Florida’s War on Books Enters “Goblin Butts Are Sexual” Territory
A Florida school district has drawn over the illustrations in multiple award-winning children’s books in its libraries after the chair of the local Moms for Liberty chapter complained that some of the characters were shown naked. One of the offending characters? A goblin who showed his backside.Jennifer Pippin submitted multiple formal challenges in November and December to the Indian River County school district, Popular Information reported Thursday. One of the books she took issue with was the book Unicorns Are the Worst, which won a Florida state children’s literature award, because the main character (a goblin) is shown with its butt facing the audience. Here is the offending butt in question:5. Pippin challenged several other picture books, including Unicorns are the Worst, a book about a goblin upset that so many people like unicorns.It features an image of goblin butt, which Pippin said is pornographic. The district agreed to clothe the goblin. pic.twitter.com/M2udGzDEQp— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) February 1, 2024She challenged the book No, David! for the same reason (although the offending posterior in that book belongs to a young boy). Pippin also challenged In the Night Kitchen, a Caldecott Honor–winning book by Maurice Sendak. The protagonist, a young boy named Mickey, is sometimes drawn naked.And she submitted yet another complaint about Draw Me a Star, by Eric Carle, the author of The Very Hungry Caterpillar. In classic Carle style, though, very few features are actually distinguishable on the adults Pippin complained about.6. Another book Pippin sought to remove was Draw Me A Star by Eric Carle. Pippin was concerned about this image of "two adults that were naked." She said that her concerns were addressed when the district librarians drew "board shorts on the man" and "put the girl in a bikini." pic.twitter.com/dSFHPzuU9l— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) February 1, 2024After meeting with Pippin, school district officials suggested drawing clothes over the illustrations to hide their nudity. Pippin agreed that this would resolve the issue.Pippin told Popular Information that she submitted challenges to these books because she felt that the depictions of nudity were “harmful to minors” under two Florida state laws. The first law relates to obscenity and prohibits showing minors any “nudity or sexual conduct.” The second law allows state residents to demand libraries remove any book that “depicts or describes sexual conduct.”But the thing is, both of these laws specifically apply to sexual conduct, not just straight nudity. It says more about Pippin that she viewed these illustrations, which are intended to make children laugh, as inherently sexual.David Flynt, whose children attend Indian River County schools, noted as much when he criticized Pippin’s challenges to the book. In an interview with Popular Information, Flynt asked why Moms for Liberty was “sexualizing” a drawing “of a goblin’s bare backside.”The illustration “was not [included] to cause arousal, and was of a fictional character,” Flynt said.He also pointed to Pippin’s challenge to the book Sofia Valdez, Future Prez. Pippin claimed that the main character’s grandfather was shown wearing a pro-LGBTQ pin. While the illustration could be considered to include a pink triangle, an LGBTQ pride symbol, the drawing is so small that it could really be anything.8. Flynt was especially upset about @Moms4Lberty's challenge of Sophia Perez Future Prez. The challenge was based on this image, which Pippin says includes a pro-LGTBQ symbol (circled in red). It has been removed from Indian River schools pending review. pic.twitter.com/eD6vkRxFcf— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) February 1, 2024Pippin indicated in her challenge to Sofia Valdez that she has not actually read the book.Florida has banned multiple books in the past year, for covering topics including race, gender, and sexuality. Pippin’s challenges are not the first time a school district has had to remove a book long considered innocuous. Recently, another school district removed editions of the dictionary from its library shelves because the reference text includes definitions of sexual conduct.
A Florida school district has drawn over the illustrations in multiple award-winning children’s books in its libraries after the chair of the local Moms for Liberty chapter complained that some of the characters were shown naked. One of the offending characters? A goblin who showed his backside.
Jennifer Pippin submitted multiple formal challenges in November and December to the Indian River County school district, Popular Information reported Thursday. One of the books she took issue with was the book Unicorns Are the Worst, which won a Florida state children’s literature award, because the main character (a goblin) is shown with its butt facing the audience. Here is the offending butt in question:
5. Pippin challenged several other picture books, including Unicorns are the Worst, a book about a goblin upset that so many people like unicorns.
It features an image of goblin butt, which Pippin said is pornographic. The district agreed to clothe the goblin. pic.twitter.com/M2udGzDEQp— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) February 1, 2024
She challenged the book No, David! for the same reason (although the offending posterior in that book belongs to a young boy). Pippin also challenged In the Night Kitchen, a Caldecott Honor–winning book by Maurice Sendak. The protagonist, a young boy named Mickey, is sometimes drawn naked.
And she submitted yet another complaint about Draw Me a Star, by Eric Carle, the author of The Very Hungry Caterpillar. In classic Carle style, though, very few features are actually distinguishable on the adults Pippin complained about.
6. Another book Pippin sought to remove was Draw Me A Star by Eric Carle. Pippin was concerned about this image of "two adults that were naked." She said that her concerns were addressed when the district librarians drew "board shorts on the man" and "put the girl in a bikini." pic.twitter.com/dSFHPzuU9l— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) February 1, 2024
After meeting with Pippin, school district officials suggested drawing clothes over the illustrations to hide their nudity. Pippin agreed that this would resolve the issue.
Pippin told Popular Information that she submitted challenges to these books because she felt that the depictions of nudity were “harmful to minors” under two Florida state laws. The first law relates to obscenity and prohibits showing minors any “nudity or sexual conduct.” The second law allows state residents to demand libraries remove any book that “depicts or describes sexual conduct.”
But the thing is, both of these laws specifically apply to sexual conduct, not just straight nudity. It says more about Pippin that she viewed these illustrations, which are intended to make children laugh, as inherently sexual.
David Flynt, whose children attend Indian River County schools, noted as much when he criticized Pippin’s challenges to the book. In an interview with Popular Information, Flynt asked why Moms for Liberty was “sexualizing” a drawing “of a goblin’s bare backside.”
The illustration “was not [included] to cause arousal, and was of a fictional character,” Flynt said.
He also pointed to Pippin’s challenge to the book Sofia Valdez, Future Prez. Pippin claimed that the main character’s grandfather was shown wearing a pro-LGBTQ pin. While the illustration could be considered to include a pink triangle, an LGBTQ pride symbol, the drawing is so small that it could really be anything.
8. Flynt was especially upset about @Moms4Lberty's challenge of Sophia Perez Future Prez. The challenge was based on this image, which Pippin says includes a pro-LGTBQ symbol (circled in red). It has been removed from Indian River schools pending review. pic.twitter.com/eD6vkRxFcf— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) February 1, 2024
Pippin indicated in her challenge to Sofia Valdez that she has not actually read the book.
Florida has banned multiple books in the past year, for covering topics including race, gender, and sexuality. Pippin’s challenges are not the first time a school district has had to remove a book long considered innocuous. Recently, another school district removed editions of the dictionary from its library shelves because the reference text includes definitions of sexual conduct.
