Why This Author Was Told He Couldn T Read His Book About A Proud Unicorn To Kids

Jason Tharp says he was shocked when he was told he could not read or refer to It’s OK to Be A Unicorn during a visit to Buckeye Valley West Elementary in Ostrander, Ohio earlier this month. The book follows the story of Cornelius, a unicorn who hides his identity wearing hats because he lives in a city full of horses. In the end, he learns to embrace what he really is and is accepted and supported by his friends and community. “This book has been out for two years. I’ve read it to thousands of kids and I’ve been to many school trips and it has never appeared,” Tharp told As It Happens guest host Dave Seglins. “It’s not my job to defend adults who show their insecurities in a children’s book [about] unicorns and rainbows and magic “.

Complaint from a parent

Thorpe’s visit to the school was originally scheduled for 2020, but was postponed due to the pandemic. In preparation for his arrival, students decorated the school with works of art made with Tharp characters, and school principals purchased 500 copies of his books, including It’s OK To Be A Unicorn. But the morning before Tharp’s scheduled appearance on April 7, he says he received a phone call from the school principal notifying him that he had changed plans. “It was very clear from the beginning that it did not come from him. It was coming from above him, and [he was] he’s just the messenger, “said Thorpe. “And I kind of interrupted him, because I think he had a hard time saying that, and I said, ‘Did anyone think I was making a gay book?’ said Thorpe. He said the principal informed him that a parent had complained about the book. “All they told me was that they were unicorns and rainbows, and I was on the agenda to recruit kids to be gay,” said Thorpe. I do not think you will make children reluctant to read. They will always be curious.- Jason Tharp, author of children’s books
Tharp says he offered to read another of his books, It’s Okay to Smell Good !, about a clap that stands out because he likes things that smell good. But the school board also rejected the idea. In an email seen by CBC, the board asked Tharp to “give up” reading and instead “continue to focus on your positive message and imagery.” Jeremy Froehlich, the school’s interim principal, did not respond to a request for comment from As It Happens. But he told the WBNS that one parent complained about the book on April 6th.

“Extensive book censorship efforts”

Tharp is not the only child writer whose work has recently been challenged. In November, The American Library Association issued a press release condemning what he called a “widespread attempt to censor books” across the country, noting that textbooks and libraries are being challenged at an “unprecedented” rate. On March, a Mississippi assistant director fired after the students read a humorous children’s book entitled I Need a New Butt. Meanwhile, Florida and many other states have passed or proposed laws restricting content in schools about sexual orientation, gender and Critical race theory. Toby Price, a former assistant principal at Gary Road Elementary School in Hinds County, Miss, was fired for reading one of his favorite children’s books, I Need A New Butt. (Submitted by Toby Price)
Tharp said It’s OK To Be A Unicorn is a way of approaching children who feel different and teaching them to be themselves. He said that it is actually his own story that he grew up with big dreams in a small town. The book is not intended to be a metaphor for sexual orientation or gender identity, but Tharp said he understands “absolutely” why an LGBTQ child would identify with Cornelius the unicorn. “But also the child in a wheelchair and the child with a broken arm and the child who feels different, this child with the weird name or the child wearing glasses,” he said. “All these kids are unicorns, right? They all feel different. And that was the mission of the book.”

Students’ art was abolished

Several Buckeye parents and teachers speak out in defense of Tharp during an April 8 event Extraordinary meeting of the school board, which was broadcast on YouTube. Kaylan Brazelton, a parent and teacher at the school, lamented that teachers were forced to remove unicorn designs and rainbows created by students. He said it was “shocking” because the students were “so confused”. “This book was about making students feel and know that they always have a place in the world. Always, no matter how weird they feel. We wanted them to know that being weird is okay because it is,” he said. Another woman, whose name was not recorded, noted that the students had “worked so hard” in their drawings. “This is a public school. All walks of life pay taxes. All walks of life must be represented,” he said. Tharp says a supporter sent these images before and after a window in the Buckeye Valley West Elementary. On the left, the window is decorated with children’s paintings of Cornelius the unicorn. On the right, the unicorn designs have been replaced with characters from other books by Thorpe. (Submitted by Jason Tharp) Despite everything, Tharp stayed at the event because he did not want to disappoint the children. He made a presentation, but not a reading, and did not mention It OK To Be A Unicorn. He says the crisis could have been avoided if the parent had just contacted him to talk. She says she plans to continue writing books that help children feel accepted and loved. “The best part about it is that I do not think you will make children want to read. It will always be weird,” he said. “And for me, there’s the magic. They can be present. We can not. Adults like to ruin this for children. I think adults could learn a lot from children, if you just, you know, sit down, it’s be quiet and listen. “ Written by Sheena Goodyear. Interview with Jason Tharp produced by Chris Harbord.

