Appalachian Picture Books

“Librarians recognize that a young child’s response to a story is dependent on the degree to which that story is rooted in that child’s experience. Teachers know that children learn to read with far greater ease if their reading material deals with familiar surroundings and customs.” –  Judy Martin

When I first began working at the Loyal Jones Appalachian Center I was immediately drawn to Faber Library and its vast collection of Appalachian literature. As a picture book enthusiast I began to explore the shelves for picture books, but found only 6. I took it upon myself expand the Faber Library  picture book selection which led to a journey full sociological questions of surprising discoveries. I learned that while there are many picture books out there representing Appalachia, the majority seem to revert to the typical, rural stereotypes and fail to represent the rich variety of Appalachian experiences in this diverse region. I conducted a study on 48 Appalachian picture books looking for 4 different things: Who are the protagonists? Are there trends for stereotypes? Where are the authors from? Where are the illustrators from?  Here is what I discovered.

Through my research I found example after example of non-Appalachian illustrators reinforcing stereotypes, and I'm not the only one who has noticed this. Karen Roggencamp, conducted an excellent study of 3 books written by Cynthia Rylant, analyzing the illustrations from each book. She found, “A tension emerges between word and image, for the illustrations by Diane Goode and Stephen Gammell present external images that draw upon long-standing and problematic caricatures of Appalachia. The result is that while Rylant's prose directs attention away from stereotype, the illustrations serve to reinforce stereotype.” To read the full article please visit https://muse.jhu.edu/article/239641

Since picture books can play such a huge role in a how a child develops a sense of identity it is so important to avoid negative stereotypes, and represent Appalachia as accurately as possible. As George Ella Lyons, a distinguished Appalachian picture book author, said "If we do find characters who are supposed to be us in books and their depiction is demeaning and embarrassing, this reading only alienates us from ourselves. We are not those people, so if they are Appalachian we must not be. With this perception we are displaced, disinherited. Just like that."

Article Written by Heather Dent