Friday, September 25, 2009
Oliver Button is a Sissy
Oliver Button is a Sissy, written and illustrated by Tomie dePaola, is a story about gender identity and being different. This book might upset some parents, because it does portray a boy who likes to tap dance and be artistic, but the message of this book is just something that kids will have to learn, that everyone is different. A lot like the character Joe from James Howe's The Misfits, Oliver Button is a male role model that shows how the male gender identity can be interpreted in different ways. I love how brave and strong the character Oliver is, it models how even though he doesn't like to do "boy things", he still has the strength and stamina to be himself, a lesson all kids can benefit from hearing.
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I think this post is very good. I haven't read the book but I've heard a lot about it. I liked how you made connections to the Misfits and how you think Joe is a similar character. How did you feel about the book? Would you read it to your class? Why or why not?
ReplyDeleteI would certainly read this book in a classroom. It shows how gender identity is not limited to one idea of what it means to be male, and presses the idea of tolerance to those who are different than you. I think it could help boys like Oliver to be open about passions they may have for things not necessarily deemed as "masculine".
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