Tag Archives: Diversity

Just Like Josh Gibson

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Author: Angela Johnson

Illustrator/ Photographer: Beth Peck

Publisher and Year: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2004

Number of Pages: 29 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

The story of this book is about an African American girl who wants to play baseball just like Josh Gibson, “the Babe Ruth of the Negros Leagues” (Johnson, 2004). Grandmama tells the story in flashbacks of her growing up loving baseball but never getting the chance (with the exception of one time) to play in a real game because she was a girl.

This text serves as a door, window, and mirror all at the same time. First, it serves as a window because the reader sees a story of a girl of color surpassing societal norms of the time and proving she can play baseball as well as the boys. This aspect of the story not only breaks racial stereotypes, but also gender stereotypes that girls cannot be as good as boys at sports. Second, it serves as a mirror to call upon the reader to reflect on how he/she handles stereotypes among different groups of people. Thirdly, it serves as a door to show that women have the opportunity to do the same sports and activities as men.

The entire tale of this story is Grandmama referring back to her childhood playing baseball. Jack Gibson was an African American baseball player that unfortunately never made it to the major leagues for baseball (Johnson 2004). With Grandmama already being a woman, an African American, and the setting of the flashback in the 1940s, Grandmama had no power. But, that did not stop Grandmama’s father from teaching her how to play baseball so that she could be just like Josh Gibson. Two cultures are noticeably identified and represented in this story: women and African Americans. As a woman, Grandmama was able to overcome barriers and show she was just as good as the boys in a male dominated activity, baseball.

At the same time, this book gives respect to the African American community by acknowledging their culture, contribution, and love for baseball as well. In regards to my understanding of culture, this story speaks and represents African Americans in a sport favored by America but also, it shows girls that they are not limited to anything simply for being a girl. Though the images take up most of pages, the words on the page are easy to find showing that the images and text are both important to the story as a whole. The characters of Josh Gibson and Grandmama (as a little girl) are looking to the right, symbolizing them both breaking gender and racial barriers and moving forward. The colors in the story are dull and faded possibly representing the whole flashback, and/or the disappearance of racial and gender stereotypes in sports. The dialect of Grandmama speaks represents her African American culture. The words and images mirror one another, showing a clear picture of the flashback Grandmama is trying to convey to her granddaughter (in the present time). The biggest ideologies of this storybook are girls can play with the boys, race does not make someone inferior or superior, and girls are not to be limited to things simply because they are girls.

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The Ugly Dumpling

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Author: Stephanie Campisi

Illustrator/ Photographer: Shahar Kober

Publisher and Year: Mighty Media Kids, 2016

Number of Pages: 27 Pages

Diversity, Fiction, Dorning

Genre: Fantasy

The Ugly Dumpling is a storybook about a dumpling in a restaurant that struggles to fit in and find a friend. The dumpling befriends a cockroach and they find the “beauty of the world” together (Campisi, 2016).

Besides the unlikely friendship of a food (dumpling) and insect (cockroach), this story serves as a mirror for the audience to reflect on how people view diversity. In this story, the dumpling is ignored and excluded from participating in the restaurant’s business (no matter how hard it tried) because the dumpling looked different. Not until it befriends and goes on adventures with the cockroach, does it realize the beauty in being different. By the end of the story, the dumpling and cockroach find the power and confidence to accept whom the other is and walk away from those who do not appreciate their beauty in being different. As fantasized as the story and artwork is, this storybook serves as a window to all cultures to practice the virtue of acceptance. In regards to my understanding of culture, this story shares the message of the vital importance of acceptance because regardless of sex, religion, or gender, everyone wants to be included and wanted.

This book attempts to convey this message to such an extent that on the last page of the story is the quote, “Every dumpling needs a friend” (Campisi, 2016) with a website at the bottom of the page. After looking on the website, I found that it was Facebook campaign that promoted against stereotypes and labels of all groups of people (https://www.facebook.com/friendsofdumplings). This continued to further the message of understanding and acceptance of all kinds of people and that being “different” is a wonderful and unique concept. Perceptually, the images take up most of page, which shows that the artwork is more important than seeing the text the author wrote. At the same time, the images and words mirror one another, which allows the reader to visually see what the text is saying. The diversity of people in restaurant shows continuation of people accepting all kinds of people. Structurally, certain words and phrases are bolded or quoted to add emphasize on the theme of the story. For example, the words “beautiful”, “one”, and “own” highlight the importance of individuality. The facial expressions of dumpling change as it befriends the cockroach, showing that the dumpling is accepting its differences and beginning to love itself for whom it is. The main themes of this storybook are it is okay to be different, stay true to yourself, friends can be found in unlikely places, individuality, and do not judge by looks or first impressions.IMG_2823IMG_2824

The Turnip

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Author & Illustrator: Jan Brett (author and illustrator)

Publisher and Year: Penguin Random House LLC, 2015

Number of Pages: 30 Pages

Genre: Fantasy

Badger Girl comes across the biggest turnip she has ever seen in her vegetable garden. She asks for the help of family and friends to help her get the turnip out of the ground so the community can enjoy and eat the turnip.

