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knowloveserve
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| Posted: Nov 14 2013 at 8:53am | IP Logged
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I revisited the threads a while back about how parents deal with nudity in art. I'm having the same mental struggle with nudity in picture books. I am decidedly okay with the rear shot of St. Francis in St. Francis of Assisi and of Brother Juniper in Brother Juniper but am really on the fence about female frontal nudity… like that shown in the otherwise beautiful The Story of Creation and Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden.
I mean the children already know that Adam and Eve were naked before the Fall but usually see this depicted with them behind bushes or some such.
I get that this is art that is celebrating the beauty and dignity of the human body… not intended to titillate. But I have 11, 9, and 7 year old boys and I fear awakening their fascinations too soon.
Dh thinks that if we just treat it casually and respectfully, it will be fine. But I've done this before with a book that had one nude art shot in it and found my younger two boys off in a corner giggling about it. I didn't get mad at them… just calmly reiterated our talks of purity and discussing why the body is sacred and not a laughing matter etc. But they still exchanged "looks" after our talk. Boys. 
So I'm wondering if I ought to continue the course of allowing nudity in proper God-given context… or just quietly avoid it altogether in picture books.
Also, if anyone has a great picture book recommendation on the Story of Creation and of the Fall, I'd love to hear it. The Jane Ray ones are the best I've seen though...
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Ellie
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JennGM
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I don't allow the frontal nudity. And if it's a book that has one I do the unspeakable -- I draw in long hair to cover Eve with a permanent marker or draw in clothing to cover other figures. My mother did this, and now that I'm a mom with 2 boys, I agree completely.
Boys are more visual, and the nudity does ignite some curiosity or stimulation. They can't turn that switch off, although they can try to redirect their thoughts. I teach my boys to not look at people or pictures when they are immodest (custody of the eyes), but it's also important that I don't keep giving them distractions.
I do like that Jane Ray except I would have to use the marker too much.  If it's for littles, I love the old Little Stories About God printed by the Daughters of St. Paul.
Pauline Baynes illustrated Let There be Light which is more the Genesis story and not of the Fall, but I love that one. I think I didn't have to do much to that one. I prefer the picture books that use the text of Genesis.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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knowloveserve
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I could and would "edit" Eve's hair... except these are library books. 
I have done that with the cover of one of my natural, herbal, mothering books. 
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Ellie
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knowloveserve
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Is this the Pauline Baynes one you mean? The reviews say it has nudity in excess...
Archbishop Desmond Tutu has One being released in January.... I look forward to that!
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Ellie
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I own this, so I pulled mine out. There are 3 including a small one on the cover, and one of them is rear nudity. I didn't think it was that bad -- if they mean in excess like they weren't hiding behind trees or strategically placed fig leaves, I would agree. You can tell they are human beings.
But they were all easily coverable.  Sharpies to the rescue.
I love Baynes' illustrations.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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knowloveserve
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JennGM wrote:
You can tell they are human beings.
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I literally laughed out loud here...
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Ellie
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JennGM
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knowloveserve wrote:
JennGM wrote:
You can tell they are human beings.
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I literally laughed out loud here... |
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I don't see your other message about the Fiona French book. I couldn't see any preview of Adam and Eve before their skins, so I couldn't tell. But I'm with you, I love her work. The difference between the ones Ignatius publishes and the other publishers is the translation of the Bible.
I was out shopping at Ollie's and saw (and bought) Creation by Gennady Spirin. This is a perfect version, requiring no sharpies! He strategically places lilies and other vegetation so there is no compromise.
And of course, it's beautiful! Why is it that I always go back to the same illustrators? The interesting thing is both Spirin and Baynes use a similar way of expressing Creation -- a swirl of plants, a swirl of animals, a swirl of fish, etc.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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knowloveserve
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JennGM wrote:
I don't see your other message about the Fiona French book. I couldn't see any preview of Adam and Eve before their skins, so I couldn't tell. But I'm with you, I love her work. The difference between the ones Ignatius publishes and the other publishers is the translation of the Bible.
I was out shopping at Ollie's and saw (and bought) Creation by Gennady Spirin. This is a perfect version, requiring no sharpies! He strategically places lilies and other vegetation so there is no compromise.
And of course, it's beautiful! Why is it that I always go back to the same illustrators? The interesting thing is both Spirin and Baynes use a similar way of expressing Creation -- a swirl of plants, a swirl of animals, a swirl of fish, etc. |
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So great! Does it go thru the Fall as well as the general Creation of the earth?
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knowloveserve wrote:
Quote:
I was out shopping at Ollie's and saw (and bought) Creation by Gennady Spirin. This is a perfect version, requiring no sharpies! He strategically places lilies and other vegetation so there is no compromise.
And of course, it's beautiful! Why is it that I always go back to the same illustrators? The interesting thing is both Spirin and Baynes use a similar way of expressing Creation -- a swirl of plants, a swirl of animals, a swirl of fish, etc. |
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So great! Does it go thru the Fall as well as the general Creation of the earth? |
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Unfortunately, no. It only covers the 7 days of creation.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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4Real Forums : Picture Book Discoveries
Topic: Adam & Eve: tastefully?
