#diverse children's books

[golbargbashi]

ترجمه فارسی مقالهٔ (سال ۲۰۱۶) در مورد انگیزه و تلاشم برای نوشتن و انتشار کتاب فراملی کودک‌ در صنعت نشر کودک آمریکا.

این مقاله قبل از انتشار اولین کتاب در سری کتابهای کودک متنوع و مترقی انتشاراتم به زبان انگلیسی در شهر نیویورک نوشته و چاپ شد. جمع‌آوری بودجه برای چاپ اولین کتاب حدود یک سال و فقط از طریق حمایت معنوی و تشویق بزرگان فلسطینی-آمریکایی مترقی و پیش خرید صدها خانواده و شهروند مهیا شد.

Persian translation of a 2016 English Op-Ed I wrote for Mondoweiss prior to the publication and launch of Dr. Bashi™️ first diverse social justice children’s book, namely “P is For Palestine: A Palestine Alphabet Book.”

داستان فلسطین به طور کلی داستان انسانیت ماست. داستان تمام آدم ها و تمام ملت هایی که در طول تاریخ به دنبال افتخار به وطنشان بوده اند.

در 22 سپتامبر 1980 با حمله صدام به اهواز در نزدیکی مرز ایران و عراق من شاهد از دست دادن خانه مان بودم. در آن زمان من 6 ساله بودم. شانسی که ما آوردیم این بود که توانستیم در زادگاه مادرم شیراز ساکن شویم و برای مدت کوتاهی در امان باشیم تا زمانی که بمباران هوایی شیراز و سایر شهرهای دور از مرز عراق هم آغاز شد. چند سال بعد از شروع جنگ خانواده ام به سوئد پناهنده شدند. در سوئد من کودکانی را از مناطق جنگی ملاقات کردم و داستان زندگیشان را شنیدم. مصائب پناهندگان فلسطینی در این میان احساسات عمیقی را در من برانگیخت.

در کمپ پناهندگان سوئد که محل اسکان موقت ما بود، هر کسی به جز فلسطینی ها ملیت شناخته شده و سرزمینی بر روی نقشه سیاسی جهان داشت. رنج های خانواده های فلسطینی شامل چند نسل می شد؛ از پدربزرگ هایی که در روز نکبت کشته شده بودند یا از آن جان سالم بدر برده بودند تا پدر و مادرها و کودکانی که در کمپ های پناهندگان به دنیا آمده بودند.

در ان زمان ما به جز معدود عکس های خانوادگی و حرف های خودمان، چیز قابل توجهی برای نشان دادن به یکدیگر یا همسایگان و هم کلاسی های جدید سوئدی مان که نسبت به فرهنگ و تاریخ ما بی اطلاع بودند نداشتیم یا در کتابخانه های محلی نمی توانستیم پیدا کنیم.

در آن روزها، کتاب یا فیلم هایی که سرزمین و فرهنگ ما را بشناساند وجود نداشت. من سال های مدرسه را به دفاع از وطنم ایران در برابر کتاب بتی محمودی (نه بدون خواهرم) و تبلیغات پیوسته رسانه های نژادپرست علیه اکثر جوامع مسلمان گذراندم.

اکنون بعد از گذشت سه دهه شرایط تغییر کرده است. با وجود اینکه جهان اوضاع بسیار نابه سامان تری را تجربه می کند اما فرصت ها برای یادگیری بیشتر و تشکیل گروه های مردمی برای انجام کارهای خوب افزایش یافته است. این شرایط برای من به معنای ترکیب تحقیقات دانشگاهیم در زمینه نژاد، جنسیت، حقوق بشر و تاریخ با فعالیت اجتماعی و علاقه ام به هنرهای بصری و ارتباط و یادگیری و تبادل ایده ها با دانشگاهیان، هنرمندان و فعالان اجتماعی همفکر از طریق رسانه های جمعی است.

بدین ترتیب، به مدد عصر دیجیتال و همکاری کوروش بیگ پور، تایپوگرافیست شناخته شده استارتاپ اجتماعی دکتر باشی را راه اندازی کردم تا از این طریق وسایل کمک آموزشی استاندارد به زبان فارسی و عربی را که کمبود آن احساس می شود برای کودکان ارائه نمایم.

