The Journal of Multiculturalism in Education Volume 8 (October 2012) ... Multicultural children’s literature:

The Journal of Multiculturalism in Education Volume 8 (October 2012) 1
Multicultural children’s literature:
The interplay of text and images send meaningful messages to children
Daniella Ramos Barroqueiro & Samantha Sprouse
The Journal of Multiculturalism in Education Volume 8 (October 2012) 2
Abstract
It is important that children are exposed to multicultural children’s literature
so that they are given the opportunity to explore the heritage and values of the
variety of people living in their society and perhaps shed some of their preconceived
notions and negative attitudes toward others. This article will explore the problem
of the limited quantity and poor quality of multicultural children’s literature and the
under-representation of minorities as authors and main characters in children’s
literature. It will describe the importance and benefits of multicultural children’s
literature and lay out criteria for its evaluation.
The Journal of Multiculturalism in Education Volume 8 (October 2012) 3
Multicultural children’s literature:
The interplay of text and images send meaningful messages to children
For many years American society has been described as a “melting pot” but in recent
years, it has more often been compared to a “tossed salad” where immigrants do not
loose their own cultural identity to become part of a homogenized entity, rather, the
individuals retain their own national characteristics while integrating into a new
society. “At one time, newcomers to this country sought to shed evidence of their
cultural heritage and blend with mainstream America,” asserted Creany, et al.,
(1993, p.3). “However, in contemporary society, residents of the United States are
proud of their ethnic heritage and strive to preserve its values and unique
characteristics” (Creany, et al., 1993, p.3).
Whether one views America as a melting pot or a tossed salad, it is certain
that racism and other prejudices are being introduced to children at the youngest of
ages. We know that stereotypes, prejudices in homes, communities, and the media
can negatively affect children’s feelings about themselves and others (Derman-
Sparks & the ABC Task Force, 1989; Honig, 1983; Katz, 1982.) As children begin to
notice gender, racial and ethnic differences, for example, they may begin to develop
feelings of ‘pre-prejudice’ (Derman-Sparks & the ABC Task Force, 1989), and finally,
prejudice, during these early years.
It is important that children are exposed to multicultural children’s literature
so that they are given the opportunity to explore the heritage and values of the
The Journal of Multiculturalism in Education Volume 8 (October 2012) 4
variety of people living in their society and perhaps shed some of their preconceived
notions and negative attitudes toward others.
This article will explore the problem of the limited quantity and poor quality
of multicultural children’s literature and the under-representation of minorities as
authors and main characters in children’s literature. It will describe the importance
and benefits of multicultural children’s literature and lay out criteria for its
evaluation.
Pictures and Words
By definition, the picture storybook is a format in which words and
illustrations have equal responsibility for telling a story (Lynch-Brown, 1993).
Images and text work in tandem to communicate meaning (Schwarcz, 1990). “In a
picture book the two media intertwine, complementing and extending each other in
such a way that readers cannot understand the storyline by attending only to the
text or only to the illustrations” (Creany, et al. 1993, p.4).
According to Creany, et al. (1993):
Pictures are able to convey some aspect of a story more effectively
than text. Illustrations can describe characters or settings of a story
with a complexity that cannot be achieved with text that is written for
a young, inexpert reader. Text on the other hand, is more effective than
illustrations in conveying temporal order, cause and effect and super
or subordinate order. For example, an author can state that things
went on in the same manner, day after day more easily than an artist
could draw such a concept. (p.4)
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Creany et al. (1993) described picture books as a serial art form with one
illustration leading to the next. The serial nature and the integration of image and
word suggests a parallel between television, movies and picture books. Like
television and movies, picture books have the potential to influence a child’s view of
other cultures. (Creany, et al., 1993)
Problems with Multicultural Children’s Literature
There is a general lack of multicultural children’s literature and a lack of
minority authors as well as main characters who are of diverse ethnic origin.
Researchers have documented that children’s books are bereft of Asian, Hispanic,
African-American, as well as disabled and female characters (Pirovski, n. d.).
Unfortunately, the vast majority of children’s literature focuses on the experience of
white males (Butler, R., 2006).
Even worse, in many multicultural picture books there are
misrepresentations, stereotypical images and inaccurate or misleading descriptions
of minority characters and their settings. Pirofski (2005) posited that,“the reasons
for the omission of culturally authentic characters in children's books are numerous.
The lack of African-American authors, in part, accounts for the lack of children's
books with African-American characters” (p. 6).
According to Gary (1984):
The Council of Interracial Books for Children (CIBC) believes that
publishing companies are responsible for the lack of multicultural
representation in books. They offered the following remark: When a
publishing firm continually selects for publication, without
The Journal of Multiculturalism in Education Volume 8 (October 2012) 6
meaningful counsel or input from minority group members,
manuscripts that include certain facts and viewpoints and exclude
others, and when the selections and rejections are determined by the
publisher's own unconscious racist and sexist attitudes, then racism,
sexism and censorship can be said to have joined hands. . . . Consider,
too, that no malicious intent need be involved. It is primarily a matter
of orientation--a white male, middle/upper class, ethnocentric
orientation. (p. 15)
According to Creany et al. (1993), “Under-representation of minority cultures
in picture books results in two negative consequences. First, minority children are
less likely to see their own image reflected in books” (p. 5). The author contends
that such an absence could suggest to a child that she is not important enough to
appear in books. “Second, majority children may receive a distorted view of what
the world is really like” (Creany, et. al., p. 5). “As Larrick stated, ‘Although his light
skin makes him one of the world’s minorities, the white child learns from his books
that he is the kingfish’ (p. 63)”. (Creany, et. al., p. 5)
Too often children are not given the opportunity to make powerful
connections to works that draw on what they already know and validate the
importance of that knowledge (Romero & Zancanella, 1990). When young readers
frequently encounter characters with whom they can connect, they will engage in
and share experiences—and begin to appreciate the way literature impacts their
lives (Hefflan & Barksdale-Ladd, 2001).
