1930s Animals as Hard Times Heroes in American Children's Books

Abstract

In the 1930s, picture books offered children animal heroes who expressed many of the concerns and contradictions of the adult world. Scrupulously realistic, inhabiting a full range from wild to tame, these animals suffered fragile social ties and many failed adventures. Alternative heroic pathways emerged for animals toward the decade's end, but they met fierce competition from animalized steam machines, Disney's animated creatures, and the Superheroes born on radio. This article explores the adult world of children's book production, the threats posed by new media for children, and the ways in which the decade's confusing social forces crept into texts and illustrations as animal metaphors.