Skippyjon Jones

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]

Skippyjon Jones
Cover of the first book under Penguin Random House brand
AuthorJudith Byron Schachner
IllustratorJudith Byron Schachner
Cover artistSchachner
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
SeriesSkippyjon Jones series
GenreChildren's story, picture book
PublisherDutton Juvenile
Publication date
2003
Media typePrint (Paperback)

Summary

The 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

Skippyjon 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

Several 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

Reviews 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

Following 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

  1. "Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner: 9780142404034 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books". PenguinRandomhouse.com. Retrieved 2019-12-05.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. "American Library Association Names Top 11 Challenged Books of 2018 | Banned Books Week". Retrieved 2019-11-24.
  6. 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.
  7. 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}.
  8. 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.
  9. Nelson, Mike (November 2008). "Pathetic Offense". School Library Journal. 54: 12.
  10. 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)
  11. "Skippyjon Jones, Cirque De Olé". Kirkus Reviews. Vol. 80, no. 19. 1 October 2012. pp. 2269–2270. ProQuest 1080880014.
  12. "Skippyjon Jones Class Action". Kirkus Reviews. Vol. 79, no. 11. 1 June 2011. pp. 975–980. ProQuest 915741963.
  13. Association of Booksellers for Children Programs History of E.B. White Read Aloud Award
  14. Ladybug Award, Center for the Book, New Hampshire State Library
  15. Book Awards Archived 2007-04-07 at the Wayback Machine
  16. CCIRA: Colorado Children's Book Award Archived 2007-04-16 at the Wayback Machine
  17. Nationoal Education Association (2007). "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children". Retrieved August 22, 2012.
  18. Griswold, Jerry (11 May 2008). "I, Chihuahua". The New York Times.
  19. "'Skippyjon Jones' uses his imagination for Mexican adventure | TribLIVE.com". archive.triblive.com. Retrieved 2019-11-24.
  20. "Message of self-acceptance coming to Pittsburgh-area stages with 'Skippyjon Jones' | TribLIVE.com". archive.triblive.com. Retrieved 2019-11-24.
  21. Knight, Laurel (28 March 2016). "Imagination of 'Skippyjon Jones' impresses". The Slate.
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