Once upon a time: children’s literature and the culture wars

Free from rules of credibility or realism, children’s literature is supposed to be an exciting, liberating world. For small children, the prevalence of rhythm, rhyme and beautiful illustrations is all important, while storyline and characters grow in importance alongside the child.

But instead of debating what might be engaging enough to keep children sitting still long enough, today’s debates about children’s literature seem to centre on political content. Bath’s Children’s Literature Festival is the latest organisation to become embroiled in cultural controversy, after being accused of offering a lack of diverse authors. Bans on authors and books are becoming the norm, from LGBTQ authors complaining of being cancelled from religious schools to librarians being told to remove texts that are now deemed to contain racially sensitive or age-inappropriate material.

Elsewhere, so-called ‘woke’ adaptations of children’s classics, from Road Dahl’s many texts to PL Travers’ Mary Poppins and Michael Bond’s Paddington, have sparked debate over whether original texts should be changed to suit modern sensibilities. Alongside a drive to ‘update’ the classics, there is a conspicuous attempt to create a whole suite of contemporary books which foreground fashionable causes like ‘inclusivity’, gender, the environment and refugees. Faced with a deluge of politicised literature, many parents are returning to the classics – Maurice Sendak, Lewis Carrol, Beatrix Potter and others.

Is new children’s literature able to break through the culture wars? Authors like Jon Klassen, who focus on stripped-back and absurd storylines, seem to be popular with parents who simply want fantastical, fun stories to tell their children. On the other hand, authors like JK Rowling – who has suffered great political controversy among adults – remain as popular as ever with young readers. What makes for a good children’s book? Should politics stay out of bedtime stories? And are the literature culture wars blinding us to the talent that’s out there?