Respectful Representation of Diversity

This week’s article summary is “Respectful Representations of Disability in Picture Books.”

When I was about five or six, I remember being in a restaurant with my parents and staring intently at a person in a wheelchair at a table near me. It probably was the first time  I’d seen someone in a wheelchair. Many questions arose in my mind about how this person lived and how he was able to perform daily routines: how did he negotiate stairs, were the cupboards in his kitchen set lower than in my house, how did he get in bed at night?  I stared because I was curious, not trying to be rude. But as soon as my mom noticed what I was doing, she gave me that stern parent look that told me that what I was doing was wrong. 

The lesson I learned that day, as so many of us did as children, was to avoid noticing and inquiring about difference for fear of being considered disrespectful and rude.

It probably wasn’t until I was in my 30s that I embraced the world for its diversity and realized that thinking and asking about difference is healthy and beneficial.

As I was growing up, I saw myself (white, male, heterosexual) reflected in the novels and textbooks I studied in school and in the TV shows and movies I saw. I think The Diary of Anne Frank was the only book I read until college that didn’t have a male protagonist.

The article below shows this has begun to change, even in children’s picture books which now often highlight those who have been ignored in books and stories.

I’m sure if I (and my mom too) had the opportunity to read the books below when I was young, I would have been much more open to difference and wouldn’t have shied away from looking and talking with those who were different from me.

Joe

Well-chosen children’s books can act as mirrors (reflecting kids’ own thoughts, feelings, and experiences), windows (opening new worlds through characters’ experiences and responses), and doors (transporting them into adventure, fantasy, and mystery).

It is vitally important to consider who is represented, who is underrepresented, who is misrepresented, and who is ignored in literature. When books painting diverse and accurate portraits of the incredible range of ability and disability are not available to students, we must question what we are teaching them about who is valued and what is important.

We conducted a systematic search for picture books that depict people with disabilities in a respectful way, using these criteria:

• Easy to read – third-grade readability or below, accessible to students in upper elementary grades who are reading below grade level
• Not overly didactic – the character with a disability is not pitied or patronized
• Respectful language portraying characters with disabilities as rich and complex individuals who are defined by more than their disability
• An interesting and engaging story line involving characters with depth
• Readily available from booksellers and public libraries.

Below is a sampling of the best books we found. Each book has the potential to transcend the disability category and could be enjoyed, and learned from, by all students.

King for a Day by Rukhsana Khan (2014): Malik, a boy in Pakistan who uses a wheelchair, struggles with a bully and hopes to become the best kite fighter in Lahore.

Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah by Laurie Ann Thompson (2015) – A boy in Ghana is born with a physical disability but hops the two miles to and from school, learns to play soccer, and eventually bicycles 400 miles across Ghana.

The Snow Rabbit by Camille Garoche (2015) – In this wordless book, two sisters, one using a wheelchair, watch snow falling outside their window; one goes out and makes a snow rabbit, brings the snow sculpture inside, and when it starts to melt, they go outside and play and the magic begins.

El Deafo by Cece Bell (2014) – This autobiographical graphic novel tells how the author lost her hearing at age 4, struggled to read lips and decipher sounds through her hearing aid, sought friendship, and imagined herself as El Deafo, a superhero who was able to hear everything.

Miss Little’s Gift by Douglas Wood (2009) – An autobiographical picture book about a boy with ADHD who has difficulty learning to read. With the help of a caring teacher, Douglas finds a book that interests him and discovers the joy of reading.

Kami and the Yaks by Andrea Stenn Stryer (2007) – A young Sherpa boy, who is deaf and unable to speak, races a big storm in the Himalayas to rescue a group of yaks who strayed from their owners.

A Boy and a Jaguar by Alan Rabinowitz (2014) – A true story of a boy who spent his school years in a special classroom because of his stuttering. His teachers believe he’s incompetent, but he finds his voice through imaginary conversations with animals and becomes a strong advocate for wildlife conservation.

I’m Here by Peter Reynolds (2011) – A boy with autism is isolated but fully aware of his surroundings. Sitting in a playground, he makes a paper airplane and launches it into flight, and the plane is returned by a girl who may become a new friend.

Skateboard Sonar by Eric Stevens (2010) – A graphic novel about a skateboard competition in which Matty, who is blind, wins the competition against several bullies, showing that “seeing isn’t everything.”

My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay by Cari Best (2015) – Zulay is a blind girl who is included in a regular education classroom. She and three of her best friends debate which field day events to take part in, and Zulay ends up running a race with the help of her friends.

Zoom by Robert Munsch (2003) – Lauretta needs a new wheelchair and chooses a 92-speed dirt-bike model and takes it home for a trial run despite her mother’s misgivings. Then the real adventures begin.