Iconic Characters in Children’s Literature

On the New York Public Library’s blog, John Flood, asked an interesting question: “Are you a Max Person or a Peter Person?” He was of course referring to Max from Where the Wild Things Are and Peter from Snowy Day. Both were Caldecott Medal winning books from the early 1960s, but their characters were almost polar opposites. Flood goes on to say

The books could hardly be more different, from the colors and artistic techniques to the style, themes, and the two protagonists — Max and Peter.

Who’s your favorite? Are you a Max person or a Peter person? It says a lot about your personality.

For those of you who haven’t read the two books I would describe Max as having high-energy, but who lives is his own incredible world of make believe. Peter on the other hand, takes the world as it is. He goes out and explores everything his neighborhood has to offer, but is still reserved and cautious.

While Max and Peter are wonderful paradigms for what young kids are like, I think there is room for a third. For that I would like to nominate Lulu, otherwise known as Ladybug Girl. Ladybug Girl is kind of a combination of Peter and Max. She has Max’s imagination and taste for adventure. But she adapts her character to the real world, whether it is the playground or her own backyard. Max’s world is pure fantasy, while Ladybug Girl helps Lulu do heroic things in her semi-fantastic play space.

Does your child resemble any of these three or is there another character who better captures the world of our children?