23. Oliver Button is a Sissy

Ok, so I know people don't really use the word 'sissy' anymore (there are many other choice terms that are now thrown around), but Tomie de Paola's 1979 book still has relevance today. In fact, you could almost image the story coming right out of a news report.


"In local news today, a young elementary school boy was bullied so consistently by classmates about his behavior that..." Well, you get the idea. No, nothing tragic happens to Oliver in this book. But he does experience what many boys and girls do when they try to step out of their strict gender roles-- feeling ostracized and disliked by members of his own gender...leaning on people of the opposite gender to support and understand him. 


Oliver loves all sorts of things that boys are not supposed to love: reading, drawing pictures, playing with paper dolls, dressing up, dancing. I'd like to think that more than 30 years after the publication of this book, we would be in a world where it would be more acceptable for little boys to do these things. Unfortunately, I don't think it is. If Oliver were here in 2011, his dad and other boys would probably still be calling him a sissy. 


But, as with most picture books, there is hope in the end. Oliver shines at what he does best and the others appreciate him...finally. A book about acceptance of differences and breaking down the walls of stereotypes. I had seen this book in the library so many times before, but never really took the time to open it up. It will now be on my read aloud list each year as I continue my focus on social justice education. 


Tomie de Paola's signature, almost folk art, style shines through in a simply illustrated tale with a limited palette of muted browns, grays, and blues. His pencil sketches give certain images texture, while his acrylic backgrounds take the reader from lighthearted to disheartened moods. Also, the use of vignettes move the story along as we see Oliver in action. Oliver's dancing creates a great sense of movement, action, and drama. The final illustration shows us how far Oliver has come...no longer enclosed in a rigid frame, he is enveloped in a circle of spotlight. His picture bleeds into the white border of the page. Oliver no longer needs to be contained in a square. People are proud of him and accept him for who he is...someone who never let rules about 'being a boy' hold him back. A great book overall with a powerful message for us all.