شبکه اجتماعی فیس بوک نیز خانم گلرخ نفیسی هنرمندی با دغدغه های اجتماعی را به گروه من ملحق کرد و در حال حاضر در حال تالیف کتابهای مصور در حوزه ادبیات کودکان هستیم و این فعالیت ها را برای کودکانی انجام می دهیم که سرنوشتی مشابه ما دارند از جمله کودکان پناهنده سوری در المان یا سوئد یا کودکان پناهنده یمنی که در شهر نیویورک ملاقات کردم.

بر همین اساس بود که کتاب "ف مثل فلسطین" در دست انتشار قرار گرفت. این کتاب برای کودکان فلسطینی است که می خواهند برای دوستانشان حرفی برای گفتن داشته باشند.

ریشه کتاب های الفبا به چند قرن قبل باز می گردد. در حال حاضر کتاب های الفبایی بی شماری در باره بسیاری از کشورها و فرهنگ ها در دنیا وجود دارد که به کودکان در شناخت ملت ها و فرهنگ های دیگر کمک می کند، از جمله الف مثل آمریکا، ب مثل برزیل، ک مثل کانادا. با این وجود، چنین کتابی برای فلسطین به زبان انگلیسی تا به حال وجود نداشته است."

"هرکسی که در فلسطین بوده است یا دوستان، هم کلاسی ها و همسایگان فلسطینی دارد، می داند که این ملت پر افتخار اهل مدیترانه در مرکز توجه دنیای ماست. فلسطین سرزمین شیرین ترین پرتقال ها، پیچیده ترین سوزن دوزی ها، رقص های باشکوه (دبکه)، باغهای حاصلخیز زیتون و شادترین مردمان است. با الهام از پیشینه غنی مردم فلسطین در زمینه ادبیات و هنرهای بصری یک نویسنده دانشگاهی در زمینه ادبیات کودکان و یک تصویرگر با دغدغه های اجتماعی دست به دست هم داده اند تا کتاب "ف مثل فلسطین" را به زبان انگلیسی تالیف و در آن داستان فلسطین را به سادگی حروف الفبا به شیوه ای آموزشی، شاد و آگاهی بخش تعریف کنند تا از این طریق گوشه ای از زیبایی و قدرت فرهنگ فلسطین را نمایش دهند:

ع مثل عربی، زبان من، زبانی که چهارمین زبان ترانه دنیاست!

ب مثل بیت لحم، محل تولدم با بهترین باقلواها، که باید آنرا در بشقاب گذاشت نه در کوزه!"

Original English Op-Ed is Available here:

#PIsForPalestine #crowdfunded #labor of love #publishing #diverse children's books #Persian translation #فارسی #گلبرگ باشی

[whimsicaldragonette]

ARC Review: ABC Pride by Louie Stowell and Elly Barnes

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Publication Date: June 14, 2022

Synopsis:

A is for Acceptance! B is for Belonging! C is for Celebrate! ABC Pride introduces little readers to the alphabet through the colourful world of Pride. Children can discover letters and words while also learning more about the LGBTQIA+ community and how to be inclusive. Every letter of the alphabet is paired with fun, bold illustrations to support language learning, and a handy list of discussion points at the end gives adults the tools to spark further conversations and discussion. ABC Pride offers a simple yet powerful way to explain gender, identity, ability to children, while supporting diverse family units. Ideal for children to explore together with a caregiver, or in the classroom.

My Rating: ★★★★★

My Review:

I loved this book and can't wait to read it with my second grader. Yes, he's maybe a tad older than the target audience but I think he'll still get a lot out of it and the amount of text is perfect for him to practice reading aloud.

The illustrations are cute and draw you in, and they're very diverse and inclusive! I was impressed with the way the illustrations feature a lot of racial diversity and a wide range of disabilities along with the LGBT+ diversity. Kudos to the illustrator because I don't think I've seen a more inclusive, diverse children's book.

I love the words that were chosen and the simple, easy-to-understand way they were each explained. For something that seems simple on the surface, there's a lot of thought that went into this book. I can already tell it will spark some reflection and thought in my kiddo.

*Thanks to NetGalley and DK Children for providing an e-arc for review.

