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A3a) I’d say the PROS of animal characters are the scope for humour and that they often draw on archetypes and so are instantly relatable. For example, foxes are sly, bears live in caves, mice are small and eat cheese. #ukpbchat @ukpbchat
A3b) When creating a picture book character these are useful because they can help a character feel familiar to a child. Young children can open a book and quickly get a sense of the story. #ukpbchat @ukpbchat
A3c) Animal characters can also create distance between a child reader and the subject matter, which is important for some topics. I don’t think Oh No Bobo by @DonnaMDavid vid and laura watkins would have worked nearly as well had the characters been human. #ukpbchat @ukpbchat
A3d) In @isabelthomas new book, children learn what happens to our bodies when we die, prompting all kinds of conversations about life issues. #ukpbchat @ukpbchat
A3e)In the frost-covered forest of early spring, fox is on a mission to find food for her three http://cubs.One day,fox dies. Her body goes back toearth&grass&air,nourishing the world around her &bringing the forest to life. Death is not just an end, it's also a beginning
A3f) This feels less hard-hitting than it would were the main character a human. Animal protagonists allowing picture books the freedom to tackle themes and issues that may be too confronting with human characters. #ukpbchat @ukpbchat
A3g) Another PRO is that everyone has the potential to see themselves in animal characters, whereas many kids might not often see themselves reflected in human characters. Of course this doesn’t mean they should replace diverse human characters. NOT AT ALL! #ukpbchat @ukpbchat
A3 h)We desperately need more diverse human characters in children’s stories and the industry appears to be slowly moving towards representing and celebrating a wider range of backgrounds. There's more to be done, but a positive of animal characters is that they are inclusive
A3 i)As far as CONS go, it can be hard to be original if you’re using archetypes. The market is flooded with books about sly foxes, big bears, hungry wolves, vulnerable mice etc. However, there’s something exciting about subverting archetypes and turning stereotypes on their head
A3 j) Note: It might be worth bearing in mind that there could be a very good reason why some animals do not feature highly as picture book characters! For example, pigs and hedgehogs might not have the global appeal publishers are looking for.) #ukpbchat @ukpbchat
A3It’s also worth bearing in mind the tastes of various publishers when it comes to anthromorphic animals.Some don’t like to mix talking animals and talking humans – although this does often depend on the set up. In a similar vein, some are less keen on animals in human clothes.
A3 l) I’ve written picture books where the animals speak and wear clothes, and some where they do not. I have some where humans and animals talk to each other, and some where no one talks. There really is a huge range. #ukpbchat @ukpbchatA3
A3 m) It would be worth researching the kinds of books a publisher has on their list to see where they sit on the anthropomorphic scale. And do bear (Ha!) in mind that it can vary depending on what type of picture book you’re writing. #ukpbchat @ukpbchat
A3 n) Non-fiction picture books might suit a more biologically accurate set up and style of illustration. Having said that Lenny is a walking talking Lemur on holiday! (Although @NicolaOByrne1 spent hours on the art. It’s detailed &scientifically authentic) #ukpbchat @ukpbchat
A3 o) It’s also worth checking that your animal characters aren’t always masculine. Historically, animals have often been cast as males in stories. Which sexes do your characters identify with?Are animal main characters more or less likely to be male?
A3 p) These are published (or soon to be) titles. I’d hope that in my desktop files there are more books with female, animal protagonists. @michellerobinson and @DebbieAllright have created a great example of how to switch up stereotypes in She Rex – out today! #ukpbchat
A3 q) Also @RashmiWriting and @DianeEwen ‘s Never Show a T-Rex a Book stars a female dinosaurs! #ukpbchat @ukpbchat
A3 r) Interestingly I purposely made Dot androgynous in the How Series, but when it came to translations I was asked to decide one way or the other because the verbs are different for males vs females.
