To Read or Not to Eat: Anthropomorphism in Children’s Books

What is it about?

Anthropomorphic nonhuman animals are found in much children’s literature; their humanlike traits help teach young readers relevant life lessons (such as the value of sharing, listening, and being kind to others), while adding variety, humor, and emotional distance. Although the practice of including anthropomorphic animals in books for children is widespread, it is not without its problems and, arguably, normalizes the very same mechanisms that adult humans use to subjugate real animals and also contributes to children becoming meat-eaters. Bringing animal-studies insights to bear on children’s literature and development, this paper critiques the use of anthropomorphism by pointing out, among other things, that children receive conflicting messages from parents/guardians, teachers, and media: telling them to love and identify with animals, on the one hand, by developing attachments to stories and stuffed animals, and to eat their flesh, on the other. The paper first examines the debate about anthropomorphism in science and its application to childhood development; it then turns to the pros and cons of using humanlike animals in children’s books. Throughout, specific examples of books featuring animal characters, including alternative vegan children's literature, are given as illustrations.

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