#pride #lgbtq+ #children's books #diverse children's books #inclusive children's books #lgbtq+ children's books #lgbt #lgbt+ #ABC Pride #Louie Stowell #Elly Barnes #picture book #arc review #shilo reads #netgalley

[black-is-beautiful18]

And here we go again with the “I just can’t connect to Black characters 🥺” bs. Y’all don’t like Black ppl so that’s why you don’t like reading about us. No one cares if LegendBorn or Children of Blood and Bone are some of your favs, cuz what exactly is stopping you from finding books similar to them???? And then to say that Black authors should be more like Asian authors while also insinuating that we don’t have our own historical or cultural myths, especially when we exist on multiple continents and islands, is absolutely ludicrous. Not to mention that a statement like that feeds into racism and the fetishization of Asian ppl. Children of color are forced to see nothing but white ppl in every form of media all our lives and not once does not being able to connect to the characters stop us from enjoying that piece of media. You can empathize with dragons, elves, orcs, and witches easily. Anyone darker than dry glue however, needs to prove why you should read our stories and have sympathy for our characters. This is exactly why I don’t trust white readers regardless of if they read diversely or not cuz some of y’all don’t even read the books. You just get them for brownie points or judge them harshly cuz you still don’t see the characters as deserving of empathy.

#white people #white readers #why would you say that #black authors #asian authors #latino authors #indigenous authors #diverse books #legendborn #children of blood and bone #racism #fetishization #i said what i said #unique writes

[stackofstories]

as a kid i don’t think i really understood the gravity of PJO being about kids. stripping down all the supernatural stuff, it’s so easy to see that the kids are surviving and responding to their environment. As an adult, I think about Ares’s kids being so angry and bloodthirsty and so mean and you can blame domineering rage filled Dad for that one. I think about Athena’s kids where nothing is ever good enough for their perfectionist mother so of course they overcompensate, they are a know it alls, they can’t tolerate failure, how rigid and fixed they are in perspective. I think about Hephaestus’s kids and good they are with their hands, how witty and defensive they are, how shy they are with compliments, how they let their work speak for them because everyone calls their father ugly, a mistake, a laughingstock. I think about Aphrodite’s kids and their feigned incompetence when it comes to battles and logic, how they choose partners based on adoration, how they trade secrets on looking the best, how they struggle to say no because Mom says love is enough and you’ll only matter if everyone thinks you’re pretty. I could go on… idk, I just think all these kids deserve a break because they’re doing their best and moving forward in the world the best way they know how.

#yes even Luke deserves empathy #he’s no Tom Riddle #actually I think Bryce Lawerence is the only kid that is like unhinged w/o any redeeming qualities #I think the books really show that RR is a teacher at heart and he really understands the diversity of the children #their needs and wants #percy jackson #percy jackson and the olympians #ignore me

[intothestacks]

Adventures in Librarian-ing

Today I read Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress by Christine Baldacchino to a class of Grade 2s.

It's a story about a boy who likes to wear dresses and the prejudice he faces about his interest.

An excerpt from storytime:

Me: They're not being very kind, are they?

Grade 2s: Noooo!

Girl: They're being very rude and mean!

Other Girl: Anyone can wear whatever they want! *classmates murmur in agreement*

Boy: And if girls can wear pants then boys can wear dresses! It's only fair! >:(

Me: Plus, in some cultures what we would consider dresses are considered boy clothes. Though is there really such a thing as boy clothes and girl clothes if everyone should be able to wear whatever they want?

Grade 2s: Nooo! They're just clothes!

#libraryland #librarylife #school librarian #school libraries #the real life of me #libraries #canada #elementary school #the kids are alright #gendered clothe #men wearing skirts #men wearing dresses #children's librarians #children's literature #children's books #picture books #book reccomendation #book reccs #book recommendations #diverse fiction #diverse perspectives #diverse characters #children being cute #fairness #kids being cute #kids being kids #kids being funny

[ebookporn]

Early in my career, I co-founded and oversaw the title selection for WaldenEd Book Fairs, a book fair company spun off from the Waldenbooks chain. Our strategy was to differentiate ourselves from Scholastic fairs by offering a broader, more diverse, and challenging selection of titles representing a wider range of cultures and communities. It seemed only logical that to increase sales, you would want to increase the size of the audience you appealed to. Our initial plan was to launch regionally and grow slowly, but the response from schools and librarians to a title selection that mirrored the greater diversity of a bookstore serving the local community was so overwhelmingly positive that we quickly expanded nationally.

This was in the late 1980s. It would have been unimaginable to me that three decades later, Scholastic would have a marketing strategy that narrows the diversity of titles it offers and adds barriers to access titles representing any segment of the local community they serve.

