Skippyjon Jones is a children's picture book series, written and illustrated by Judith Byron Schachner. The first book was published in 2003 by Dutton Juvenile.[1] The books are notable for their popularity amongst children, use of mock Spanish, and controversy over their representation of Latinos.[2]
 Cover of the first book under Penguin Random House brand | |
| Author | Judith Byron Schachner |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Judith Byron Schachner |
| Cover artist | Schachner |
| Language | English |
| Series | Skippyjon Jones series |
| Genre | Children's story, picture book |
| Publisher | Dutton Juvenile |
Publication date | 2003 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
Summary
editThe title character, Skippyjon Jones, is a Siamese cat with unusually large ears, an equally large head and an unusually small tail. Since he doesn't look like his mother and sisters, he pretends to be a Chihuahua, although he is aware he is a cat. He has a group of imaginary Chihuahua friends, Los Chimichangos. He lives with his mother Junebug, his three sisters Jezebel, Jillyboo, and Jujube. The stories follow Skippyjon Jones on his various adventures.
Books
editSkippyjon Jones is published under Penguin Random House within its Dutton Juvenile division.[1]
| Title | Publication Date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|
| Skippyjon Jones | September 15, 2003 | 9780525471349 |
| Skippyjon Jones in the Dog House | April 7, 2005 | 9780142407493 |
| Skippyjon Jones in Mummy Trouble | October 19, 2006 | 9780142412114 |
| Skippyjon Jones and the Big Bones | October 18, 2007 | 9780525478843 |
| Skippyjon Jones: Lost in Spice | September 22, 2009 | 9780525479659 |
| Skippyjon Jones: Presto-Change-O | September 21, 2010 | 9780525423584 |
| Skippyjon Jones: Class Action | July 12, 2011 | 9780525422280 |
| Skippyjon Jones: Cirque De Olé | October 16, 2012 | 9780803737822 |
| Skippyjon Jones: Snow What | October 21, 2014 | 9780803737891 |
| Skippyjon Jones: Up & Down | February 15, 2007 | 9780525478072 |
| Skippyjon Jones: Color Crazy | March 2, 2007 | 9780525477822 |
| Skippyjon Jones: Shape Up | January 24, 2008 | 9780525479574 |
| Skippyjon Jones: 1-2-3 | January 24, 2008 | 9780525479567 |
| Skippyjon Jones Takes a Dive | January 8, 2008 | 9780448450810 |
| Skippyjon Jones and the Treasure Hunt | May 1, 2008 | 9780448448176 |
| Skippyjon Jones: A Surprise for Mama | March 27, 2008 | 9780448448169 |
| Skippyjon Jones: ¡Ay Card-ramba! | September 4, 2008 | 9780448448190 |
| Skippyjon Jones: Up, Up, and Away! | January 8, 2009 | 9780448450827 |
| Skippyjon Jones: The Great Bean Caper | May 14, 2009 | 9780448451671 |
| Skippyjon Jones: Costume Crazee | August 20, 2009 | 9780448451688 |
Controversy
editSeveral reviews criticize Skippyjon Jones’ depiction of Latinos and use of mock Spanish.[3][4] Due to its stereotypes, the series is ranked 8 on the American Library Association's list of top challenged books for 2018.[5] Amy Senta, an early childhood professor, described a moment when a Latino child remarked he thought the book was mocking him.[6] Following this experience, she analyzed the books and summarized them as demeaning Mexicans through characterization, improper use of language, and the enforcement of a “white savior” modality.[6] Particularly, the Spanish used is oftentimes incorrect and can mislead non-Spanish speakers into believing a word is Spanish due to the addition of Spanish articles and endings.[7] Another analysis states Skippyjon Jones and his chihuahua friends are humanized and given traits symbolic of Latinos.[8] Through this depiction and anthropomorphization, the characters are seen as substitutes for "racial and ethnic identities," a representation invoking "tokenism."[8]
However, these critiques are criticized for advocating censorship of the books and projecting ideas of racism into a children’s series.[9] There is discussion regarding the roles of these books in children's literature due to their wide success.[10] This discourse focuses on their success commercially combined with the overarching criticisms of stereotyping.[10] Although, Schachner defends her writing and claims the books are intended for education.[10]
Reception
editReviews of the books are generally positive, highlighting the adventurous tales and descriptive language.[11][12] One review notes that readers searching for true depictions of Latinos are best served elsewhere.[12] In 2004, Skippyjon Jones won the first annual E. B. White Read Aloud Award, handed out by The Association of Booksellers for Children.[13] Also, Skippyjon Jones has won several local children's book awards, including the New Hampshire State Library's 2005 Ladybug Picture Book Award,[14] the 2005 Washington Children's Choice Picture Book Award,[15] and the 2006 Colorado Council International Reading Association (CCIRA) Colorado Children's Book Award for Picture Book.[16] Based on a 2007 online poll, the National Education Association listed Skippyjon Jones as one of its "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children".[17] A New York Times review said Skippyjon Jones is a fun, bilingual book similar to a Ulysses for kids.[18]
Theatre Production
editFollowing commercial success, Skippyjon Jones and Skippyjon Jones: Snow What were both adapted into musical productions. In 2011 and 2014, Theatreworks USA put on productions of Skippyjon Jones at the Pittsburgh International Children's Theater and various other locations in Pittsburgh.[19][20] The performances received good reviews, stating the show was enjoyable for all ages.[20][19] In 2016, the H. Ric Luhrs Performing Arts Center in Shippensburg, PA hosted a production of Skippyjon Jones: Snow What that was commended for its set design and performance.[21]
References
edit- ^ a b "Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner: 9780142404034 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books". PenguinRandomhouse.com. Retrieved 2019-12-05.
