We are so excited to have Amy Ellerman join us today to share information about Identity Picture Books!
Amy Ellerman is a writer and educator in Arvada, Colorado. She earned her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts in July 2022. Amy has a passion for writing across multiple forms and age groups (PB, MG, YA, poetry. . .), although if pressured to choose a favorite, it will always be first grade and picture books. She currently serves as Co-Assistant Regional Advisor for the Rocky Mountain Chapter of SCBWI. You can find Amy at her (shockingly neglected) blog (Running to School), on Instagram and Threads (@amyellerman12), and on Blue Sky (@amyellerman.bsky.social).
Growing up (and being alive at any age, really) is about figuring out who you are.
As a writer, I think about the kinds of books that make a reader sit up and say, “That’s me!” or perhaps, “That’s who I want to be!” The best identity picture books trust their characters—and their readers—to do the important work of navigating exploration of their own identities and who they want to be in the world.
Some books are affirmations and celebrations of identity, welcoming readers to share a sense of community and belonging. Two favorites that come to mind are I am Every Good Thing, written by Derrick Barnes and illustrated by Gordon C. James, and Black Gold, written by Laura Obuobi and illustrated by London Ladd. Both are lyrical texts, and they read like love songs to young readers. I am Every Good Thing opens:
“I am a nonstop ball of energy. Powerful and full of light. I am a go getter. A difference maker. A leader. I am every good thing that makes the world go round. You know, like gravity. Or the glow of moonbeams over a field of brand new snow. I am good to the core, like the center of a cinnamon roll. Yeah, that good.”
These are books that say: be proud of who you are; be proud of where you’re from; be a powerful force in the world! Black Gold closes with: “When they ask you where you’re from, tell them, ‘I am from a place that is rich, dark, and gives life. I was kissed by the sun, cradled by the moon, and wrapped in love. I am a child of the universe. I am Black Gold.’” We cannot have enough books like these that offer all children positive messages about who they are.
In other picture books, identity is explored through setting. Where are the spaces in the world that we belong? How does where we belong tell us something about who we are? In Frances in the Country, written by Liz Garton Scanlon and illustrated by Sean Qualls, Frances feels stifled in the crowded bustle of the city. A trip to the country gives her the opportunity to experience a proximity to nature that is more in sync with how it feels to be her. “In the country, ladders are for leaping and showers are for splashing and fields are crowded with creatures and cowbells and cud. In the country, Frances gets to go go go.” Bonus: this clarity and connection to her identity ultimately helps Frances to understand what makes her so uniquely herself back in her home in the city:
“Where city cats croon and city alleys echo and city streets beep and shine. Where city steps thump and city rooms ring and city lights climb and run and dance and zoom—a little like Frances!”
Place matters, and picture books that tap into the connection between setting and identity offer readers another way to think about the ways who they are can be influenced by where they are.
When the story arc of a picture book centers a character’s dissonance around identity, like with Frances in the Country, the main character (and the reader) have an opportunity to discover which identities fit, as well as how to reject identities that don’t. For example, in Molly’s Tuxedo, written by Vicki Johnson and illustrated by Gillian Reid, Molly is psyched about having her kindergarten photo taken. She is less than thrilled with the fussy dress her mom has picked out for her to wear. The physical discomfort of the dress mirrors the emotional discomfort Molly experiences when the reflection in the mirror does not represent who she is. A tuxedo is what fits her best—inside and out—and the way Molly solves her problem joyfully affirms for readers that their voices and choices are essential when it comes to the expression of identity.
Similarly, in Vashti Harrison’s Big, a young girl wrestles with an identity that somehow shifts from good to shameful as she grows.
“At dinner she ate all her food. ‘What a big girl you are!’ the adults would say. And it was good. She grew and learned and laughed and dreamed. And grew and grew and grew. And it was good. . . until it wasn’t.”
As the judgment of others overpowers her own sense of self, the girl learns to reject the identity forced upon her and instead define herself—claiming the traits core to who she is: imaginative, compassionate, gentle, smart, funny, sweet, creative, good, kind. This beautiful book raises important questions about the difference between identity and labels (and who decides).
Across these books, there is a common thread of the role of the main character (and reader) in claiming and expressing identity. In Lauren Castillo’s Just Like Millie, the main character experiences social anxiety. This fear prevents her from making connections with people in her new city. Her mother is loving and patient, seeing and accepting her for exactly who she is (and what she needs). When the family adopts an outgoing dog named Millie, the main character sees a quality she wishes to have, a way she longs to be in the world. This desire is not coming from exterior pressure but from an interior wish. Millie inspires the main character to act, to reach out and make a new friend, to grow into who she wants to be. Just Like Millie offers readers the opportunity to see identity as something dynamic rather than fixed. Books like this one remind readers of the agency they have to define and develop aspects of their own identities.
The best books about identity do all of these things: build readers up, invite readers in, make readers feel seen, and open readers’ eyes to new possibilities. It is a powerful thing to figure out who you are, and there are endless ways to explore identity through picture books!