But the Boys Are Still Bullies
A Typology of Supporting Characters in Queer-Themed Picture Books
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Abstract
Although queer picture books are growing in popularity, research on these texts still tends toward an overgeneralization of the field. This article takes a narrow focus on secondary characters in texts that center boys wearing dresses to see what reactions to boyhood gender nonconformity are supported in this subcategory of texts. Through close readings of various scenes throughout eight picture books, the article highlights gendered and aged patterns in these responses: women are supportive but distant, girls are close allies, men are absent or hesitant to support the boys, and other boys are generally bullies. The article concludes that while these texts are ostensibly queer because of their protagonists’ gender performances, they nevertheless fail to disrupt gender norms beyond the lives of their central characters.
Contributor Notes
James Smith is a master's candidate in teaching and children's literature at Simmons University in Boston, Massachusetts. Their research centers mostly on the representations of childhood gender and sexuality practices in children's literature. James has particular interest in the pedagogical uses of this literature in the K-12 classroom, as well as intercultural differences in representation of gender and sexuality. James's current research focuses on discourses of boyhood, girlhood, and parenthood in queer-themed picture books and the distribution of “diverse” texts in the Madrid public library system. Email: james.smith2@simmons.edu