Harry Potter has done wonders for wearers of specs across the world but which picture books will inspire positive feelings in younger children about seeing life through a lens? The Book Doctor investigates
Wearing glasses makes young children vulnerable to teasing. Are there any positive stories or images of children wearing glasses in books?
Harry Potter with his cheap issue, wire-frame glasses must have done more than any other fictional character to normalise and even glamourise the wearing of glasses.
JK Rowling makes no big deal of him wearing glasses; in comparison with all the other things that make him stand out at Hogwarts they are nothing. After all, with a destiny like his and a scar to match who would bother to tease him about a pair of specs?
Harry makes an excellent antidote to Piggy in Lord of the Flies his most famous fictional glasses-wearing predecessor who is so cruelly defined by the one shattered pane of his glasses. But long before children get to Harry or Piggy in stories, there are some cool fictional wearers of glasses to discover in picture books.
In Valerie Thomas and Korky Paul's Winnie Flies Again, despite flying above the traffic and so avoiding all the usual travel problems, the eponymous witch is having trouble navigating without an accident. Usually she can magic her way out of any difficulty but this time the only magic she needs is a simple pair of glasses. Life gets much better for Winnie and her faithful black cat Wilbur once she has them on. And safer for her friends too.
In Lauren Child's I Really Absolutely Must Have Glasses, Charlie and Lola enjoy one of their familiar and touching conversations about wearing glasses as Lola heads to a check up at the opticians. It's a conversation which makes wearing glasses seem like fun although, as the wiser Charlie points out to Lola who is sure she must have them, "You'll only get glasses if you really, really need them." Lauren Child makes wearing glasses something worth talking and certainly not something to be laughed at.
One of the most delightful and least message-laden stories about wearing glasses is Colin West's Monty, the Dog Who Wears Glasses. All readers – glasses wearers and non-glasses wearers alike – will find Monty in his glasses irresistible. Having looked at Monty, no one would feel much like teasing anyone for wearing glasses.
The last words on the subject should go to John Hegley, a proud wearer of "optical face furniture".
It's highly recommended for any new glasses wearer to see John Hegley perform if at all possible. The poet makes much of wearing glasses in his shows and glasses wearers always get the best part in any audience participation (contact lense wearers beware).
Hegley's collection I am a Poetato An A-Z of poems about people, pets and other creatures: includes lots of poems about glasses – off and on. Sharing his poems will definitely make adults and children more relaxed when discussing glasses and we'll end with a John Hegley's classic line...
Hello everybody my name is John
what have I got?
I have got my glasses on
Do you have any favourite books which include glasses wearers to add? Please email childrens.books@theguardian.com and tell us, in addition to your questions for the Book Doctor.
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