Off the Shelf
Beyond Window-Dressing?: Canadian Children’s Fantasy at the Millennium by K.V. Johansen. Sackville, NB: Sybertooth, 2007. 147 p.
Reviewed by Heather Sanderson. Information Literacy Librarian, Saint Mary’s University.
In light of the current popularity of fantasy for children and the growth in fantasy titles published in Canada, Johansen examines current developments in Canadian children’s fantasy to ask whether there has been a parallel enrichment in quality in the genre: “Has Canadian children’s fantasy moved beyond the need to demonstrate obvious didactic value by imparting heavily underscored moral or historical lessons? Has fantasy . . . become more than mere window-dressing?” (29). Her answer is a qualified yes.
Surveying books published between 2000 and 2005, Johansen argues that fantasy should not be an “excuse for poor writing” (27). Each chapter focusses on a sub-genre, such as dual-world fantasy. Books are summarized and their relative merits analysed in one to two pages each. She is firm in her comments, setting high standards and drawing comparisons to international examples. Where she sees strengths and success, she gives praise.
Johansen has wide knowledge of her subject matter. She speaks with authority and clearly states her criteria for good fantasy. The format of plot-summaries and analysis make her book a useful reference guide to recent children’s fantasy writing in Canada. Johansen also helpfully indicates the level of readership for each title with a J or YA. Based on the evidence she provides, her criticisms of weaker books appear fair. As well as arguing for high quality, Johansen believes that writing for children should not be pitched too low. Not only will simplistic fantasy alienate young readers, but such books can also contribute to declining literacy levels.
Johansen’s argument does have several weak points. It would have been useful to be told earlier than page 104 that she is herself a published author in this field. The brief analysis and summary judgements can sound dismissive. Her phrasing can be repetitious, for example, the use of “window-dressing” to describe the poorly integrated fantasy elements in several books (pp. 36, 38, 50, 119). Similarly her use of well-known international examples to make terse and unflattering comparisons to individual books and entire sub-genres in Canadian children’s fantasy weighs heavily after awhile. Deeper analysis of individual titles could have added to the book. Finally, limiting her survey to five years also limits her analysis and the conclusions she is able to draw about current trends in the field.
Overall, this would be a good addition to a collection of materials about children’s and young adult literature, particularly one specializing in Canadian literature. As a survey of the field, it is very useful as a reference for selecting recent titles, clearly identifying the stronger examples in new Canadian children’s fantasy.
