Interview with Sarah and Ian Hoffman, Authors of “Jacob’s Missing Book”
You two are no strangers to having your books banned! How did it feel to write a book ABOUT book bans?
When we wrote Jacob’s New Dress, we were responding to something we experienced personally and saw in the world: kids who didn’t fit gender norms. We couldn’t find any books to support our son and kids like him, so we wrote one. It’s been the same with all our books—we saw things going on in the world that kids—and adults—needed to talk about. In our second book, the issue was bathrooms; in our third, pronouns. Over time, each of our books was banned, and then book bans began to escalate drastically around the country. So it seemed natural that we would tackle this subject head-on, from a kids’-eye point of view.
Did you both come up with the idea for Jacob’s Missing Book together, or did one of you present it to the other? Either way, how did those initial conversations about it go?
We were first banned in 2017, in a school district in North Carolina. Honestly it was kind of exciting—it seemed like it would mean more eyes on our book! Over the last few years, things have changed from exciting to frightening. We’ve spent hours and hours talking with each other about the rising number of book bans. We’ve been especially distressed by the targeted opposition to books by and about people of color and LGBTQ+ people.
One day Ian was having lunch with his friend Charlie, having a gloomy talk about banned books. To lighten the mood, they started joking about writing a children’s picture book about banned books: possibly the Worst Idea Ever. Sitting laughing with a friend, Ian started to wonder if it was possible to create that book. He wrote a rough outline, which was more of a thought experiment than a serious proposal, and showed it to Sarah. Sarah thought it was a great idea, and that they should immediately send the outline to their editor at Magination Press. Ian was unsure, as he still thought it was probably the Worst Idea Ever. Sarah emailed the outline, and forty minutes later the editor wrote back that she wanted to see a full manuscript ASAP.
After that, we got to work!
How did others (e.g., family and friends, editors, publisher) react when you presented the idea of a children’s book about book bans?
Everyone loved the idea! (Ian’s still a little confused about that). Our children were especially enthusiastic about the idea. They’re both excellent editors, and they really helped us shape the story.
Chris Case, our illustrator, jumped right on board and produced the amazing artwork in record time.
What do you want to say to educators who live in states with extreme book banning, and extreme consequences for educators who use inclusive books in the classroom?
First, your safety is the most important thing. If it’s not safe to speak up, then please do not. If it is safe to speak up, please: tell your stories. Tell people about what is going on with book bans where you live. Tell people what the consequences of those bans are on the children around you. Tell people about a banned book that's important to you, and why it’s important in the world. Librarians and educators know that kids need to be able to see themselves reflected in books. Removing books makes it harder for kids to find self-acceptance, and to learn to accept others.
Books bans are unpopular with the vast majority of Americans. Educators and librarians have many, many supporters out there. Please know there are people around you who will help if they know you need help. Please tell them what help you need.
Educators, we love you. We are grateful for the work you do for our communities. Teachers and librarians should not have to fear for their jobs—or their lives. That may sound overly-dramatic, but we’ve worked with librarians who had to navigate bomb threats.
What would you say to adults who think that young children can’t understand “big,” real-world topics such as queerness, book-banning, prejudice, etc.?
Unlike adults, kids spend all their time learning new things. They’re open to new ideas. There are very few things that can’t be explained to a kid, as long as you find an age-appropriate way to do it. In our experience, kids don’t have trouble learning new concepts, such as a wider range of pronouns. It’s the adults who struggle!
Kids begin to have a concept of gender around age two or three. That’s the age our son was when he first asked for pink sneakers and a dress. It’s when many girls gravitate toward “feminine” play, and many boys gravitate toward “masculine” play. But those kids who do not follow gender norms need to learn language for what they’re experiencing. And all kids need to learn kindness in the face of difference.
Kids experience the full range of emotions and problems that adults do. Don’t believe it? Go spend an hour on a busy playground, just watching and listening. Kids live in the same complex world the rest of us do. And they need help from the adults around them to understand what’s going on.