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Julianne Moore 'Truly Saddened' by Trump’s Ban on Her Book Freckleface Strawberry in Schools: ‘I Can’t Help But Wonder What...’
Actress Julianne Moore said she was 'truly saddened' and 'shocked' after learning that the Trump administration banned her children’s book Freckleface Strawberry from Department of Defense schools.
Julianne Moore said she was shocked to find out that the Trump administration banned her 2007 children’s book Freckleface Strawberry from schools operated by the Department of Defense (DoD).
Sharing the news on Instagram, the actress wrote, “It is a great shock for me to learn that my first book, Freckleface Strawberry, has been banned by the Trump Administration from schools run by the Department of Defense.”
The book tells the story of a seven-year-old girl who dislikes her freckles but learns to embrace them. Moore described it as a semi-autobiographical story aimed at helping children understand self-acceptance.
She added that it is a book she wrote for her children and for other kids to remind them that we all struggle but are united by humanity and community.
Freckleface Strawberry follows a young girl struggling with her freckles and finding ways to hide them. The official synopsis states, “If you have freckles, you can try these things: 1) Make them go away. Unless scrubbing doesn’t work. 2) Cover them up. Unless your mom yells at you for using a marker. 3) Disappear. Um, where’d you go? Oh, there you are. There’s one other thing you can do: 4) LIVE WITH THEM! Because after all, the things that make you different also make you, YOU.”
The book, illustrated by LeUyen Pham, has been well-received since its release. Moore, known for her acting career, wanted to create a story that children could relate to.
Julianne Moore has a personal connection to the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools, having attended the Frankfurt American High School in Germany. She is also the daughter of a Vietnam War veteran. In her statement, she shared her disappointment that military children would not have access to her book.
She said she is particularly saddened that kids like her, growing up with a parent in the service and attending a DoDEA school, will not have access to a book written by someone whose life experience is so similar to their own.
Moore questioned why her book was banned. “I can’t help but wonder what is so controversial about this picture book that caused it to be banned by the US government,” she said. “I am truly saddened and never thought I would see this in a country where freedom of speech and expression is a constitutional right.”
The ban was brought to Moore’s attention by PEN America, a non-profit literary activist group. According to the organization, Freckleface Strawberry was banned alongside Kathleen Krull’s No Truth Without Ruth, a book about Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Ellis Nutt’s Becoming Nicole, a book about a transgender girl.
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