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 😒

I do - it was AWFUL. I am very much of the view that parents and adults are as much of a target for grooming as the children. That was a great example.

It led to all sorts of proposals on social media that doing things like watching porn with your baby present was ok as they couldn’t understand what was going on. Busy blurring those lines.

It's amazing how many TRAs seem to be blind. .
Meanwhile the rest of us HAVE EYES.

Shocking I tell you.

The verbal gymnastics of people trying to justify images such as the one being discussed is baffling.

This is what I'm getting at. There was no need at all to include that image. No one benefits from it except people who want to see fetish gear in a children's book. No one would care (or even have known) if that illustration had never been published, except the man who conceived it and drew it.

So who benefits from having it published? The man who drew it. For whatever his reasons were.

Verbal gymnastics indeed.

And they can't read, either. You know, things like SC rulings and guidance.

Well no I don't agree with it being advertised as family friendly if there's nudity, butt plugs etc.

I guess I've only seen the London one which I guess might be more on the tamer side.

Can I clarify, the majority of people on here believe Harry Woodhouse should not be allowed to write or illustrate any book, event publicity, advertising etc aimed at children ever again?

I would be appreciated if you could answer my questions to you specifically, before I answer your general question to everyone this thread. Thanks.

Are you not supervising your (presumably young) children's Internet usage then? People go on Pride marches in bondage gear. Are your children shielded from celebrating or even witnessing Pride (which happens in most towns and cities)?

It’s easy to not go on a march. It’s not compulsory. Do you take young dc?

Exactly. It's all about normalising this stuff. So the child sees an image in a book and then isn't surprised when he sees a man in bondage gear walking down the road. It's all part of the campaign to "queer" society.

Wow MNHQ that was a pretty fast deletion for something that was a)absolutely factual and b)focused on safeguarding children. Really???

Yup, mention safeguarding and they delete it pronto.

That would be to do with being blind.

It does appear that, as he doesn’t understand or care what is appropriate or inappropriate to be included in a children’s book, that writing and illustrating children’s books might not be quite the right job for him.

There seems to be quite a market for cartoonish books aimed at adults and the tra reading age will be at the right level so I’m sure he will find his true niche.

Meanwhile, there are some brilliant children’s authors previously cancelled for wrongthink that I’m sure would appreciate a job opportunity and not give the editors conniptions by repeatedly trying to sneak in adult themes.

Win win.

Natch!

Just a quick thought - are you usually this bothered about young men being allowed to continue in employment relating to children when they have already demonstrated their lack of suitability and there are lots of great alternatives?

What if he did a book signing, would he need staff there to ensure he doesn’t say anything inappropriate to the children?

How many chances do you think he should be given? As I remember he wasn’t very happy at the criticism of his book and was quite angry, throwing around accusations of transphobia (correct me if my memory is incorrect on this). I think he needs to be able to express his art more fully in a different genre.

I wish I hadn't got into this. The thread is about Harry Woodgate being employed as illustrator for the Summer Reading Challenge not a rehash of a discussion of a specific book. But OK I'll respond to your interrogation.

Do you know any father who, knowing the illustrations that the book contained, would want to read it to, and explain it to, his three or four year old child? Because children see things, then they ask questions about things they don't understand. And, from my experience, good men will see things for what they are, and would be horrified at having to explain something like that illustration to their child. I've seen it in a male cousin, just newly a father, wanting to protect his baby from everything. I thought he was clueless. Turns out he was not. I think most decent men know exactly what's right or wrong when it comes to children.

I think it is the responsibility of parents to read books for under 5s before sharing them. If they don't think the content is appropriate they shouldn't share it. I don't know any fathers of young children at the moment. Obviously some may be happy with book as a whole and deal with that picture if asked in any number of age appropriate ways.
Now, do you know any father who would see that illustration and think that was appropriate for children?
If so, do you think that's right?

As I've said before it was ill judged

If not, then why are you excusing the man who imagined the image in the first place, then drew it, then submitted it for publication? For a children's book.
I am not excusing. It was ill judged but in the context of Pride it's accurate.
If he could do it again, do you think this man would continue to "imagine" and "draw" illustrations just like that one, for children's books?

He's an illustrator who has worked on other books. He's also written a couple of others. I see no reason to 'imagine' his mission is to introduce under 5s to S&M porn.

Would you be uncomfortable if he were allowed to keep doing so, and then did so?

His work should be judged by the same standards as other children's authors and illustrators.

How many of these kinds of illustrations would he need to draw before you decided you weren't comfortable with them?

Let me know when he produces something else like this. Meanwhile perhaps you should look at some of his other work, do you object to his art work for the Reading Challenge?

A few more illustrations from the book:

And another:

And a final one

Helps if I attach it:

Books containing fetish wear aimed at children is just very wrong. I don't care about feelings, inclusivity and being told I'm the problem. I know my own mind and this is a safeguarding failure. There should be a petition.. get it the f* out of children's libraries

Well that's a bit 'when did you stop hitting your wife'
Maybe check your facts if you think your memory may need correcting