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) The Journal of Multiculturalism in Education Volume 8 (October 2012) 5 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). The Journal of Multiculturalism in Education Volume 8 (October 2012) 7 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) The Journal of Multiculturalism in Education Volume 8 (October 2012) 8 “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) The Journal of Multiculturalism in Education Volume 8 (October 2012) 9 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? The Journal of Multiculturalism in Education Volume 8 (October 2012) 10 • 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? The Journal of Multiculturalism in Education Volume 8 (October 2012) 11 • 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) REFERENCES The Journal of Multiculturalism in Education Volume 8 (October 2012) 12 Araujo, L. & Strasser, J. (2000). Facing prejudice in the classroom. Manuscript submitted for publication. Boyd, 1991 Boyd, Candy Dawson. Crisis Time: The Need for African-American Literature in the World of Children's Books. School Library Media Annual (SLMA); v9 p49-59 1991. 1991 Bultler, R. (2006). What to do when you can’t find you: Exposing children to culturally reflective literature. Texas Child Care, Spring, 2006. Creany, A.D.;Couch, R. A.; Caropreso, E. J. (1993) Representation of culture in children’s picture books. Visual literacy in the digital age: Selected readings from the Annual Conference of the International Visual Literacy Association (25th Rodchester, New York, October 13-17, 1993. Derman-Sparks, L., & the ABC Task Force. (1989). Anti-bias curriculum: Tools for empowering young children. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children. Dowd, F. S. (1992). Evaluating children’s books portraying Native Americans and Asian cultures. Childhood Education 68 (4):219-224. Florez-Tighe, V. 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The Journal of Multiculturalism in Education Volume 8 (October 2012) 13 Huck, C.; Helpler, S.; & Hickman, J. (1993). Children’s literature in the elementary school. New York: Holt, Rhinehart and Winston. Hylton and Dumett (1986) Hylton, V.W., & Dumett, L. (1986). Multiethnic/multicultural materials. Richmond: Virginia State Department of Education, Division of Technical Assistance for Equity in Education. (ED 272 440)http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed327613.html Jacobs, J. S. & Tunnell, M.O. (2004). Children’s Literature Briefly. (3rd Ed.) Upper Saddle River, N. J.: Pearson Education , Inc. Katz, P. (1982). Development of children's racial awareness and intergroup attitudes. In L. G. Katz (Ed.), Current topics in early childhood education (Vol. 4, pp. 17-54). Norwood, NJ: Ablex. Koeppel, J. (1992). The sister schools program: A way for children to learn about cultural diversity when there isn't any in their school. Young Children, 45(4), 44-47. Larrick 1978 Larrick, Nancy. Classroom Magazines: A Critique of 45 Top Sellers. Learning; v7 n2 p60-69 Oct 1978. Lynch-Brown, C. (1993). Essentials of children’s literature. Boston: Allyn-Bacon. Nodleman, P. (1992). The pleasures of children’s literature. White Plains, New York: Longman. Norton, D. (1990). Through the eyes of a child. New York: Macmillan. Pirofski, K. I. (2005). Multicultural Literature and the Children’s Literary Canon Pirovski, K. I., n.d. Race, gender and disability in today’s children’s literature. http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/papers/literature2.html Piaget, J. (1959). The language and thought of the child (3rd ed.). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. (Original work published 1923.) Ramsey, P. G. (1998). Teaching and learning in a diverse world: Multicultural education for young children (2nd ed.). New York: Teachers College Press. Rasinski, T. V. & Padak, N. D. (1990). Multicultural learning through children’s literature. Language Arts, v67 n6 p. 576-80, Oct. 1990. Reimer, K. M. (1992). Multiethnic Literature: Holding Fast to Dreams. Technical Report No. 551, Romero, P. & Zancanella, D. (1990). Expanding the circle: Hispanic voices in The Journal of Multiculturalism in Education Volume 8 (October 2012) 14 American literature. English Journal 79 (1), 24-29. Schwarcz, J. & Schwarcz, C. (1990). The picture book comes of age. Chicago: American Library Association. Smith, E. B. (1995) Anchored in our Literature: Students Responding To African American Literature," Language Arts, v 72n8p571-74 Dec 1995. Teaching Tolerance Project. (1997). Starting small: Teaching tolerance in preschool and the early grades. Montgomery, AL: Southern Poverty Law Center. Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Webb, M. (1990) Multicultural Education in Elementary and Secondary Schools, ERIC Digest Number 67, Jul. 1990, ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education New York, NY. ED327613 http://ericae.net/edo/ED327613.HTM