GEN: Comparing "Disney" tales to classics.

["Joanne E. Ladewig" <shatz@LIGHTSIDE.COM>]

Netters:

Joan Kimball wrote:

"Howard Pyle's Merry Adventures of Robin Hood (though I found when I read
this to some fifth graders, they didn't care for Pyle's authentic drawings
of English outlaws in medieval garb ---- they preferred to think of Robin
Hood as a Disney fox! Oooo-la)"

Whenever a Disney movie based on a fairy or folk tale is released, or
re-released, I try to tie in with library displays of appropriate (and not
necessarily Disney) items. But more important (I think) is reading aloud
one or more versions (both old and new, if you have them) of the tales and
emphasizing to the children that the Disney version is just one way of
illustrating or characterizing the story. Quite a few children think that
the Disney versions are the "right" or only way the story is supposed to
be. I think it's a common tendency to lock on to the first version we're
exposed to as being the "right" one in our mind. In my case, I just can't
seem to accept Alice (from Alice in Wonderland) as being anything but
blond, and wearing a blue dress with a white pinafore!

I know I really opened some eyes (and minds!) when I shared Jan Brett's
"Beauty and the Beast," during story time, as well as a very old (one of
those over-sized editions that came in a series, circa 40's or 50's
copyright date) version which pictured the beast as a very evil, perhaps
even devilish, creature, rather than a wart-hoggish or lion-like character.
(That picture sure gave me the shivers!) But the kids got my point -
authors and illustrators can, and do use artistic license, and there is no
"right" or "wrong" way - it's a matter of personal interpretation and style.

I'm not anti-Disney, but I have, in the past, discouraged parents from
subscribing to the Disney book clubs in which most of the books feature
Mickey, Minnie, Donald, or Goofy (etc.) as the main characters in the
folk-or-fairy tale settings. There are so many gorgeous books that it seems
to me to be almost a crime to stick a familiar cartoon character in the
story! I know I'm opening myself up to flaming here from the Disney
die-hards, but this is my personal opinion.

So, to Joan and all the others who take the time to share the richness and
variety of children's illustrators with our cartoon-clamoring kids, I say,
HURRAY! WELL DONE!



Joanne Ladewig
Information Center Director
Fairgrove Academy
(a K-8 public school focusing on the Visual and Performing Arts, and
Technology)
La Puente, CA
jladewig@ns700-1.enet.hlpusd.k12.ca.us     (all lower case)
home email: shatz@lightside.com

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