(NAME-MCE) Children's book - poll

[Paul C.Gorski]

Thanks Debbie.

One reason I'm doing these polls is to look closely at what people are
recommending. This is exactly the kind of dialogue I was hoping would
emerge.

And this is particularly an issue with what people call "multicultural
children's literature"--a term that seems to be used whenever a book
includes at least one character who isn't a white male, regardless of the
content of the story or the way the characters are portrayed. And it's very
difficult to find young children's books that do anything beyond
"appreciating difference," often in a stereotypical way.

Paul

********
Paul C. Gorski
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-----Original Message-----
From: name-mce-bounces at nameorg.org [mailto:name-mce-bounces at nameorg.org] On
Behalf Of Debbie Reese
Sent: Saturday, March 03, 2007 11:19 AM
To: name-mce at nameorg.org
Subject: (NAME-MCE) Children's book - poll




I don't like Peter Spier's PEOPLE because it exoticizes everyone in the
world, especially people of color, while making white America seen quite the
norm, quite natural. 

AMAZING GRACE is also problematic, in that it shows a stereotypical American
Indian (Grace in headdress, arms crossed in stoic Indian theme).

KNOTS ON A COUNTING ROPE is messed up in several ways. For example, the Hopi
Indian people are shown wearing traditional clothing to watch a horse race,
as though that were everyday wear. 

I don't know the Douglas Wood book on the list, but Wood's other books on
American Indians are not recommended.

If you're looking for book about American Indians, please visit my site:
http://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com
where you can see my lists of books, plus links to articles on this topic. 

Debbie 
Debbie A. Reese, (Nambé Pueblo)
Assistant Professor
American Indian Studies
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
1206 West Nevada
Urbana, IL 61801

Email: debreese at uiuc.edu 

Internet Resource & Blog: American Indians in Children's Literature, located
at http://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com

UIUC's Native American House http://www.nah.uiuc.edu
TEL 217-265-9870
FAX 217-265-9880

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