The story serves as a window into how teamwork can accomplish many things. Even though it is unrealistic that animals perform these tasks, they represent how a community with a diverse group of individuals brings strength to the group. In the beginning, the turnip has the power because it will not come out of the ground. Badger Girl continues to fail because she is trying to pull the turnip out of the ground by herself. As the story continues on, other characters in the story attempt to help Badger Girl get the turnip out of the ground. Finally, the turnip finally comes out the ground when the power to help is distributed among all members of the community.

All the animals represent a different type of culture in society (not explicitly stated but they represent diverse groups of people in communities). The story shows that when all kinds of cultures come together to collaborate, things can be successfully accomplished. This theme can be applied to my understanding of culture as a whole because the more diverse cultures involved in a community, the better tasks can be completed. In addition, all animals had respect for one another’s differences. This is an important contribution to my understanding of culture because getting to know other cultures allows for barriers to be broken, which benefits the community as a whole. The pictures are very detailed, colorful, and large, which engages the reader into the artwork of the story. Also, all the animals have elaborate outfits, making them relatable to a human being. The borders include foreshadowing of the next images, which allow the reader to be creative and make predictions as to what will happen next in the story. The images are framed which make reader an observer of this fantasy world in the middle of the forest. The wide range of forest animals symbolizes different cultures among all kinds of people. The images and text once again mirror one other to allow the reader to follow along with the story visually and textually. The turnip symbolizes problems in a community that need teamwork of all members to be solved. Important ideologies from this story are teamwork, using differences to help one another, everyone offers a unique talent to help the group, and problems are not difficult to solve if everyone is involved to help.IMG_2821IMG_2822

 

The Other Side

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Title: The Other Side

Author: Jacqueline Woodson

Illustrator: E.B. Lewis

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2001

Number of pages: 32 Pages

Tags: Culture, Diversity, Emotion, Friendship, Historical Fiction, Picture Book, K-5, Stephanie Prentice

Genre: Historical Fiction

Analysis

Clover’s mother will not allow her to cross the fence that separates the African-American side of town from the White side of town where Anna lives because she claims it is not safe. After spending the summer wondering why she is not allowed to cross the fence, Clover gets closer and closer to the fence. Eventually, Clover begins talking to Anna and their friendship grows despite Clover’s moms wishes.

This text allows readers to tap into the realities of African-Americans during the Civil Rights Movement. Clover’s mother is hesitant to allow her to cross into the White part of town because of safety concerns. The depictions of African American as well as American girls allows readers to see themselves and their culture. Despite the common belief that all African Americans during this time period are poor and unprivileged, the illustrations shows Clover and her mother nicely dressed while walking through town. The pictures are very realistic, which mirrors the idea that racism and prejudice is a very realistic problem. The author also discusses the fact that Clover’s mother has bought her toys to play with inside on rainy days. The story seems to take place in a rural setting, which was usually where segregation was heavy during this time period. The power seems to lie in the hands of the White side of town because of Clover’s situation. This story acts as a door because it inspires readers to knock down the fences in their own lives.

Perceptually, the images are usually only one page with the text on the other. The first and last pages have images that cover a double page spread. Especially on the last page, the double spread picture symbolizes the growth that took place within the story. The growth of Clover and Anna’s friendship is symbolized in the pictures. At the beginning, there is tension and distance IMG_5984between both girls. As they continue to talk, the girls move closer together. In the story, the fence is a physical barrier between the interaction of the African American and the White populations. It also symbolically represents the barriers that people, especially African Americans, face in their lives. This title, The Other Side, also refers to another aspect of the story. This story features a main character that questions why racism and prejudice are ruling people’s lives. In this case, the character is the person on the other side of the powerful race during this time. This powerful theme carries into other aspects of life. Readers will benefit from the tolerance displayed in the story.

 

Happy in Our Skin

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Title: Happy in Our SkinIMG_5977

Author: Fran Manushkin

Illustrator: Lauren Tobia

Publisher: Candlewick Press 2015

Number of pages: 32 pages

Tags: Diversity, Culture, Picture Book, K-1, Stephanie Prentice

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Analysis

Happy in Our Skin is a book that discusses the many differences that children have, while showing that we should be proud of our differences. It shows a family of mixed ethnicities going to the park, the pool, and a block party.

