One of the things I love most about being a parent is being able to share the things I love with a small person who has never seen them before. As geek parents we get to share our favourite movies, shows, superheroes and more with our children and guide them toward sharing our passions - Wars or Trek, Marvel or DC? Some geeky passions are decidedly easier to share than others however, and nurturing a love of Star Wars with its preschool toy range is much simpler than encouraging a love of classic literature. I studied English and English Literature at GCSE and then on into A-Level (qualifications gained at UK high schools) and a love of classic literature has followed me into adulthood. One of my favourite novels, Pride and Prejudice, I originally read aged 16 for my GCSE exam essay; I've since read it again as an adult and seen both the movie and BBC television adaptations. However sharing an appreciation of the delicate use of language and beautifully nuanced characters in this classic work is quite a way off for my two year old.
The BabyLit series of board books and apps by Jennifer Adams and Alison Oliver bring classic works of literature to young children in a way that's fun for both them and their parents. The books use concepts and language found in the original novels to introduce counting and colours; the White Rabbit and purple Caterpillar of Alice in Wonderland are used to explore colour, Jane Eyre's pearls or portraits of the Bennett sisters teach basic counting. The language manages to remain at the simple level required of a pre-school board book whilst gently introducing new words from the vocabulary of the original books such as “governess”, “trunks”, and “chalkboards”. Graphically the entire series is stunning. The illustrations reflect the character of the original works, for instance Alice in Wonderland is bright, whimsical and slightly off -kilter whilst Jane Eyre uses a muted colour palette of blues and purples. According to illustrator Alison Oliver during her interview on GeekMom Jules’ Geeky Pleasures Radio Show in April, the pages often feature hidden Easter Eggs for us to find. There is a bird hidden on every page of Jayne Eyre and some are easier to find than others.
Along with the board books which are large enough to show off the illustrations without being too big for small fingers, the series has recently been released in e-book format via iBooks. The e-book versions include read to yourself and read aloud options plus interactive elements on the pages. I didn’t find them as impressive as the board books, the animations were sometimes jarring and the interactive elements were often unresponsive. However I think the physical board books are so beautiful both in look and feel that these e-book versions couldn’t be anything other than a slight disappointment after holding them. As a bonus to digital readers at the end of the e-books short excerpts from the original novels are included, also with the ability to have them read aloud.
So far there are four books in the series; Alice in Wonderland, Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, and Romeo and Juliet. Two more are due out later this year including the one I am most excited about, Dracula, along with A Christmas Carol. To find out more about the series so far and what’s coming in the future, I interviewed author Jennifer Adams and illustrator Alison Oliver to hear what they had to say.
GeekMom: What inspired you to create the series?
Jenn: I had recently published Remarkably Jane: Notable Quotations on Jane Austen and Y is for Yorick: A Slightly Irreverent ABC Book for Grown-Ups with Gibbs Smith Publisher, and my brilliant editor, Suzanne Taylor, and I were talking about what would be something else contemporary and fun we could do with the classics, particularly Austen and Shakespeare. The idea for the series grew out of that.
GeekMom: What do you consider to be your goal with the series? Introducing the stories, new vocabulary, showing off the wonderful illustrations?
Jenn: As an editor and a writer, my main goal with books is always to make something beautiful and wonderful for people to love. Books make the world a better place, I think, and I want to make as many good books as I can. With the BabyLit books, it's great to bring characters and storylines and authors who are dear to my heart and share them with a whole new generation of people who might not find them otherwise, or might not find them until years from now. The classics have lasted forever because they are wonderful! They are meant for everyone to share and love, not just English majors.
GeekMom: When did you start reading classic literature?
Jenn: I don't remember ever not having books around. Both my parents and two of my grandparents and also many of my aunts and uncles are teachers, from secondary education to university level, so I was always surrounded by books. I spent long days in libraries, I was allowed to stay up as late as I wanted reading, and I was told you could never worry about money that was spent on books. We watched lots of classic black-and-white movies, too, and I remember being introduced to many classic novels, like David Copperfield and Wuthering Heights, through that medium when I was very young. The first time I read Pride and Prejudice I remember sitting up all night reading it because I couldn't believe something was that good and the characters that real.
GeekMom: What other genres do you enjoy? What are you reading at the moment?
Jenn: Researching and writing this series has definitely helped me rediscover my love for the classics. I also like contemporary fiction, mysteries, children's books, and some nonfiction. On my nightstand now: Wuthering Heights, Catching Fire (a reread), Why Read Moby-Dick? and an advanced reading copy of The Last Policeman (due out this fall from Quirk Books—it's awesome).
GeekMom: Do you have a favourite book character, who is it?
Jenn: Hmm, my favorite character of all time is probably Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird. Bookish, kind, a keen sense of right and wrong, filled with quiet courage, and the perfect kind of father. I've always loved Atticus.
GeekMom: What other children’s books do you love?
Jenn: The books that made me want to be a writer when I was little were the Prydain series by Lloyd Alexander (The Book of Three, The Black Cauldron, The Castle of Llyr, Taran Wanderer, and The High King.) I even studied medieval literature in college because I loved those books so much. I've always loved fantasy children's books like that: Ursula LeGuin, Harry Potter, The Golden Compass. I love The Goose Girl and Enna Burning by Shannon Hale and everything Jonathan Stroud has written (I think he's brilliant). Some of my favorite children's picture books right now are Good Little Wolf, [Nadia Shireen] Oh No, George [Chris Haughton], It's a Book [Lane Smith], and The Conductor [Laetitia Devernay].
GeekMom: Do you have plans to carry on the series, any clues as to which books will be adapted in the future?
Jenn: We have a long list and some very exciting classics in the works. I can't comment on all of them—although you might get some clues from the "what am I reading now" question! But I can say that there will be some great offerings for boys coming up soon. And I can announce the books releasing this fall which are: Little Master Stoker: Dracula and Little Master Dickens: A Christmas Carol. We have some great tote bags, buttons, and character pillows that are going to be released as well. *[*You can see some of the new products on the BabyLit Facebook Page.
GeekMom: How did you start illustrating books?
Alison: I think I wanted to illustrate books since I was a kid and first laid eyes on The Snowy Day by Ezra Keats. But in the mean time I was working as a graphic designer and doing a lot of book projects (while secretly working on my own children's book).
GeekMom: How did you come to work with Jenn on the BabyLit series?
Alison: After designing a few cookbooks with Gibbs Smith, Jen and Suzanne Taylor (the creative director at Gibbs) asked if I would like to do a test illustration for a new children's book project they were working on. I had never mentioned anything to them about wanting to do illustration work, I couldn't believe my luck! I drew the "5 sisters" spread from Pride and Prejudice and they liked it—I couldn't believe it. Then they said, now do the whole thing plus Romeo and Juliet. It was a little scary for my first book project but they are so great to collaborate with and very supportive.
GeekMom: What has been your favourite book to illustrate so far?
Alison: Dracula. He's coming out in August and I'm really happy about how he turned out.
GeekMom: Are there any classic novels you would like Jenn to work with so you can illustrate them?
Alison: I'm up for anything, but I would love to do something with a whole different feel like Arabian Nights. Or something about outer space would make me really happy!
