''Skippyjon Jones'' is a

children's A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger ...

picture book A picture book combines visual and verbal narratives in a book format, most often aimed at young children. With the narrative told primarily through text, they are distinct from comics, which do so primarily through sequential images. The images ...

series by Judith Byron Schachner. The first book was published in 2003 by

Dutton Juvenile Dutton Children's Books is a US publisher of children's books and a division of the Penguin Group. It is associated with the Dutton adult division. It was previously an imprint of E.P. Dutton, prior to 1986. They have been publishing books sinc ...

. The books are notable for their popularity amongst children, use of

mock Spanish Mock Spanish is a loaded term used to describe a variety of Spanish-inspired phrases used by speakers of English. Spanish-inspired phrases are generally used in a humorous way, but at least one person has asserted that it could lead to unfavorabl ...

, and controversy over their representation of

Latinos Hispanic and Latino Americans ( es, Estadounidenses hispanos y latinos; pt, Estadunidenses hispânicos e latinos) are Americans of Spanish and/or Latin American ancestry. More broadly, these demographics include all Americans who identify as ...

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 thinks that he is a Chihuahua. 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 Penguin Random House LLC is an Anglo-American multinational corporation, multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate publishing company formed on July 1, 2013, from the merger of Penguin Group and Random House. On April 2, 2020, Bertels ...

within its Dutton Juvenile division.

Controversy

Several reviews criticize ''Skippyjon Jones''’ depiction of Latinos and use of

. Due to its stereotypes, the series is ranked 8 on the American Library Association's list of top challenged books for 2018. Amy Senta, an early childhood professor, described a moment when a Latino child remarked he thought the book was mocking him. 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 The term white savior is a critical description of a white person who is depicted as liberating, rescuing or uplifting non-white people; it is critical in the sense that it describes a pattern in which people of color in economically under-develo ...

” modality. 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. Another analysis states ''Skippyjon Jones'' and his chihuahua friends are humanized and given traits symbolic of Latinos. Through this depiction and anthropomorphization, the characters are seen as substitutes for "racial and ethnic identities," a representation invoking "

tokenism Tokenism is the practice of making only a perfunctory or symbolic effort to be inclusive to members of minority groups, especially by recruiting people from underrepresented groups in order to give the appearance of racial or gender equality wit ...

." However, these critiques are criticized for advocating censorship of the books and projecting ideas of racism into a children’s series. There is discussion regarding the roles of these books in children's literature due to their wide success. This discourse focuses on their success commercially combined with the overarching criticisms of stereotyping. Although, Schachner defends her writing and claims the books are intended for education.

Reception

Reviews of the books are generally positive, highlighting the adventurous tales and descriptive language. One review notes that readers searching for true depictions of Latinos are best served elsewhere. In 2004, ''Skippyjon Jones'' won the first annual

E. B. White Elwyn Brooks White (July 11, 1899 – October 1, 1985) was an American writer. He was the author of several highly popular books for children, including ''Stuart Little'' (1945), ''Charlotte's Web'' (1952), and '' The Trumpet of the Swan'' ...

Read Aloud Award, handed out by The Association of Booksellers for Children.Association of Booksellers for Children Programs History of E.B. White Read Aloud Award
/ref> Also, ''Skippyjon Jones'' has won several local children's book awards, including the New Hampshire State Library's 2005 Ladybug Picture Book Award,Ladybug Award, Center for the Book, New Hampshire State Library
/ref> the 2005 Washington Children's Choice Picture Book Award,
and the 2006 Colorado Council International Reading Association (CCIRA) Colorado Children's Book Award for Picture Book.CCIRA: Colorado Children's Book Award
Based on a 2007 online poll, the

National Education Association The National Education Association (NEA) is the largest labor union in the United States. It represents public school teachers and other support personnel, faculty and staffers at colleges and universities, retired educators, and college stude ...

listed ''Skippyjon Jones'' as one of its "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children". A ''New York Times'' review said ''Skippyjon Jones'' is a fun, bilingual book similar to a

Ulysses Ulysses is one form of the Roman name for Odysseus, a hero in ancient Greek literature. Ulysses may also refer to: People * Ulysses (given name), including a list of people with this name Places in the United States * Ulysses, Kansas * Ulysse ...

for kids.

Theatre Production

Following commercial success, ''Skippyjon Jones'' and ''Skippyjon Jones: Snow What'' were both adapted into musical productions. In 2011 and 2014,

Theatreworks USA TheatreWorksUSA is a professional, not-for-profit theatre for young and family audiences founded in 1961. The company is based out of New York City, but has touring productions that run through forty-nine states as well as parts of Canada. Pl ...

put on productions of ''Skippyjon Jones'' at the Pittsburgh International Children's Theater and various other locations in Pittsburgh. The performances received good reviews, stating the show was enjoyable for all ages. 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.

References

External links

Official Skippyjon Jones siteThe E. B. White Read Aloud Awards
* {{Portal , Children's literature 2003 children's books American picture books Books about cats Books about dogs Race-related controversies in literature Ethnic humour Stereotypes of Hispanic and Latino people