Golden Book Biographies challenge ageism in children’s books
Golden Books, a Penguin Random House imprint, gives us a way to bombard kids with examples of older people vitally involved in life into their eighth and ninth decades.
The little books with their distinctive gold foil spine now include biographies of long-lived creative people. They can be an important addition to an Age Positive picture book collection.
Bios of people for whom the arts were a source of fulfillment throughout their lives are anti-ageism children’s books. They counter the usual sad ageist narrative and help kids really see creative older adults.
They are colorful and engaging with text geared to young children. While they don’t provide an in-depth portrait of the individuals profiled, there is inspiration in the happiness that creativity can bring to all life stages.
Jumpstart your collection with those reviewed below. (And find more Age Positive picture book biographies here.)
Mel Brooks, Rita Moreno, William Shatner and Betty White had artistic careers of achievement and celebrity—
Their long lives were drenched in the theater arts and reflect a dedication to uplifting the spirits of people in trying times to inspire a positive outlook. The arts help people pursue personal fulfillment throughout the lifecycle.
There is intuitive wisdom that the arts—music, dance, painting, theatrical arts, decorative arts and crafts, are good for the mind, body and soul. The burgeoning field of neuroaesthetics, also called neuroarts, now adds data to intuition.
“The field of neuroaesthetics offers research-based evidence that a variety of arts-based approaches may work to improve quality of life, mobility, mental health, speech, memory, pain, learning, and more.”
(Your Brain on Art: The Case for Neuroaesthetics by Susan Magsamen)
Fueled by data, neuroarts is an engine of dynamism in the current movement to reframe aging to mitigate ageism. This blog “A is for Aging” is a part of the movement to reframe aging–using Age Positive children’s books. The neuroarts provide multiple ways older people can support health and wellbeing and participate in their community and society.
Mel Brooks by Christy Mihaly; illustrated by Kelly Kennedy. 2024
In 1926 the comedian we know as Mel was born Melvin Kaminsky into a Jewish immigrant family in Brooklyn, New York. His older brothers and a robust extended family of aunts, uncles and grandparents created a family filled with love and laughter, despite the tragic death of his father when Mel was two years old.
The community was lively with the children entertaining each other in the street. Early on, Melvin loved athletics as well as performing stunts and imitations, all to ensure he’d be the center of attention.
When his uncle Joe took him to see Anything Goes on Broadway, Melvin’s interest in show business was galvanized.
Working at a resort in Catskills one summer, a “star is born” moment pushed him onto the stage to substitute for an actor who had a sprained ankle. Rattling with stage fright he bungled his role. But as he swiftly removed his character wig and confessed to the audience he was only fourteen, waves of laughter and applause gave him the courage to pursue what he loved.
A career unfolded. Mel Brooks entertained the troops abroad during WW II and wrote jokes for comics of that era. He jumped at opportunities to write screenplays, television hit series and plays for Broadway. At age 90 the National Medal of Arts was presented to him by President Obama in honor of his “lifetime of making the world laugh.”
Along with befriending his ever-growing audience, Mel is known for his enduring friendships and his marriage to actress Ann Bancroft. You can see here how they knitted humor and love of the theater arts into their marriage.
Rita Moreno by Maria Correa; illustrated by Maine Diaz. 2023
She was born in Puerto Rico in 1931 as Risa Dolores Alverio. Moving to New York City with her mother when she was five years old was the bold move that gave us Rita Moreno.
Once introduced to dance, Rita discovered a passionate focus for the rest of her life. This led to her being the first Latina to earn an EGOT—the four major entertainment awards: an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony. She enjoyed a long career on the stage, in movies and television.
A wide audience first embraces Rita playing the role of Anita in the original West Side Story, for which she won an Oscar. Sixty years later at age eighty-nine, she joined director Steven Spielberg’s remake of that film, playing a shopkeeper named Valentina and mentoring cast members. In between were many films, more stage work and the chance to reach young people in the PBS series The Electric Company.
Rita Moreno’s hard work earned her celebrity status which she put to use to support equal rights for African Americans, women and the Latin community. Her life gives us a brilliant example of what it means to be a vitally involved person at all stages of life.
William Shatner, by Bruce Hale; illustrated by Martin Moron. 2023
William Shatner was born in Montreal, Canada during the Depression. Regardless of the challenges of that era, as a young boy William fed his imagination by going to the movies and listening to radio shows.
He joined the Montreal Children’s Theater and never, ever experienced stage fright.
Confident in himself and clear about his desire to act, he participated in theater productions while at McGill University. To appease his father’s anxiety that acting would not be viable way to make a living, he took business courses.
Those businesses courses helped him land Assistant Manager of Mountain Playhouse in Montreal. It was quickly revealed that William was horrible at managing the budget, but he was hired as an actor and the rest, as they say, is history.
William Shatner took various television and acting roles and the trajectory of his career took a dramatic turn when Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, asked William to play Captain Kirk.
Surprisingly, Star Trek only ran for three years on television. But later, when aired as reruns it ignited a wave of fandom that resulted in seven movies and a cultural phenomenon.
Ever- confident in himself and his talents, Shatner does not shirk at taking on new challenges. A age 90 he became the oldest person to fly in space.
Betty White by Deborah Hopkinson; illustrated by Margeaux Lucas. 2021
Young Betty White’s passionate love of animals led her to long for a career as a zookeeper or forest ranger. But born in 1922, Betty discovered those arenas closed to girls.
Her pivot to follow another passion, acting, led to Betty White’s legendary career of many years, and America’s love affair with the talented, funny actress. Her hard work, obvious enjoyment of every decade and her ability to change with the times should inspire us all.
Betty began in local theaters and radio commercials, then television in its early days in the 1940’s. She became known for her quick wit and ability to think on her feet—few scripts for Betty!
She acted, hosted and also produced TV shows. Her two best known shows are The Mary Tyler Moore Show, when Betty was in her 50’s and The Golden Girls when in her 60’s. At age 88 she became the oldest host on the comedy show Saturday Night Live and added an Emmy to her many honors. Betty starred in two more TV shows in her 90’s.
Her early passion for animals led Betty to support endangered species and their habitats, along with the Los Angeles Zoo.
At Age 92 Betty White was asked–What do people get most wrong about being old?
“We’ve made age such a terrible thing that the younger people think that just getting to that age is awful. But if you’re blessed with good health, and I am, and I never take it for granted, you can get by with murder! You get spoiled rotten.” (NYT magazine Old Masters)
***Age Positive activities help children learn about aging, to recognize age stereotypes and to anticipate late life with joy.
ENCOURAGE • SUPPORT • ENGAGE
Not everyone will reach the heights of fame and celebrity of these thespians. So what! That does not diminish the value and benefits for everyone integrating the arts into their lives. As neuroscience is now proving what we all intuitively know to be true—the expressive arts are good for the mind, body and soul. They can cultivate resilience, compassion and self- understanding.
“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique.”
Martha Graham, Dancer and Choreographer
Let’s encourage young people to explore their creative passions and recognize how they can be pursued over a lifetime. Read more in this NYT magazine article Old Masters: After 80, Some People Don’t Retire, They Reign.
Find more Golden Book biographies or “Famous Faces” Iris Apfel Golden Book review at A is for Aging blog.
***Many thanks to Marsha Weiner for her reviews of Mel Brooks, Rita Moreno & William Shatner, and the development of the activity for children. The books were provided by the publisher in exchange for an impartial review.
