Author/illustrator of 'Grandads Pride' chosen as artist for the Summer Reading Challenge

[RolledDahl]

Anyone here work in a Library?
For those of you who don't, you may know that every summer we promote the Summer Reading Challenge from the Reading Agency. It's a lovely way to encourage children to keep reading over the summer holidays.

This year the Reading Agency have chosen Harry Woodgate as the illustrator - he is the author of the controversial book Grandad's Pride, which included images of fetish wear...many of you may remember the concerns over some of his illustrations.

I shouldn't be surprised, knowing how captured the literary (& library) arena is in general, but it does seem to be a very deliberate decision.
And I'm not entirely convinced that his use of baby blue and pink as predominant background colours in the posters was completely accidental 😒

This Grandad?

Yes, that's the one.

Interesting choice for the Reading Agency, isn't it?

His bio unsurprisingly says he uses 'they/them' pronouns.

No agenda here, though.

Good grief!! Of ALL the authors they could have chosen. That is absolutely deliberate.

Even a tenth of the controversy around him should have ruled him out.

@RolledDahl I agree with you regarding the colours. Of course if you question this the TRAs will call you transphobic and also deny this was deliberate. Publishing is so captured and in thrall to the trans ideology. All of course wrapped up in the ‘be kind’ movement. We are at such a pivotal moment with this whole movement. Every bit of language is weaponised to affirm and be inclusive when it is the opposite.

I would be interested in seeing the brief for this, the pitch and any reading lists, especially off the back of the SEEN in Publishing report from last week. Great thread.

Sorry but I'm not seeing anything in those images (from the Summer Reading Challenge) which is controversial in any way. Even if the blue and pink sky is a deliberate choice, it would be a rare child indeed who a) looks up who drew the picture and b) made the connection to a trans flag.

There's a lot to take a stand on, but this isn't it for me.

It rings alarm bells because they have gone with someone who his contributed to the Granddad’ Pride book celebrating two men wearing fetish gear and aimed to very young children.

It is because kids are likely to see the drawings, google the artist and then be introduced to the lovely world of BDSM and Bondage and Queer and all the other lovely ways of indoctrinating kids.

This is not difficult. It used to be safeguarding 101.

Safeguarding children is not controversial. It is the responsibility of adults. As @Shedmistress said with bells on.

Do you really think kids are likely to Google the artist who does the summer reading challenge posters? Really? Because I think that's a massive reach. That's not safeguarding, it's paranoia.

I had to Google from but from a Google most of his stuff seems completely uncontroversial and it's significantly more likely that children are going to come across his name from a book on baking or sea life.

The images look fine.(Apart from the convenient use of baby blue and pink, which I am of course quite 😒 about, under the circumstances)

It's the choice of illustrator I am questioning.

They actively chose to use someone who had put inappropriate illustrations in a children's picture book. His book was not aimed at older children but kids 3+. The book was incredibly controversial because of this. Who thinks it is a good idea to put a children's book character in fetish wear?

To choose to use him as the official illustrator of the whole campaign seems ill judged to me.

Don't you think they could have chosen another illustrator who has never included sexual fetish wear in their children's book illustrations?
I mean, there must be loads, mustn't there?

People need to start using their eyes and engaging brains before introducing risks that do not need to be there, there is every possibility that the people that used this artist, used this artist BECAUSE of the links so BDSM, Bondage and Queer. There will be otherr links, you can guarantee it.

The question you need to be asking in situations like this is 'who benefits"? And also - another old style safeguarding question - 'what is the worst case scenario'.

All this thread has achieved is to make me want to read the book to my toddler! I'm sure all this stuff just goes over children's heads.

You actively WANT to read a book to your toddler that includes a picture of a man in fetish wear?
Interesting.

You want to read a book about grandad's fetish to your toddler?

Who benefits? Well if HW got paid for the illustrations then he does. I don't know what the remuneration is like however.

I'm not sure there's much point answering the second question because I suspect you and I have very different ideas of what a reasonable person would consider to be a potential worst case outcome here. Remember, one of the six principles of safeguarding is proportionality. Not extrapolation beyond the ridiculous.

Sorry but isn't that book about grandad being gay? Are you seriously saying being gay is a fetish?

BDSM is a fetish yes.

I’m seeing an old man in his Speedos, one of those crop tops that holds a heart rate monitor and movement tracker (rugby players wear them in training sometimes), his wellies and some leather accessories. All completely normal, everyday clothing items. No idea why people think any of it is bondage gear or fetish wear or inappropriate for a toddler book.
🙄

The book isn't about BDSM.

Surely you’re being deliberately obtuse now?

It is about indoctrinating kids that 'Grandads' in fetish gear is completely normal and nothing to be worried about. See its in a kids book.

It is far too hot here to keep tediously explaining how indoctrinating kids works.

Did you look at the picture from his book?

No one (absolutely NO ONE) has said being gay is a fetish.

However, wearing the kind of thing the character is wearing IS a sexual fetish - "The leather community is a worldwide subculture centered around the wearing of leather garments (such as jackets, chaps, and harnesses) and engagement in BDSM, kink, and fetish"

Does that make it clearer for you? Why do very small children need to see people wearing fetish gear? Do you think it's appropriate in a children's picture book?

Why did the illustrator decide it was appropriate? I genuinely would like to know the answers to these questions.

Is that really, truly what the book is about? Be honest now.

I have seen it. It was an inappropriate illustration.

It does not follow that the topic of the book is about fetish or that it is going to brainwash hordes of children.

The same is true for the posters for the summer reading challenge, which contain absolutely no inappropriate imagery.