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Webb (1990) believed that for minority children to benefit form
multicultural literature, it should be used year round. Hylton and Dumett (1986)
submit that introducing multicultural literature on a limited basis, for instance,
during Black History Month, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday or during Kwanza
is not aggressive enough.
Pirofski asserted that,
“No one benefits from a continued misrepresentation and under-reporting of
disability, gender and race. Because children’s medias power to educate and
inform, and because it is the transmitter of our societies culture and values, it
must mirror the diversity of its readers and the diversity of the larger,
aggregate society it theoretically represents. (p.20)
The Benefits of Children’s Multicultural Literature
Children’s literature can be used to explore and develop appreciation for
cultural differences (Rasinski & Padak, 1990). Norton (1990) observed that in
addition to providing enjoyment, multicultural literature benefits children in the
following ways: Children from an ethnic minority group can identify with and feel
proud of their heritage thus boosting self esteem; and children can recognize the
commonalities shared by all ethnic groups—needs, emotions dreams, fears. “Their
portrayal should be well developed and offer a multi-faceted view of their heritage. .
. . Individuals who develop an appreciation for their own diversity are more likely to
value others.” (Creany, et. al. 1993, p.3 ) “The artist’s images in multicultural
literature give children the opportunity to see the similarity among peoples and also
to appreciate differences.” (Creany, et. al., 1993, p. 8)
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“Pioneer researcher Florez-Tighe (1983), was one of the first educators to
advocate the use of multicultural literature in the school curriculum. Her research
indicated that culturally authentic children’s literature enhances language
development and thought processes of African American children (Pirofski, 2005, p.
1). Florez-Tighe, (1983) believed that the use of African American folktales by
teachers in the classroom can teach respect for African American culture and affirm
a child’s feelings of self worth. (Pirofski, 2005, p. 1). Grice and Vaughn (1992)
documented that a significant percentage of African American children responded
more positively to books with African American themes than they did towards
books with Caucasian characters. “Smith (1995) found that African American
children prefer to read culturally conscious, multicultural books. In her study of
three African-American fifth graders, she discovered that when instructed to selfselect literature, African-American children chose books that dealt with AfricanAmerican experiences. “(Pirofski, 2005, p. 2).
According to Bultler, (2006):
A rich literature diet provides variety—traditions and experiences
that are both familiar and strange, characters that look like ourselves
and others, and ideas that challenge and comfort. The best books
allow us to imagine beyond the boundaries of our day-to-day
experiences, to explore the realities that are different from our own.
(p. 18)
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When a child’s upbringing does not include being around people of different races,
then multicultural literature will help children of all ethnic groups understand and
relate, to people of diverse backgrounds (Bultler, R., 2006).
Goals of Multicultural Children’s Literature
Jacobs and Tunnell (2004) point to four important goals of multicultural literature:
• presenting a positive and reassuring representation of the reader’s
own cultural group.
• instilling appreciation of diverse lifestyles influenced by
environment and tradition,
• encouraging children to recognize that members of the human
family have more similarities than differences, and
• fostering awareness, understanding, and appreciation of people who
seem different from the reader. (p. 18-19)
Evaluating Multicultural Children’s Literature
What are effective criteria for evaluating multicultural literature? How do we
recognize quality literature vs. literature with racial and gender stereotypes?
Norton’s (1995) has offered an extensive list of reliable criteria for evaluating
African-American literature:
• Are characters portrayed as individuals—with their own thoughts,
emotions and ideas—instead of representatives of a group?
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• Does the book exclude stereotypes of appearance, behavior and character
traits?
• Does the book authentically portray physical diversity in both text and
illustration?
• Will children be able to recognize the characters in the text and
illustrations? Are people of color shown as simply darker versions of Anglo
characters?
• Are the ethnic or racial cultures, customs and values accurately portrayed?
• Are social issues and problems depicted frankly, accurately, and without
oversimplification?
• Do non-white characters solve their problems individually or with the
assistance of family and friends and without the intervention of white
authorities?
• Are non-white characters shown as equals of white characters?
• Does the author avoid glamorizing or glorifying non-white characters—
especially in biographies?
• Is the setting authentic, whether past, present, or future? Will children be
able to recognize the setting as urban, rural, or fantasy?
• Are the factual and historical details accurate?
• Does the author accurately describe contemporary settings?
• Does the book rectify historical distortions or omissions?
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• Does dialect have a legitimate purpose and does it ring true, as opposed to
being used as an example of substandard English? Are non-English words
spelled and used correctly?
• Does the author avoid offensive or degrading vocabulary to describe
characters, activities, traditions, and lifestyles?
• Are the illustrations authentic and free of stereotypes?
•Does the book depict positive role models for girls and avoid subservient
female characters? (p. 12)
Reviewing children’s multicultural literature thoroughly, using these criteria
should ensure that children will be experiencing bias-free literature. The books that
reach children authentically depict and interpret their lives and their history, build
self-respect, encourage the development of positive values, make children aware of
their strengths, and leave them with a sense of hope and direction (Greenfield,
1995). Quality multicultural children’s literature enables children “to see
themselves and others in a realistic environment and perhaps help them develop
tolerance toward others from different backgrounds” (Bultler, 2006, p. 19). Dowd
(1992) suggested that from reading, hearing and using culturally diverse materials
young people learn that beneath surface differences of color, culture or ethnicity, all
people experience feelings of love, sadness, self worth, justice and kindness.’(Bultler,
2006, p. 19)
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