In all these scenes, the author shows how everybody is the same regardless of what they look like. The similarities and differences discussed in this book aim to show that even though someone’s skin may look different, it is the same in reality. For example, the author discusses the function of skin as “keeping the outsides out and the insides in” (Manushkin, p. 8). Serving as a window, the diversity in this book allows children of many different ethnicities to relate. It also allows children to reflect on their own personal attributes and find similarities and differences that make them unique. The illustrator incorporates children of many different ethnicities and cultures to emphasize the author’s main idea that each child has the same skin regardless of it’s color or other features. They also include illustrations of children in wheelchairs.

Structurally the book includes a slight rhyming scheme that allows for fluent reading. The text is important, but the location of the words on the page is not relevant. The images are very vibrantIMG_5978 and bright. The images often reinforce the ideas presented in the text, and sometimes act as an enhancement. They show the diversity in skin color and features as well as the physical abilities that are discussed in the text. This book allows for children to see that each person has the same physical feature, skin. It teaches them the importance of skin and how it helps our body. This allows for an easy opportunity for educators or parents to have discussions about race. It teaches the importance of tolerance and acceptance of others who may look different.  The illustrations radiate the idea of acceptance, as we see children of all ethnicities and cultures interacting in public places.

 

The New Girl… And Me

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Title: The New Girl… And Me

Author: Jacqui RobbinsIMG_5971

Illustrations: Matt Phelan

Publisher: Anthenum Books for Young Readers, 2006

Number of pages: 32 pages

Tags: Diversity, Emotion, Fiction, Friendship, Picture Book, K-5, Stephanie Prentice

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Analysis

When a new girl, Shakeeta, comes to school most of the girls are excited to show her around except for Mia. Mia remains reserved and watches the interactions between Shakeeta and the rest of her classmates. When Shakeeta is deliberately excluded from the game of soccer by a boy named DJ, Mia strikes up a conversation with Shakeeta as they are sitting together on the bench. The girls soon become good friends.

While the message of the story is positive, some events in the story can be taken in a negative view. For example, when DJ bullies Shakeeta at recess, the rest of the class follows his lead, laughing at his mean comments. This can lead children to believe that it is okay to bully people. In addition, Mia is originally scared of Shakeeta when she first arrives. Lastly, Shakeeta threatens to punch DJ when he makes fun of her name. This can teach children to believe that violence is the answer if they are being bullied. Lastly, Mia is originally scared of Shakeeta when she arrives in the classroom. This can be seen as stereotyping and profiling.

The illustrator does a good job of capturing the true emotions of children with their facial expressions and body language. The pale colors of the pictures and white backgrounds allow for readers to focus on the facial expressions and body language in different situations. Before Mia and Shakeeta have their first interaction with each other, they are deliberately placed on the opposite sides of the double page picture. This deliberate placement symbolizes the idea that they are not yet friends. On the next page, Mia asks Shakeeta about her iguana and they begin a lively conversation. As the girls dive deeper into their conversation, they move closer to each other on the bench, symbolizing their growing friendship. Mia’s first attempts to start a conversation, asking about Shakeeta’s iguana, can give students who are shy like Mia ideas on how to start a conversation with a new classmate. In addition, the illustrations bring in anelement of multiculturism without it being the main focus. This allows a diverse population of students see themselves in the story. The interracial friendship also adds an example of tolerance and acceptance.

This book can be used if a teacher is expecting a new student. It can open discussions of how to make a new student feel welcomed, but it is important to remember how the book can be viewed in a negative way while having discussions about this book. IMG_5973

What James Said

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Title: What James Said

Author: Liz RosenburgIMG_5967

Illustrators: Matt Myers

Publisher: Roaring Book Press, 2015

Number of pages: 32 Pages

Tags: Diversity, Emotion, Fiction, Friendship, Picture Book, K-5, Stephanie Prentice

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Analysis

A little girl believes that her best friend, James, is saying mean things behind her back. Therefore, she gives him the silent treatment during school to get her revenge. As the school day goes on, James comes up with ways that become more tempting for the little girl to talk to him. In the end, they realize their friendship is worth too much to fight.

The two main characters include a boy and a girl, which goes above the common belief that friendships should only be made within the same gender. In addition, the friendship between an African American boy and a Caucasian female shows tolerance and acceptance. The images of the other students of the class also include diversity, representing a wide array of ethnicities. This allows children to see themselves in the story, as well as see other ethnicities in addition to their own.