- eP

#softcensorship #literacy #librarians

#soft censorship #librarians #literacy #book fairs #book publishing #diversity #representation #childrens books

[gramarobin]

Breaks my heart these children's books are considered banned 🥺💔

#banned books #read banned books #children's books #books #banned #inclusion #what is humanity coming to when inclusion is banned #diversity #love is love #science

[elloellenoh]

The Dangers of Current Book Bans and Censorship in the US

This movement to ban and soft censor (quietly pull or not purchase) books is extremely dangerous. They are deliberately targeting diverse books, in particular - LGBTQ+ and BIPOC, because this is a movement to silence historically marginalized voices.

The people leading the book banning effort don't want these books in schools, libraries, even bookstores! They are not content to police their own children, but have taken grave overreaching steps to police what ALL youth have access to. But the worst part is the deceptive campaign of lies and misinformation that is used to control a very specific narrative. Books are accused of being porn, grooming, race baiting, fearmongering. But that’s not what it is really about. At the heart of this book banning movement is a desire to take away our youth’s ability to read and empathize with people who are not white, not cis, not straight, not able bodied. It is the most egregious form of othering. It is hammering home to those who do not fall within those labels that they are not part of the American story. Because when they ban LGBTQ+ and BIPOC books as they scream “think of our children!” what they are really saying is they are only interested in protecting a very specific type of child.

These book bans are driven by the larger movement to restrict classroom conversations and lessons about race and LGBTQ+ issues that has been led by certain groups driven by fear and hate in response to the progress made by marginalized voices. It’s not new. There have always been people in power who are afraid of what “losing their power” would look like. They thrive on fear mongering. Fear of the poor, of immigrants, of Black and Indigenous people of color, of those with mental and physical disabilities, of LGBTQ+ people, of all who are not like them. And these days anyone speaking up become the targets of harassment, hate and threats, especially teachers and librarians.

But know that they are targeting schools, and children, because controlling education and our youth is a long game strategy for them. If the impact of racism and bigotry are not taught in the classroom, if books about marginalized kids are censored and unavailable, we risk creating a generation of kids who never learn the value of empathy. And when marginalized kids don’t see themselves in the literature they read, we teach them that they are not valued, not wanted. That they are not equal. And there is no greater devastation to a child than to feel like there is no place for them in the world.

Right now we all need to be aware of what is happening and do whatever we can to speak up, make noise, fight back! There are so many ways you can help. Read articles. Pen America and Book Riot has been following the bans across the country. Take a look at all the books being banned. Support the authors and the books however you can. Go to the library and borrow them. If they are not there, ask them why. Attend local government meetings and make yourself heard! Form banned book clubs. Write to your local school boards, assemblymen, congressmen, let everyone know that banning and censoring these books is wrong! There are both small and big things that everyone can do!

Remember, there is a young person out there who needs one of these books so that they can feel seen and loved and know that they are not alone. That book just might save their life.

#book banning #censorship #critical race theory #racism #intersectionality #weneeddiversebooks #diversity #advocacy #lgbtqplus #lgbtq #youth #childrens books

[toopaperprince]

My Pygmy Parents' kindle edition is now available for pre-order on Amazon!

'My Pygmy Parents' is a children's picture book that demonstrates co-parenting in LGBTQ+ and other diverse family units.

I wrote this book for my son's Blake and Brody, after struggling to find a book that represented our unique family set up. Which, comprises of three queer parents and three wonderfully supportive individual families! I choose Pygmy Marmosets as our characters as they too show co-parenting skills within the animal kingdom!

'Discover the wholesome world of this Pygmy marmoset clan, brimming with love, laughter, and an extended family that knows no bounds. “My Pygmy Parents" is a celebration of the diversity, warmth, and love found within a truly remarkable family unit.'

The book will be released in July 2024 to coincide with Belfast Pride 🌈

The link to the eBooks pre-order can be found below, please share and like to show your support for diversity and inclusivity !💙💙

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CNXPTF1S/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=10S4KLCUP5YK3&keywords=my+pygmy+parents&qid=1700825178&sprefix=my+pygmy+parents%2Caps%2C143&sr=8-1

#diversity #queerfamily #family #ebooklovers #kindle ebooks #co parenting #books #kids books #kidsbook #childrens books

[majoringinsarcasm]

People hating on a literal child because she doesn’t physically look like a character in a book who we only ever saw in concept art and fanart vs me who was kinda sad when I realized book Percy wasn’t black because the description of a young boy living in New York who’s close with his single mother parent who is constantly seen as stupid troublemaker by both peers and teachers and his moms awful boyfriend and who’s only friend is the only other Outcast (non white) classmate who’s only ally is the literature teacher who then he finds also has doubts about him felt very if not fully black then at least mixed coded.

