Representation in children’s books matters simply because all children deserve the artistic gift of seeing themselves in the literary portraits of society. This gift also becomes an acknowledgement and celebration of each child’s existence, rather than being excluded from the mirror images of society and then feeling invisible or rejected.
Dr Rudine Sims Bishop, who taught on children’s literature, saw books as mirrors which can act as reflections of ourselves and our world. She further described books as windows and sliding doors which give us the chance to look and walk into worlds that reflect the lives of others.
As societies, we should therefore work to create books that offer diverse stories, with diverse characters, who are given complex and positive personalities and circumstances. Diverse, positive and multidimensional depictions of characters like them, not only have the power to make children feel acknowledged and celebrated, but also provide real and imagined heroes. Diverse stories and characters also give all children the opportunity to engage with diversity even if their immediate context does not always offer such interactions. Even where they are surrounded by diversity, diversity in books reminds children that although people are different, we all share a common humanity, equal value and equal status. They can all then go into the wider world with positive ideas and images of themselves and of diversity and difference. All of this will surely serve them, and the people that they meet, along their life’s journey.
I therefore celebrate this and all other books, authors and illustrators who make it their mission to give all children the gift of love and affirmation in book form; as well as the opportunity to look into and explore the realities of others.
Michell Sibongiseni Mpike
Voraussichtlich im Frühjahr 2022 erscheinende Titel:
„Applaus!“
„George und der Drache“
Geplante Titel:
„Sing, Juandalynn, sing!“