- ^ Griswold, Jerry (2008-05-11). "Skippyjon Jones and the Big Bones - Judy Schachner - Book Review". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-11-19.
- ^ Martínez-Roldan, Carmen (Spring 2013). "The Representation of Latinos and the Use of Spanish: A Critical Content Analysis of Skippyjon Jones". Journal of Children's Literature. 39: 5–14. ProQuest 1441673954.
- ^ Casillas, D. Ines (2014-05-05). "Speaking "Mexican" and the use of "Mock Spanish" in Children's Books (or Do Not Read Skippyjon Jones)". Sounding Out!. Retrieved 2019-11-26.
- ^ "American Library Association Names Top 11 Challenged Books of 2018 | Banned Books Week". Retrieved 2019-11-24.
- ^ a b Senta, Amy (2014). "Juan Skippy: A Critical Detournement of Skippyjon Jones". Detournement as Pedagogical Praxis. SensePublishers. pp. 55–78. doi:10.1007/978-94-6209-800-8_3. ISBN 978-94-6209-800-8.
- ^ Vasatka, Megan (1 January 2013). Patterns of Spanish-English Code-Switching in Children's Literature in the US: The Use of Español in Books Para Niños. All Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects (Thesis). ProQuest 1418032244}.
- ^ a b Wickham, Meredith E.; Sweeney, Miriam E. (2018). "Are We Still Transmitting Whiteness? A Case Study of a Southern, Rural Library's Youth Collections". Library Trends. 67 (1): 89–106. doi:10.1353/lib.2018.0027. hdl:2142/101938. S2CID 69438978.
- ^ Nelson, Mike (November 2008). "Pathetic Offense". School Library Journal. 54: 12.
- ^ a b c Critical content analysis of children's and young adult literature : reframing perspective. Johnson, Holly, 1956-, Mathis, Janelle,, Short, Kathy Gnagey. New York. 2017. ISBN 978-1-138-12008-2. OCLC 946031598.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: others (link)[page needed] - ^ "Skippyjon Jones, Cirque De Olé". Kirkus Reviews. Vol. 80, no. 19. 1 October 2012. pp. 2269–2270. ProQuest 1080880014.
- ^ a b "Skippyjon Jones Class Action". Kirkus Reviews. Vol. 79, no. 11. 1 June 2011. pp. 975–980. ProQuest 915741963.
- ^ Association of Booksellers for Children Programs History of E.B. White Read Aloud Award
- ^ Ladybug Award, Center for the Book, New Hampshire State Library
- ^ Book Awards Archived 2007-04-07 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ CCIRA: Colorado Children's Book Award Archived 2007-04-16 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Nationoal Education Association (2007). "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children". Retrieved August 22, 2012.
- ^ Griswold, Jerry (11 May 2008). "I, Chihuahua". The New York Times.
- ^ a b "'Skippyjon Jones' uses his imagination for Mexican adventure | TribLIVE.com". archive.triblive.com. Retrieved 2019-11-24.
- ^ a b "Message of self-acceptance coming to Pittsburgh-area stages with 'Skippyjon Jones' | TribLIVE.com". archive.triblive.com. Retrieved 2019-11-24.
- ^ Knight, Laurel (28 March 2016). "Imagination of 'Skippyjon Jones' impresses". The Slate.
External links
edit- Official Skippyjon Jones site
- The E. B. White Read Aloud Awards
- Galda, Lee (2013). "Learning From Children Reading Books: Transactional Theory and the Teaching" (PDF). Journal of Children's Literature. 39 (2): 5–13. S2CID 63752466. ProQuest 1657566061. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 May 2014.
