A Challenge

Was Christmas shopping at the weekend and browsing in the Children's Book Section of Waterstones. Was witness the following scene:

Little girl (aged about 8) runs enthusiastically into the section and over to the picture books. Starts looking excitedly through the books and says, "can I have one of these, please!"

But mummy replies, "not those, darling, they're for babies - you're not a baby!" adding, "come away from there, the books for your age are over here."

Little girl, "but they have no pictures in them, that's BORING!"

Mummy, "Now don't be silly. When you're big you have to make the pictures in your head."

Little girl (now back at the picture books, "But these are lovely. I love them!"

Mummy, "I said come away. Now you can read, you have to read these ones. Look, it says 'pre-school' - you're not a baby, are you. "

Little girl (miserably), "no..."

Me (I'd held back long enough), "actually, the sign is wrong, they are picture books, not pre-school books."

Mummy (glaring), "thank you," and pulling little girl away physically!

Mummy then proceeds to read aloud excerpts from fiction she is choosing for the little girl, punctuated with comments like, "now, THAT'S exciting, isn't it!" and "you like that, don't you," while the little girl continued to gaze longingly at the picture books.

The challenge

What can we as writers, editors, publishers, parents, literacy workers do to counter this awful view that from the moment children begin to read they must abandon picture books? They must abandon illustrations? Some of my US friends are already on the job, launching Picture Book Month in November (http://picturebookmonth.com/). I welcome any ideas from you my picture book friends.