Jane Yolen Takes Issue with Ron Johnson Using Her Book as a "Prop"

Laptop City Hall: Thanks but no thanks, author says after Ron Johnson reads her book to kids. (Capital Times, 8/21/2011)

Excerpt from Shawn Doherty's post: Recently I blogged about U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson and his visit to a local community health center, where he read a couple of books to children assembled for the event. The very first reader's comment on my article, made before the comment thread disintegrated into liberals and conservatives calling each other stupid, was from Jane Yolen, the author of one of those books.

"How do Dinosaurs Clean Their Rooms?" by Yolen and Mark Teague, is a story of lovable dinosaurs who learn not to do naughty things like shove stinky socks into the back of dresser drawers, and Johnson did a respectable job reading it.

But Yolen's comment makes it clear she is not keen on having her work and young fans used as props by a senator whose policies and politics, she believes, harm children.

"I wish he would help kids and not cut those programs that help them, rather than just reading a book chosen for him, and written by a progressive Massachusetts liberal like me," she sighs in her comment.