The Importance of Diverse Representation in Children’s Books
Written by Yara Hindawi
“Literature transforms human experiences and reflects it back to us, and in that reflection, we can see our own lives and experiences as part of the larger human experience” – Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop
The world we live in today is a melting pot of different cultures, races, religions and ideas. Despite that, our lived reality is starkly different. Society is more often than not segregated into communities based on their differences.
It’s through educational institutes, such as our schools, kindergartens, and nurseries that give a chance for children of different backgrounds to come together. However, what happens when the books they’re educated through only represent a handful of the children reading them?
In 1990, Professor Emerita of Education at The Ohio State University Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop said, “When children cannot find themselves reflected in the books they read, or when the images they see are distorted, negative or laughable, they learn a powerful lesson about how they are devalued in the society of which they are a part.”
Children’s books have been described as both a window and a mirror. A book is a window when the child is able to experience something new (regardless of their own experience), and a mirror when the child can see themselves in a character who shares similar experiences and feelings.
The importance of race, equity, diversity, and inclusion can be extended to a child’s education through representation in the books they read. This representation, or rather “the mirror” for many children, particularly those considered to be within a minority, is a form of empowerment. They are taught that their differences matter, be it in their culture, ethnicity, or disability.
Similarly, children from dominant social group can suffer from the lack of availability of books about others, or rather windows into other people’s lives. They are taught that their social group is of a higher importance than others with less visible representation. It blinds these children to the importance of respecting valuing and honoring our differences.
In the Middle East, the development of diverse representation in Arabic-language books is still an on-going effort. While there are a handful of books that tackle the theme of children with different abilities, for example, some of the publications are misguided in their efforts and do not take a sensitive or informed approach to the matter.
In an article on 7iber, Rawan Baybars, a journalist from Jordan, recalls her horror at finding a series of books sold in Amman about children with disabilities. The books portrayed the main character with Down syndrome as a burden on their family. Baybars states “the series should have at least portrayed how those born with Down syndrome are loved by their families; and how their families are relentlessly fighting against society’s negative perceptions of children with impairments. They are in fact fighting against the same stereotypes that the series unfortunately end ups reinforcing.”
The aim of the artist and storyteller when creating children’s books should be an educated effort to providing content that truly speaks to children of all walks of life. And as an illustrator for the upcoming series of Adam wa Mishmish books, my effort will be focused on bringing those differences to life on the pages in a way that can be admired, cherished, and celebrated.
Think about a book from your childhood in which you felt reflected your own life or gave you a peek into the lives of others. Did it spark your love for reading? Did it give you the confidence in your own written word? Let’s extend that joy, love, and acceptance to our children not just by speaking to them, but rather showing them in the pages of their books.
