Works Cited Multicultural and diversity in Lit
Friday, February 12, 2016
2:33 PM

One of the books I read was KNOCK KNOCK by DANIEL BEATY ILLUSTRATED BY BRYAN COLLIER – Great book for the single parent home where children often feel abandon, searching, and missing one parent or another and no explanation of what has happened, the diversity in it, is this applies to children in general – no color-disability, or culture can fix this, but a book to let you know you are not alone and you can make the best of your life and future. I love the illustrator of this book the story could be felt in the pictures that were so cleverly done in collogue, with watercolor and the transparency in the pictures showed the multicultural thread.
This next book was not on the list because the library I was using did not have but two of the books I was looking for and was suggested by the librarian – TAR BEACH by FAITH RINGGOLD – this book is a CALDECOTT HONOR BOOK and so endearing to me as I was given a story quilt when I was a child, a way to hand down heritage and family air looms with in a quilt that told a story of your family history. Faith Ringgold uses hers in the illustrations of the boarder in each page along with painted pictures, this is used to tell a story of a girl and her family and how she dreams someday of flying to freedom and going anywhere she wants to and buying factories for her father, a dream to be free of prejudice. Faith preludes to this in the book when she mentions her father cannot join the steel workers’ union because he is half black and half native American. The family lives in Harlem and spends many of evening upon the tar roof with her parents and their friends eating and playing cars while she lies on the story quilt, stares at the stars and dream of flying and owning the city. A great book to discuss with children about adversities others face from the past. A must see a book is The Lion a& The Mouse, I am sure most of you know this fable but the art in this book is exceptional and sounds not words, until the back page where the author explains where he got his inspiration, read it yourself if you want to know more it is Authored and Illustrated by JERRY PINKNEY. Share your thoughts on stereotyping and the need for diversity and inclusion of characters from a variety backgrounds, cultures, religions, family dynamics, disabilities and histories.
I feel diversity need to be discussed in the classroom as often it is not addressed at home and children need to be aware of other cultures, differences in people from the way they look, speak and act to be able to understand we live in a very diverse world and there is nothing wrong with being different or thinking differently about things but to have respect to others and be able to empathize with others feeling when you call names and label people into certain categories.
How could this controversy spark discussion in the classroom on diversity?
This would be a good example of how one person’s remarks can belittle another person’s achievement to make them feel insignificant, and label them to untrue reference to their background by stereo typing. It will emphasize the need to be more aware of the language we use on a daily basis.
Did you learn from this list of stereotyping as I did? Share other stereotyping for many other groups that you believe need addressing.
Yes, I learned about the language I use in general and that I will need to do my homework when addressing the cultures, tribes, languages', and bring to importance the beliefs and history correctly to the classroom. There are many form of stereo typing like family make up, economical differences, appearances that do not depict a person or belief, as well as the others you listed like disabilities vs ability, gender, color, culture, world accurate history as it relates to what is commonly believed, discoverers, and inventors behind thing that are not true to origin. I am sure there are many others I am overlooking, but its a place to start.
Lakota spoof by Graham Greene; Funny, but to the point if your going to address a culture portray it with the respect and accuracy it deserves.
Discuss why children need to see themselves in literature. Include why it is important for all children to experience and celebrate diversity.
Children need to see themselves in literature as it will help to assimilate about themselves, of who they are, where they came from, the language spoken, the cultural values they have.
Identity is uniqueness and important to everyone, that is the spice of life "variety" this will bring forth interest to other children to see what they have in common and what differences there are between them that make them unique. This also give us opportunity to discus, history in truth and acceptance , as well as interest in other cultures and ways of life other than the one we know I believe the more we understand about a journey a culture has traveled the more we can empathize with some of the difference that people have in their view of the world and of each other as human beings.

Bibliography

Beaty, Daniel
Book Title
Knock Knock
Source
2013