KIDS' BOOKS DEFAME OLDER WOMEN.

Thumb through any illustrated book of fairy tales or children's stories and see how many flattering images of older women there are. Chances are, you won't find many except for fairy godmothers, maintains Judith Johnson, who, at age, 57, is pursuing a doctorate at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. "Older women are seen as wicked if they're powerful," she points out. "I think Disney did the most harm, but he was a product of his age. He took his...