Modern Legacies

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While St. Nicholas Magazine ceased publication in 1940, several other children's periodicals have sprung up in its absence, including Highlights Magazine, which was established in 1946 and continues to thrive to this day, as well as many others. Most contemporary periodicals for children feature a mixture of educational stories and entertaining fiction, with little to none of the moralistic messaging so prominent in the 19th century. However, one segment of the children's publishing industry where moralism still thrives, albeit somewhat less prominently than more fun-forward, imaginative content, is in children's picture books. Given the wide variety of publishing houses today that produce picture books and an even wider variety in values and goals for the work they publish, a multitude of content can be found in children's literature today. Some feature explicit morals, some champion purely imaginative and nonsensical fun, and some live in the ambiguous space between these two worlds. 

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The Berenstain Bears and the Truth by Jan and Stan Berenstain; 1983; children's picture book

This popular book focuses on the familiar family of Papa Bear, Mama Bear, Sister Bear, and Brother Bear. Sister and Brother, against their parents' wishes, play soccer in the house while home alone, and accidentally break a lamp. Instead of admitting their mistake, they make up a series of tall tales about what actually happened, trying to avoid the blame, but ultimately discover that telling the truth provides moral relief. Criticized by some picture book scholars as overly sentimental and moralistic, this tale is prime example of the old-fashioned moralistic tale where mother knows best, sans any physical harm or danger befalling the children.

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The Stinky Cheese Man And Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka; 1992; children's picture book

This whimsical book is a distinctly non-moralistic tale, following the humorous and nonsensical antics of fairy-tale inspired characters, like a man made of stinky cheese who worries that the animals will try to chase and eat him, when in reality they are trying to flee from his horrible smell. The author, Jon Scieszka, himself stated in a 2018 interview with NPR that children don't need moralistic lessons in their picture books. He believes that children have ample opportunities to learn their alphabet, colors, and proper behavior in other domains of their lives. He offers pure, silly fun with his work.

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This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen; 2012; children's picture book

This beautifully illustrated book features a simple narrative with a darkly humorous twist, following the saga of a small fish who steals a larger fish's hat and eventually pays the ultimate price when the larger fish catches up to him and gobbles him up. Containing a subtly moralistic tone, the little fish attempts to rationalize his behavior in his verbal narration, and the viewer, who can relate to both the thief and the victim, is torn, unsure who to root for. This book is a great example of more modern moralism where the boundaries of "right" and "wrong" are fuzzy and defy definition.

Modern Legacies