Award-winning picture book's 'ugly themes' defended
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Award-winning picture book: Matt Ottley's Requiem For A Beast. (Hachette Children's Books)
Head of the Queensland Writers Centre has come to the defence of a picture book said to expose children to "crude language" and "ugly themes".
Requiem For A Beast, by Perth writer-illustrator Matt Ottley, was awarded Picture Book of the Year by the Children's Book Council of Australia earlier this month.
The annoucement sparked complaints about the level of violence depicted and the swearing in the text, which tells the story of a young stockman's confrontation with a huge bull. It also has themes about the Stolen Generations.
In an opinion piece for ABC News Online, chief executive of the QWC Kate Eltham says the book is grounded in reality.
"Detractors ask if we really want to read profanity and racist dialogue in our children's books? But this is an insidious question. What can the reasonable answer be except 'no'? ... But this of course masks the real issue. That ugliness exists. That racism, violence and ignorance are real. And books, especially fiction, are still the best vehicles for exploring confronting ideas," she said.
"Today's children can readily access demonstrations of violence and bigotry on YouTube, Xbox or hip-hop downloaded to their mobile phones. But in these media there is rarely interpretation or balance. There is rarely the support of a storyline to help children understand its context, or fully-realised characters to whom children can relate so they not only understand but empathise with the consequences of such behaviour.
"Fictional narratives do provide these things, and remain one of the most powerful instruments for showing us the truth of humanity, and of inhumanity."
In a statement on his website, Ottley said he was nonplussed by the criticsm of his book.
"The main complaint about the book relates to the occasional use of strong language. There is, in fact, only a minimal amount of strong language in Requiem For A Beast, and this is intended to reflect the language often used by Australian stockmen ... One only has to flick through the young adult books in bookstores to realise that the use of language in Requiem For A Beast is mild by comparison with many other works for older teens and adults," he said.
Ms Eltham says the book's cover art and blurb make clear it is intended for older children.
"I am disdainful of any parent's apathy in not taking 10 minutes to review a picture book's appropriateness for their own children," she said.
"Like other ways children access creative media - movies, television, music, games, internet - the onus is on parents to be engaged in what their children consume. No award sticker, or classification guideline for that matter, is a substitute for getting involved - and interested - in what your children play, watch and read."
Ottley said if a library, school or bookstore placed his book in an "inappropriate section, then that is a matter to be discussed with them."
