to believe that books for under 5's are, on the whole, girlcentric?

[mrsruffallo]

Have a look in the library. Almost every main charcter is a girl. I can name loads without even thinking about it; Olivia, Blue Kangaroo, Emily Brown....
Where are the role models for boys? b

[SpeedyGonzalez]

I've never had a problem finding books for my son (age 3). We've always read books above his age group, so it would include up to age 5.

And you say 'surely...trains are neither sex?' Oh-ho-ho-ho! Now there's a statement! Before I became a mother, I'd have said 'yes, they're for either sex'. Now that I have a son, I am sad to admit that trains ARE primarily a boys' obsession; the girls I know who enjoy trains are interested, but no more than other toys. I have so far only heard of one girl who is obsessed with trains, as opposed to about a million boys. DS simply wasn't interested in his dolls...>

[stealthsquiggle]

Oh - I thought of another one - the pencil - it's a lovely book.

[Francagoestohollywood]

I've never noticed this.
And honestly, Maisy Mouse has been a great role model for my ds!

[tortoiseonthehalfshell]

This link seems to argue that there are twice as many books with male characters as female.

And I'm sure I've read apologia for things like The Dangerous Book for Boys, which argues that since girls will read books with male characters, but boys won't read books with girls in, the default is boy. I can dig that up if anyone cares.

[dungarees]

[Fennel]

The trains in Thomas are boys, aren't they? The carriages are girls. I have feminist issues with this, passivity v agency, but luckily as mother of 3 girls we are a train and Thomas free zone.

Trains and cars just ARE boring aren't they? even for girls who aren't into girly things, like my dds, why on earth would you bother with trains?

[Phrenology]

Stuff and lazy nonsense

[KurriKurri]

Little Tim series -Edward Ardizzone. Or what about some of the Roald Dahl's - James and the Giant Peach. I don't think you are right about books being girl-centric MrsRuffalo, - but I am sensing a bee in your bonnet, so will agree to differ.

[MrsDinky]

There are a lot of female engines in the Thomas series now. This has never really occurred to me, DS and DD have liked the same books by and large, DS has always been fond of Maisy, Miffy and Peppa Pig books and although they are girls, I think their activities are pretty gender neutral.

[Clary]

Kipper is a boy surely.

As is Wibbly Pig.

LOL @ dungarees. Me too.

[RuthBlackett]

The Kipper books are great (some v simple for toddlers, others much more wordy for 3-5yo)- kipper and tiger and arnold all seem to be boys. (the Mick Inkpen ones... not the oxford reading tree!) Wibbly Pig also seems to be a boy.

All the Lynley Dodd books are about dogs and cats so unisex and there are a lot of them

Charlie Cook's Favourite Book
Each Peach Pear Plum
Peepo
Can't you sleep Little Bear

Dr Seuss- Cat in the Hat, Fox in Socks

There are thousands!

[Clary]

Oh x-posted there ruthB.

[RuthBlackett]

Heheh- x-posts clary

[ActuallyMyNamesMarina]

Why does it matter - children like stories. DD loved "Thomas" DS didn't. DD loves Harry Potter DS didn't.

Let children play and read with what they want/enjoy (I mean don't get hung up on gender specific toys/books rather than letting them riot with knives!!)

A good book is a good book

[ActuallyMyNamesMarina]

Why does it matter - children like stories. DD loved "Thomas" DS didn't. DD loves Harry Potter DS didn't.

Let children play and read with what they want/enjoy (I mean don't get hung up on gender specific toys/books rather than letting them riot with knives!!)

A good book is a good book

[TrowelAndError]

[Wears dungarees with pride]

[SpeedyGonzalez]

Fennel - you're wrong about trains. They're not at all boring. They're bloody stultifying. Thomas vids would make a good alternative to hospital use of general anaesthetic, though, so I suppose they do have their uses.

[Fennel]

I think we only have the old classic Thomas books, they don't have girl engines. Luckily, due to all round lack of interest, we never progressed to more recent Thomas. I'm quite prepared to believe they are as stultifying as the originals.

Topsy and Tim has (obviously) boy and girl protagonists.

[Firawla]

yabu
i have two boys and never found a problem getting books for them, never noticed any kind of girl-centric thing for them at all

[NorkilyChallenged]

Lockets, that's what I was going to say - Olivia is a pig.

[AppleTreeWick]

From my perspective (2 DD's) I believe YABU...but then that may just reflect my own searing rage at what I believe to be the lack of females per say and then females doing interesting things in childrens books. I have become quite strident on the subject not to say shrill.

It seems to me that the majority of fluffy animals/trains/bears/goblins etc are presented as males and whilst this may be grammatically correct it turns me into a rabid dog.

But...Jack Frost is a wonderful book (lovely pictures and fantastical beasts all male of course) so you might want to try that one.