Writing a picture book with an animal protagonist hasn’t exactly been a goal of mine, but I’ve certainly played around with it several times, for various story ideas. While playing, I spent some time wondering about when and why authors choose to put an animal in the starring role. In some books, the text is specific enough that it’s pretty clear the writer made the choice. But I’ve also heard writers talk–almost always in a good way–about getting art back and finding out the illustrator has drawn the main character as an animal.
This year, I finally ended up writing a story with an animal in the lead role. I started out with a human child, but–no matter what perspective I brought to the story–it felt like trying to fit the proverbial round peg into the square hole. I knew what I wanted the story to be about, but every time I tried to write it, I bumped up against all the assumptions, expectations, and baggage that come with being a human child in a human world. Then, in one of those moments we all live for, I saw the story with animals–animals that interact in nature for real and that brought their own comedy to the story. I’m still revising, but this is a manuscript I’ll keep working on until it’s ready. And every version carries the humor and heart that making this choice brought to the first draft.
I’ve added a new board to my Pinterest page, for picture books with animal protagonists. And I thought I’d talk about a few of my favorites here.
The Capybaras (written & illustrated by Alfredo Soderguit) is one of the most artistically and emotionally beautiful books I’ve ever read. It takes on the harsh reality of refugees fleeing from danger in their home countries and the cold, often cruel way they are received by people to whom they turn for safety and support. This is an incredibly important story, but also a BIG story with a LOT of layers to write for children. By choosing to “people” his book with capybaras and chickens, the author was able to take a complex idea and write a story that children can access, understand, and empathize with. (And remind us adults about what really matters.)
Margaret Chiu Greanias’ How this Book Got Red (illustrated by Melissa Iwai), accomplishes a similar result, but with a completely different approach. If you haven’t read Margaret’s book, she writes some of the best humor out there, and her comedy always opens a window for kids to recognize and explore challenges they already live with in their worlds. The top layer of plot shows a red panda being frustrated (and hurt) that all the panda books are about the other kind of panda, but the story layers in the big ideas of representation and self-esteem and being an ally. The book offers a smile or laugh on almost every page, but will also open important conversations between grownups and kids and–more importantly–between kids and kids.
The Bear Must Go On (written by Dev Petty, illustrated by Brandon Todd) puts a shy, self-conscious bear into a scary situation–one that shy, self-conscious kids have to deal with all the time. In the midst of ridiculously chaotic comedy, Bear is the only character in the story who would (very much) rather not get on stage. I believe there are emotions and stories that, when shown with human characters, can hit a bit too close to home for some children to be comfortable with. By making the protagonist a bear, Petty has given children the freedom to root for him, because they are experiencing just enough distance from their own anxiety and fear.
And then there are times when the main character has to do something a child can’t do–either because they would never have the opportunity or because they would get in trouble if they did. In Ryan T. Higgins’ Norman Didn’t Do It! (Yes, he did), Norman’s best friend, Mildred, is a tree. Norman gets so jealous when another tree comes between them that he completely removes that second tree from the equation. Triangles are hard. What child hasn’t wished that a third kid would just go away–that they could make the kid go away? But they pretty much don’t have the power to make this happen and, if they even try, some adult is going to find out. Watching a porcupine dig up a tree; take it far, far away; and then have to think about what they’ve done lets kids play with familiar problems and solutions–good and bad–without risk to themselves.
Becky Levine 