Research spanning decades shows that representations of diversity in children's literature are important for building student engagement, empathy, self-identity and cultural awareness, as well as combating stereotypes and preparing students for a diverse world. Diversity may be represented in children's literature through illustrations, photographs, character descriptions, biographical accounts, and the identities of authors and illustrators. While there is somewhat more diversity represented today than in the past, many students' identities remain underrepresented in children's literature. Click the links below to view how representation in children's literature has changed over time.
Greenspan, Jesse. (2023, Dec. 1) Are children's books improving representation? Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/are-childrens-books-improving-representation/
Adukia, A., Eble, A., Harrison, E., Runesha, H. B., & Szasz, T. (2023). What we teach about race and gender: Representation in images and text of children’s books. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 138(4), 2225-2285. https://academic.oup.com/qje/article/138/4/2225/7247000
SLJ Staff. (2019). An Updated Look at Diversity in Children’s Books. School Library Journal. https://www.slj.com/story/an-updated-look-at-diversity-in-childrens-books
Eckhoff, A. (2024). Representation in Engineering-Focused Children’s Literature: A Critical Content Analysis. International Journal of Early Childhood, 1-19. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13158-024-00409-x
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