow

By: Elizabeth Bird

Elizabeth Bird — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 03:39:52 +0000

Tempt me not, woman. You speak of fine frolicsome things that I can only dream of.

By: Sara O'Leary

Sara O'Leary — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 20:22:05 +0000

Hey, I was just having a conversation with Julie Morstad and she recommended I go look up Charlotte Zolotow … was trying to think of where I’d heard the name recently and of course it was here. Now I am thinking that a Julie Morstad illustrated edition of William’s Doll might be just what is needed!

By: Elizabeth Bird

Elizabeth Bird — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 18:38:37 +0000

True enough. Though I think the advantage of re-illustration is that you already have the book appearing on required reading lists. Plus there’s the name recognition with the librarian purchasers. But new books are, as you say, desperately needed as well.

By: Galen Longstreth

Galen Longstreth — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 18:55:35 +0000

Pham is a great choice for reillustrating this book. I adore Pham’s work. But I also love the original illustrations in William’s Doll. It seems to me that instead of re-illustrating a classic book on this subject, a book that already exists, let’s get authors and illustrators to make MORE books like this. We need more books that work against gender stereotypes, that work against heterosexism and homophobia, not just reillustrated ones.

By: Genevieve

Genevieve — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 16:39:13 +0000

LeUyen Pham is PERFECT. I can’t find any images on Google — if you see any, please post them!

By: Elizabeth Bird

Elizabeth Bird — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 01:18:54 +0000

Pham?! Pham did an abridged version?! This is what I get for not inspecting that William’s Doll more closely. Kristi, you know your stuff, woman.

By: Laura Wadley

Laura Wadley — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 23:51:39 +0000

How about James Thurber’s Many Moons? I like the non-Caldecott version better.

By: Kristi Hazelrigg

Kristi Hazelrigg — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 17:22:36 +0000

Hey! I just picked up the 2008 edition of Free to Be…You and Me, and it features an abridged version of Williams’s Doll–illustrated by LeUyen Pham! I KNEW it was a good idea!

By: Kristi Hazelrigg

Kristi Hazelrigg — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 14:41:31 +0000

I agree completely. I was part of the Free to Be…You and Me generation. I remember my 6th grade teacher reading us some of the stories in the book, including Williams’s Doll. (I’ve never seen that video before, by the way, and Alan Alda was rockin’ that tune.)

I appreciate the story of William’s Doll, but as an elementary librarian, I can tell you that Charlotte Zolotow’s books do not get checked out often, and I believe it’s because they have an old-fashioned look that does not appeal to the average child in my library. Re-illustrated, by someone like LeUyen Pham (I’m thinking Alvin Ho, here), I believe it would have much more appeal to kids. Sometimes you have to repackage a product for it to garner the appropriate attention, and I think you’re exactly right in saying that William deserves a second chance.

By: Kate Coombs

Kate Coombs — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 13:35:08 +0000

You’re absolutely right. (And it is a case by case question, usually answered by “Not necessary or wise.”)