In an opinion piece posted today on SLJ.com, Amy Martin from Oakland Public Library revisited the evaluation of police picture books. In many, many cases, the representation is completely one-sided, depicting the police as community helpers and someone to be called upon for help. While this is true for some police officers, it's not always the case and these books do a disservice to children and their families who have had very different interactions with law enforcement, invalidating their experiences. "Presenting police as community helpers without a counterpoint available—that police might harm them—is gaslighting for children who see police brutality in their home, in their neighborhood, on TV, and on their parents’ phones."
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