But then I moved on and enjoyed the story for what it gave me, can some of these people say the same 🤔

#I have not yet watched the show I’ll probably wait for more episodes bc I canceled D+ like two months ago #but idk many of yall are not 12 anymore and saying Leah won’t do a good job or it won’t be as good #we only saw any of these characters in our minds eye #or concept art #im not saying you can’t be disappointed when things aren’t 100% a match bc you want to see a good adaptation of the Book #and I need to do a reread but I would think Annabeth’s whole other shit aka running away cross country at 7 always being nosy and wanting #a quest being ready for battle but learning to have fun too #is more integral to her character ESPECIALLY IN MARK OF ATHENA #the blond hair in the books is a trait from Athena so it’s not a unique hurdle other girls in the cabin wouldn’t also face #it mattered bc she was a main character #But taking the core struggle of not being taken seriously works pretty damn well for any girl but especially black girls AT ALL TIMES #and not to be funny but saying the other characters are already diverse feels like a side step #like look Hazel in her eyes and say not being taken seriously BECAUSE of your HAIR COLOR is on the same level #as not being taken seriously because you’re a black girl #and if this breaches containment #yes the show would have been fine even if a picture perfect accurate cast had been hired #but if we want to move past people being cast bc of how they look vs how they act #you can’t hold the gospel of a book series against literal children who are probably having the time of their life #or would be if grown ass adults were attacking them bc SOMEONE ELSE HITED THEM #if the show is bad it’s not bc Annabeth is black or Percy is blonde #hell in good omens both leads are older in the book they’re described as looking 25 and 30 #can you imagine good omens as it is now with book accurate casting bc I can’t

[elleventures]

Collection of Christian Robinson's Illustrations

Happy Saturday!

Recently, I read a picture book by Christian Robinson — You Matter. After reading the book, I was inspired by some of the illustrations within the book. Hence, this week I will like to share some of the art that was created by Christian Robinson who is a children's book illustrator.

Christian Robinson is an American animator and a children's book illustrator.

In his artwork, we can see how fun, bright, and vibrant the colors are. His artwork is also very inclusive and diverse including various types of people — different races, ages, and disabilities — making it engaging for the audience as we feel more represented within his artwork.

#christian robinson #black artist #black history month #black history #black illustrator #children book illustration #children books #picture books #book illustration #art inspiration #inspiration #inclusive #inclusion #diversity

[thebeautifulbook]

PRANG’S NATURAL HISTORY SERIES FOR CHILDREN (Boston: L. Prang, c.1878)

#beautiful books #books books books #book blog #book cover #books #illustrated book #victorian era #children’s book #natural history #biological diversity #vintage books

[itisiives]

I had bought "And That's Their Family" for my niece and nephews, and they adore it!

#books #children's books #tumblr book club #picture book #lgbtqia representation #diversity #diverse books

[audhdnight]

I really wonder what goes through some peoples heads to see a post taking about all the reasons someone shouldn’t support a certain author (if they cared about racism or Zionism or literally just had any kind of care for other humans) to then comment “I love her books!! 🥰”

We know. And we know why. Choke.

#love when mediocre white women with mediocre writing skills get praised for ‘diversity’ #all because the male love interest is a (extremely fetishized) man of color #(hes never black tho. specifically described with lighter skin. but he’s darker than the fmc so 🤷‍♀️) #meanwhile no one in the book knows what consent is #and the fmc talks about conquering surrounding countries to gift to her children some day bc that’s a normal thing to do #and the only female characters of color are consistently portrayed as undeserving of love from men #and either get dumped or get dumped and then come out as queer #but hey it’s fairy smut so apparently we can’t criticize or we’re just against women expressing sexuality

[ebookporn]

They don't say if the diverse books are being put back in the standard assortment or not. Still, a positive outcome.

#diversity equity and inclusion #representation #school book fairs #librarians #teachers #book publishing #authors #writers #childrens books

[memoriallibrarytmc]

Top Ten(ish) Tuesday: TMC Easy #2

The #2 most checked out picture book from TMC Easy last year was... We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom! This book has come up on both the lists (for the TMC in general AND TMC Easy), and it's been popular since it arrived... and with good reason! It's definitely worth sharing in the classroom, for its themes, as well as its award-winning illustrations. There are a lot of great ideas out there for lessons you can teach from it.

#top ten tuesday #tmc #children's literature #picture books #teaching materials center #suny cortland #memorial library #diverse literature