Geronimo Stilton – Taking Stereotypes to New Depths

If you are a parent of a child aged anywhere from seven to ten years old, you have likely heard of Geronimo Stilton. This book series is marketed to Canadian children through the Scholastic book flyers that come home from school several times a year.

I have had many reservations about this series. For starters, there is the character of Geronimo. He is the bookish and sensitive male editor of a big-city newspaper, scared of his own shadow, and very clumsy. He is often reduced to tears and his constant crying is depicted as ridiculous, not as a legitimate emotional response. He is teased by his cousin, harassed by his grandfather, and shown up regularly by his sister. And, for the record, he never gets the girl. In other words, he is the quintessential nerd.

And then there are the women. In addition to silly names – like Petunia Prettypaws, Pinky Pick, Mousita, Priscilla Prettywhiskers, and Aunt Sweetfur – almost all have long and wavy hair, long eyelashes, tiny waists, and protruding chests that are emphasized by their cover girl poses. They often wear pink, and many sport bare midriffs, revealing gowns or short dresses or shorts. Women who are intended as villains or nuisance characters – like Tina Spicytail and Sally Ratmousen – are overweight and overbearing. They screech and yell and generally act very “unladylike”.

While previously available only as paperbacks, the series’ authors have ventured into what I imagine is the more lucrative hardcover market with longer stories aimed at an older audience. One recent example is The Kingdom of Fantasy, released in 2009.

I will confess that I have not yet read the entire book, but the character descriptions at the start do not give me much hope. There is Princess Scatterbrain, a pink dragon, who is described as “a bit on the ditzy side”. Cozy is the Queen of the Gnomes. She is “an excellent cook, an expert gardener, and the one who rules the household.” (Couldn’t let her rule the kingdom now could we.) The character of Factual – note the name – is the “wise and kind King of the Gnomes”. Factual loves to read, loves science, and is always cheerful. Another character described as wise is a female turtle, although unlike King Factual, her name does not imply wisdom – she is simply called Shelly. She appears to contrast with the king in another way. Where he is cheerful and kind, she is known for having a “hard shell” while being all heart inside.

I must admit that I am being a tad hypocritical about these books. I have let my son read most of them, although I counter them with books that include balanced gender portrayals, like the Magic Tree House. Yet I have to wonder how Scholastic gets away with publishing stuff like this. Calling a female ditzy? Depicting a male who is smart and literate as a total loser? (The smart guy as geek is an all too common stereotype in kids’ pop culture I’m afraid.)

Where I used to grin and bear this series, I am not sure I can take any more of it. I will read the book first, to see how these characters are portrayed throughout. If they are as bad as I think they’ll be, I will discuss the content with my son and then gently nudge him in another direction the next time he visits the library or takes a trip to the book store.