Picture #29 colored, Mother Scolds Disobedient Blue Jay
/When I work on this image, which shows Momma Jay is expressing disappointment in her son, I think I’m moving the story towards more sophisticated readers, perhaps into the 6 to 10 years-old age range. This picture shows a mother scolding her son, which is contrary to what you would expect from the usual children’s book mother. Children’s books for youngsters and tykes show mothers and fathers who are invariably warm, loving, and supportive. In my story, Momma Jay is disappointed and upset that her son has disobeyed her and has done something so dangerous that he could have lost his life. The reader will be aware that she’s being unfair to Jimmy — Buddy was the instigator, not Jimmy! Momma Jay is scolding the wrong person. So much drama!
