Author: Sigurd Barrett
Illustratorr: Jeanette Brandt
Publisher: Politikens forlag
Year: 2011
☺The student’s conclusion: Gender is presented in a diversified manner
The book consists of individual stories that rhyme, and there is no extended story. This is a spelling book with rhymes for each letter in the alphabet. Both animals and people are the main characters. Examples of gendered codes in the text:
- The two apes are clearly of different genders. The female ape is subordinate to the male ape.
- A clearly Victorian feminine woman.
- Male bandits – drinking bitter.
- The woman is the hero – completely against the norm.
- Sensual girl/woman seduces boy – whereupon she cheats on him. Is that normative? Their manifestation is typically gendered, but there may be doubt about their interaction and what they do.
- Dancing girls – also presented as feminine – and a dancing boy, but lazy.
- A female and elegant elephant – associating something feminine with an animal most often thought of as a mastodon and who even plays an electric guitar.
- When animals are assigned a gender, a minor thing such as a flower in the hair or long eyelashes may be enough to signify gender, as well as a name.
- Queeny Qvist – both appearance and name suggest a normative woman, but she also has many masculine codes.
In most instances gender appears traditional/normative in the illustrations and language. Men and women can be recognized by their dress, hair and attributes, but they do not always have stereotypical roles, as both men and women have active roles.
Student of early childhood education at University College Sjælland
