Moms for Libraries: An analysis of gender in white Christian nationalist children's books

Abstract

Moms for Libraries, a children's book initiative from the parent group Moms for Liberty (M4L), seeks to inject white Christian nationalist (WCN) values into American classrooms and libraries through children's literature. This article uses cosmetic criticality and WCN lenses to illustrate how this group's advocacy is unmoored from real issues of power and subjugation. Authors use content analysis to describe and interpret a focal children's book distributed by M4L, Elephants Are Not Birds, which teaches children about gender identity and expression from a WCN perspective. Our guiding question is: What does an analysis of white Christian nationalism in children's media through the lens of cosmetic criticality reveal about the foundational assumptions, values, and goals of the book's creators? The analysis reveals that the book's WCN values emphasize a focus on the physical aspects of binary gender expression in the book's main character, moralistically warning children that if they stray from traditional gender norms, they risk ridicule and danger to the community. The book's messaging obfuscates the material risks and real dangers trans and queer youth face regularly in some Christian and school spaces.