Dodsworth in Rome!

I ordered "Dodsworth in Rome" from "What the Book," an English bookstore in Seoul, because I couldn't be deprived any longer. I laughed out loud at the previous Dodsworth books set in New York, Paris, and London. Ever since reading "Dodsworth in London," I had been eagerly anticipating the arrival of "Dodsworth in Rome." I couldn't wait to see what kind of mischief Dodsworth and his friend, the duck, would get into this time. The duck, as usual, comes close to ruining their vacation, but then, by some stroke of luck, everything turns out all right.

I seriously love everything about these books. The humor is adorable. The characters are endearing. The watercolor illustrations are done with subdued colors, like bluish greys, rusty reds, and muted greens, giving the book a warm appeal. The duck is glaringly white, which I think was a wise choice by author/illustratior Tim Egan, because it stands out on every page. Similar to loud and embarrassing tourists, the duck never fails to draw attention to himself.
"Dodsworth in Rome" ends with a subtle moral message about being honest and respectful. Combine moral and educational values with attractive illustrations and an entertaining story, and you've got "Dodsworth in Rome." Loved it!

Gender Bias in Children's Books

This is a fascinating article about the underrepresentation of central girl characters in children's books. In my experience with children, I've noticed girls are more willing to read about male or female characters, whereas boys usually just want to read about other boys. In an interview with Oprah, JK Rowling said she used her initials to hide her gender, because publishers said she might lose male readers if they knew she was a woman.
Like many people, I have mistaken gender-neutral animal characters as male. I always assumed Piggy in Mo Willems' Elephant and Piggy books was a boy.
According to this article, the number of female characters dropped the lowest in the 50's and 60's. I've never read a Nancy Drew book, but I've heard that these books, which have been around since 1930, were the most insulting to women in the 50s and 60s. I like to think sometimes that history progresses upward, but it doesn't. I want to build a clubhouse devoted to gender equality in children's books and hang a sign that reads "No gender bias allowed!"

Here are some great books with central female characters. Please let me know if I should add any others.

1.) Bread and Jam for Frances
2.) Pippi Longstocking
3.)Rapunzel's Revenge
4.) Girl, You're Amazing
5.) Franny K Stein
6.) Little Rat Makes Music
7.) Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters
8.) Matilda
9.) Alia's Mission
10.) Lily's Purple Plastic Purse
11.) Chrysanthemum
12.) Amelia and Eleanor Go For a Ride
13.) Together
14.) Mary Cassatt: Family Pictures
15.) Josephine's Dream
16.) Miss Rumphius
17.) Brownie Groundhog and the February Fox
18.) Our Only May Amelia
19.) Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians
20.) Maya Running
21.) Bink and Gollie

Mary Lou Retton

On my wall is my Mary Lou Retton poster I've had since I was a baby. I remember lying in bed when I was about three, looking at my poster and gliding my hand through the air, up and down, around in circles, pretending it was me at the Olympics. I could make anything into a  toy when I was little: a sponge, a popcorn kernel, a toilet paper tube, anything. The poster still hangs over my bed, but not facing me anymore. It's a little ripped and crinkled, but still, I find my Wheaties poster inspirational. I can still vividly see the picture of me at the Olympics in my young imagination. I would start on my feet, wearing the same patriotic leotard Mary Lou Retton wore, and then shoot up in the air. I would soar over the audience in circles and then come back down for a perfect landing. The audience would cheer wildy. I don't know how many times I imagined this scenerio, but I remember thinking it was a tangible goal in life. My dream was to fly around and be famous. And I would fall asleep smiling, a practice I wish I could continue more as an adult. 

I brought my Mary Lou Retton poster with me to South Korea, where I am teaching English for one year, as a reminder to keep imagining new scenerios that make me happy.