Literature is a powerful vehicle for helping children
understand their homes, communities and the world. Even
before young children can read themselves, family members,
childcare providers and teachers are reading them stories
about other children in far-away places, sometimes from the
distant past, or about children whose lives are not unlike
their own. The impressions and messages contained in these
stories can last a lifetime. Even in this era of "virtual"
experience, the reading of children's books remains one of
the most personal, in that the literary experience is shaped
by the interaction of reader, listener and text.
According to the Cooperative
Children's Book Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, of
the 4,500 children's books published in the United States in
1997, 88 were by African-American authors and/or
illustrators, 88 were by Latino/a authors or about Latino/a
themes, 64 books were on Native American themes and 66 were
about Asians and Asian Americans. Of the 66 books about
Asians, only six were about Asian-American children living in
the United States in the 1990s and 14 of the titles were
folklores.
Children's books, at their best, invite children to use
their imaginations, expand their vocabularies and gain a
better understanding of themselves and others. And, if the
titles reflect the diverse groups of people in the world
around them, children can learn to respect not only their own
cultural groups, but also the cultural groups of others.
Children's literature serves as both a mirror to children and
as a window to the world around them by showing people from
diverse groups playing and working together, solving problems
and overcoming obstacles. At its best, multicultural
children's literature helps children understand that despite
our many differences, all people share common feelings and
aspirations. Those feelings can include love, sadness, fear
and the desire for fairness and justice.
Unfortunately, not all children's literature sends the
messages that we want children to learn. Children's books
often contain the same stereotypes and biases of other media,
and because children are interested in a story's plot and
characters, it is unlikely that they will know or consider
whether a book includes racist or sexist messages or other
stereotypes. However, if young children are repeatedly
exposed to biased representations through words and pictures,
there is a danger that such distortions will become a part of
their thinking. It is, therefore, the responsibility of
adults to help children select literature that is both
entertaining and that provides children with accurate
representations of all people. Additionally, because there is
such a relatively small number of children's books about
people of color, people who are gay and lesbian or people
with physical and mental disabilities, it is extremely
important that adults make every effort to see that
high-quality children's literature by and about these groups
is made available to children.
Selecting good multicultural children's books begins with
the same criteria as that for selecting any good children's
books - the literary elements of plot, characterization,
setting, style, theme and point of view must be interwoven to
provide an interesting story. In addition, good multicultural
children's books will challenge stereotypes and promote a
realistic glimpse into the lives of diverse groups of people.
By providing children with accurate and positive
representations of the many cultural groups that make up the
community, society and the world in which they live, books
can help children learn to identify stereotypes and biases
when they encounter them.
Connecting to National and State Standards
Children's literature provides numerous opportunities for
teachers to meet national, state and local standards for
history and language arts. For example, to meet the National
History Standard demonstrating an understanding of family
life now and in the recent post, teachers can have students
compare the cultural similarities and differences in clothes,
homes, foods, communication, technology, cultural traditions
and other aspects of family between families now and in the
post. Possible sources might include information provided by
family members, family photographs, artifacts, and books such
as The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polocco, The Patchwork Quilt
by Valerie Flournoy, Mirancly and Brother Wind by Patrick C.
McKissock, Everybody Bakes Bread by Noah Dooley, Thanksqiving
at Oboachcyn's by Janet Misui Brown, Cherokee Summer by Diane
Hoyt-Goldsmith, The House I Live In: At Home in America by
Isadore Seltzer, Two Mrs. Gibsons by Toyomi lgus and Where
Fireflies DoncelAhi, donde boilan las luciernogas by Lucha
Corpi.
While not every book can possibly meet every standard for
what constitutes an "excellent" children's book, oftentimes
the value of a particular book will outweigh those areas that
might be questionable or problematic. When deciding whether
or not to include a particular title in a collection of
children's books, it is important to review the content as
well as any illustrations or pictures that accompany the
text. Children's books should be examined for such things as
historical accuracy, realistic life styles, believable
characters and authentic language. The books chosen should
also represent a variety of settings, problem-solving
approaches and themes, and should provide opportunities for
children to consider multiple perspectives and values. Most
importantly, the books must have universal appeal.
Multicultural children's books should not speak to a limited
group; they should speak to all children.
A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE(ae) Institute Selected Bibliography
of Children's Books
The A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE(ae)Institute Selected Bibliography
of Children's Books is a listing of close to 500 children's
books carefully selected by A WORLD OF
DIFFERENCE(ae)Institute staff. All of these titles have the
potential to help children respect their own cultural groups
as well as the cultural groups of others, to develop empathy
and, in general, to learn about multiple perspectives and
experiences. The books are divided into categories common to
all people: Customs, Traditions and Lifestyles; Families,
Friends and Neighbors; Folktales, Legends and Poems, and
Overcoming Obstacles. Many books can fit into more than one
category, and teachers and family members reading these books
with children can help them explore many themes.
This bibliography includes a short description of each
book along with a suggested reading level, K-3, 4-6 or K-6.
Many of the titles lend themselves well to being read aloud
to children of any age. It is strongly recommended that
educators review books carefully before using them to
determine age or grade level and content appropriateness.