Mini Grey is Here!

Acluster of plastic farm animals huddles nervously, trapped between two enormous pillow villains on a vast duvetcovered landscape. The pillows are menacing in their demeanour, their fluffy softness barely masking their maniacal plans for the terrified toys. Help is most decisively at hand in the pleasing form of Traction Man, hardly out of his shiny new packaging, discarded eagerly on the previous page, and now flying to the rescue of the defenceless cattle in a vivid red star-encrusted spaceship, creatively rustled up from his boy’s trainer; footwear once, now a vehicle for daring rescue and intrepid adventure. So begins the first of many daring encounters to be faced by Traction Man, the eponymous superhero toy of this series of books by Mini Grey.

Grey’s Traction Man series presents an insightful parody of the highly gendered characterisations of plastic toys such as Action Man and Barbie. The strength of Grey’s satirical appraisal of such toys and their significance in a young child’s narrative world lies in her affectionate portrayal of gendered fantasy play, although that portrayal sometimes re-entrenches the very gender stereotypes under attack. Through witty narrative and dynamic, comic strip style illustration, Traction Man is Here (2005), Traction Man Meets Turbodog (2008), and Traction Man and the Beach Odyssey (2011) introduce the reader to a small boy’s domestic world and the central role his favourite toy—Traction Man—plays in building imaginative adventures.

In Traction Man is Here, shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal, the boy turns mundane tasks, such as doing the washing up or having a bath, into imaginative realms for fantasy, where the only limitations placed on his play are practical ones. Traction Man has a “Sub-Aqua Suit, Fluorescent Flippers and Infra-Red Mask” as part of his accessory wardrobe, and is soon seen diving into the murky depths of the washing up bowl, surrounded by the debris and detritus from a family breakfast. Unbeknown to him, as he swims through the water, a dirty dishcloth is looming overhead. Another confrontation ensues, with Traction Man only barely escaping in time. This skirmish is resolved with the help of a “brave little scrubbing brush,” depicted as a dog-like creature, only too happy to help. Scrubbing Brush now becomes Traction Man’s loyal sidekick for the two storybooks which follow.

In this first book in the series, Grey establishes an interest in challenging and rewriting gendered signifiers, albeit within a fairly safe and conventional world where masculinity must be protected. On a family trip to see Granny, the boy is given an extra Christmas present for Traction Man. To both the boy’s and Traction Man’s dismay, when they unwrap the gift, they discover an “all-in-one knitted green romper suit and matching bonnet.” This presents an interesting juxtaposition of gendered roles and signifiers. A green knitted romper suit effectively destroys the action figure’s combative integrity. The boy is faced with a dilemma. While they remain at Granny’s house, Traction Man needs to keep wearing his romper suit in order not to hurt her feelings. This creates enormous problems for the fantasy play, especially as he no longer looks like a superhero and now seems reluctant even to behave like one. In order to resolve this dilemma, Grey has Scrubbing Brush step in to save a drawer of spoons in mortal danger. Scrubbing Brush inherits all the attributes of a daring hero, using a loose thread from Traction Man’s romper suit to abseil down the sideboard and tie the spoons to the liberated woollen strands. Traction Man regains his composure and helps by hoisting the spoons to safety. Muscles, teamwork and heroic flair triumph, but Grey ensures that the previously ridiculed and feminised knitted outfit also has an important function in the successful resolution of the adventure.

Grey plays with conventional symbols of femininity in different ways in her series. “The Dollies” appear in all three books, often in a desperate position of vulnerability. In the first two books, the same...