title: “Why This Author Was Told He Couldn T Read His Book About A Proud Unicorn To Kids " ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-07” author: “Juliana Haven”

Jason Tharp says he was shocked when he was told he could not read or refer to It’s OK to Be A Unicorn during a visit to Buckeye Valley West Elementary in Ostrander, Ohio earlier this month. The book follows the story of Cornelius, a unicorn who hides his identity wearing hats because he lives in a city full of horses. In the end, he learns to embrace what he really is and is accepted and supported by his friends and community. “This book has been out for two years. I’ve read it to thousands of kids and I’ve been to many school trips and it has never appeared,” Tharp told As It Happens guest host Dave Seglins. “It’s not my job to defend adults who show their insecurities in a children’s book [about] unicorns and rainbows and magic “.

Complaint from a parent

Thorpe’s visit to the school was originally scheduled for 2020, but was postponed due to the pandemic. In preparation for his arrival, students decorated the school with works of art made with Tharp characters, and school principals purchased 500 copies of his books, including It’s OK To Be A Unicorn. But the morning before Tharp’s scheduled appearance on April 7, he says he received a phone call from the school principal notifying him that he had changed plans. “It was very clear from the beginning that it did not come from him. It was coming from above him, and [he was] he’s just the messenger, “said Thorpe. “And I kind of interrupted him, because I think he had a hard time saying that, and I said, ‘Did anyone think I was making a gay book?’ said Thorpe. He said the principal informed him that a parent had complained about the book. “All they told me was that they were unicorns and rainbows, and I was on the agenda to recruit kids to be gay,” said Thorpe. I do not think you will make children reluctant to read. They will always be curious.- Jason Tharp, author of children’s books
Tharp says he offered to read another of his books, It’s Okay to Smell Good !, about a clap that stands out because he likes things that smell good. But the school board also rejected the idea. In an email seen by CBC, the board asked Tharp to “give up” reading and instead “continue to focus on your positive message and imagery.” Jeremy Froehlich, the school’s interim principal, did not respond to a request for comment from As It Happens. But he told the WBNS that one parent complained about the book on April 6th.

“Extensive book censorship efforts”

Tharp is not the only child writer whose work has recently been challenged. In November, The American Library Association issued a press release condemning what he called a “widespread attempt to censor books” across the country, noting that textbooks and libraries are being challenged at an “unprecedented” rate. On March, a Mississippi assistant director fired after the students read a humorous children’s book entitled I Need a New Butt. Meanwhile, Florida and many other states have passed or proposed laws restricting content in schools about sexual orientation, gender and Critical race theory. Toby Price, a former assistant principal at Gary Road Elementary School in Hinds County, Miss, was fired for reading one of his favorite children’s books, I Need A New Butt. (Submitted by Toby Price)
Tharp said It’s OK To Be A Unicorn is a way of approaching children who feel different and teaching them to be themselves. He said that it is actually his own story that he grew up with big dreams in a small town. The book is not intended to be a metaphor for sexual orientation or gender identity, but Tharp said he understands “absolutely” why an LGBTQ child would identify with Cornelius the unicorn. “But also the child in a wheelchair and the child with a broken arm and the child who feels different, this child with the weird name or the child wearing glasses,” he said. “All these kids are unicorns, right? They all feel different. And that was the mission of the book.”

Students’ art was abolished

Several Buckeye parents and teachers speak out in defense of Tharp during an April 8 event Extraordinary meeting of the school board, which was broadcast on YouTube. Kaylan Brazelton, a parent and teacher at the school, lamented that teachers were forced to remove unicorn designs and rainbows created by students. He said it was “shocking” because the students were “so confused”. “This book was about making students feel and know that they always have a place in the world. Always, no matter how weird they feel. We wanted them to know that being weird is okay because it is,” he said. Another woman, whose name was not recorded, noted that the students had “worked so hard” in their drawings. “This is a public school. All walks of life pay taxes. All walks of life must be represented,” he said. Tharp says a supporter sent these images before and after a window in the Buckeye Valley West Elementary. On the left, the window is decorated with children’s paintings of Cornelius the unicorn. On the right, the unicorn designs have been replaced with characters from other books by Thorpe. (Submitted by Jason Tharp) Despite everything, Tharp stayed at the event because he did not want to disappoint the children. He made a presentation, but not a reading, and did not mention It OK To Be A Unicorn. He says the crisis could have been avoided if the parent had just contacted him to talk. She says she plans to continue writing books that help children feel accepted and loved. “The best part about it is that I do not think you will make children want to read. It will always be weird,” he said. “And for me, there’s the magic. They can be present. We can not. Adults like to ruin this for children. I think adults could learn a lot from children, if you just, you know, sit down, it’s be quiet and listen. “ Written by Sheena Goodyear. Interview with Jason Tharp produced by Chris Harbord.