IMG_5968Perceptually, the images are very bright and enticing for the children. The use of faded watercolor pictures, such as in the picture below, allows the focus to remain on the narrator and James. The use of large text in certain areas allows the reader to recognize which points should be emphasized while reading the story aloud. Some of the illustrations resemble the ones that children would draw, making it very relatable for the readers. The layout of the text in relation to the pictures also allows the readers to follow the sequence very well, especially when the author is describing how each classmate heard the rumor about the narrator. Ideologically, this book shows the dangers of gossip and rumors and the effects they have on friendships. The misunderstanding during the “game of telephone” leads to the narrator’s feelings getting hurt by her best friend. Children who read this book are able to see the damage done by gossip and rumors. The ending of the book allows readers to see some things can be misunderstood and taken out of proportion. It also emphasizes the idea of friendship and its importance. The two sided story, the narrator and James’ actions, also show the different emotions when two friends are fighting. This book also gives an example of how children can solve problems with their friends. However, the way in which the narrator reacts is not recommended for children.

Elmer

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Author/Illustrator: David McKee

Publisher and Year: McGraw-Hill, 1968

Number of Pages: 30

Genre: Fable/Fiction

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Analysis: Elmer the elephant is beautifully different, but he doesn’t see it that way. He goes through some extreme measures to be “normal” until he realizes that it’s good to be different. This book can work as a mirror for children who feel that they are different in some way. Often times in society, being outside of the “norm” is frowned upon, and it shouldn’t be. People should feel comfortable with their differences because those are what make them unique. The jungle life is prevalent in this book, and even the non-elephants accept Elmer for who he is. Rarely did the animals express a face of disgust for Elmer’s appearance. As long as he plays his part in society, he is okay in their eyes.

Perceptually, this book has very plain text, and it clearly explains pictures and stays off to the side.

Structurally, Elmer walks to the right until he is like the rest of the elephants, which is when he feels normal. All of the animals appear to be the same size as Elmer, even though elephants are clearly bigger than pigs. There appears to be many bright colors at the end when Elmer feels free.

“Elmer” teaches that people should accept who they are because it is not the outside that matters.

Flotsam

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Author/Illustrator: David Wiesner

Publisher and Year: Clarion Books, 2006

Number of Pages: 36

Genre: Realistic Fiction

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Analysis: “Flotsam” is about a boy who goes on a casual trip to the beach with his family. On the trip, he finds a camera with a long-lasting tradition attached to it. This book could work as a window to perhaps view another culture through this little boy’s adventures. There is a sample of each child’s culture through their picture, and although every person’s culture may differ, they are all still brought together with the camera. This may even work as a mirror for those who could see themselves as the young boy who finds the camera. The images provided portray each child in a different light, and we can see it in the way that they dress and their background.

Perceptually, this book has no words, it is a picture narrative.

Structurally, some pictures are framed with a limited view, and the entire story is “told” through expressions and pictures.

Ideologically, this book teaches the importance of tradition, and that the curiosity and imagination of child could go a long way.

The Faithful Friend

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Title: The Faithful Friend

Friend1

Author: Robert D. San Souci

Illustrator: Brian Pinkney

Publisher and Year: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Adults, 1995

Number of Pages: 36

Genre: Fable, Folktale

Analysis: The Faithful Friend is a book about two friends, Clement and Hippolyte, who take a journey to find a young girl named Pauline for Clement. Once arriving things take a turn for the worse and Hippolyte must keep trying to not let the zombie’s spells harm Clement and Pauline. In the end Hippolyte sacrifices himself so Clement and Pauline can live happily ever after.

This book can function as a mirror or a window for two friends. Friends who truly care for one another, grow close like siblings, similar to Clement and Hippolyte. The actions portrayed by Hippolyte were sacrificial. This book could function as either a mirror or a window because for the mirror, two friends would be sacrificing for the other friend in this exact moment, but this book could be a window for friends who could see themselves sacrificing for the better of the other friend in the future.

Friend3

Perceptually, the book cover has two silver honor awards, a Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Award, which stick out immediately. However, the colors on the cover are dark creating a bad feeling. The size and color of the text make it easy to read and flow from page to page.

Friend2

Structurally, the two boys are on the same level because of their similar status or power. However, Monsieur Zabocat, the plantation owner of Pauline, appears higher than Hippolyte, Clement and Pauline throughout the book. Since Zabocat is shown higher than the three friends, this shows that he has more power and status than the others. A horizon typically appears throughout the book, but the horizon disappears when Hippolyte is about to prevent the zombie’s spell from harming Clement and Pauline, which shows that danger is near. The text adds to the images because of the complexity of the message within. The words could cause some confusion if there was an absence of images. Both the images and the text work together to complete the message and story.

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Ideologically, sacrificial friendship is the main lesson to take away from the book. The author does a great job of showing the sacrifices that were made by one friend. However, some of the actions prior to the sacrifices like zombies, threats from Pauline’s owner, and spells are all actions and behaviors that children should not read about. The spells and zombies could easily scare young children. So, yes the lesson about friendship is important, but that lesson does not reveal itself until after the inappropriate action by some of the characters in the book. The concept as a whole is great, but some of the minor details are worrisome for children.