Children’s Book Names: From Aidan to Zoe
While browsing through a recent issue of The New Yorker magazine, I came across an article about the current generation of picture books and their bratty protagonists. It was illustrated by an image from a book called Finn Throws a Fit. Aha, I thought, so juvenile authors are on top of current naming trends. This impelled me to go running (figuratively) to my local Borders to seek further evidence.
One difference I noticed immediately was that there were more little human protagonists and fewer of the porcine (excluding Olivia), feline, canine, bovine, etc persuasion than there were in the past, and there were, as the article pointed out, a lot more angry children populating the pages, and a lot more preoccupation with poop and farts.
In terms of names, I was surprised to see that there was a book title containing almost every currently popular choice—almost as many as there are on the personalized pencils in the airport—a big upswing from the past. Here are some titles all released since the turn of the century–and they’re just the tip of the iceberg!:
Girls
CONSTANCE and the Great Escape
ELIZA and the Dragonfly
My Name is Not ISABELLA
IVY and Bean
JUNIE B., First Grader
The Adventures of LAILA and MAYA
Let’s Find LUCY
MAISY series
RUBY’S FALLING LEAVES
When SOPHIE Gets Angry—Really, Really Angry
TALLULAH in the Kitchen
I, TRIXIE
Goodnight, my sweet VIOLET
WILLA and the Wind, WILLA the Wonderful
ZOE‘s Tale, ZOE‘s Hats, ZOE and CHLOE on the Prowl
BOYS
AIDAN’S First Full Moon Circle
BRAYDEN, BRAYDEN, Who Do You See?
COOPER‘S Lesson
DEWEY! There’s a Cat in the Library
DEXTER Gets Dressed
JAYDEN‘s Rescue
KYLE’s First Crush
LIAM Goes Poo in the Toilet
MILO series
OLIVER Who Would Not Sleep
OSCAR: The Big Adventure of a Little Sock Monkey
PHINEAS & Ferb series
WALTER the Farting Dog series