Picture book professors : academia and childrens literature How is academia portrayed in childrens literature This Element ambitiously surveys fictional professors in texts marketed towards children. Professors are overwhelmingly white and male tending to be elderly scientists who fall into three stereotypes: the vehicle to explain scientific facts the baffled genius and the evil madman. By the late twentieth century the stereotype of the male mad muddlehead called Professor SomethingDumb is formed in humorous yet pejorative fashion. This Element provides a publishing history of the role of academics in childrens literature questioning the book culture which promotes the enforcement of stereotypes regarding intellectual expertise in childrens media. The Element is also available with additional material as Open Access