Reexamining the Issue of Authenticity in Picture Books.

Abstract

ABSTRACT The cultural authenticity of picture books, for both literary and art quality, is examined. In a study done by the Council on Interracial Books for Children (CIBC) in 1976 "How the Children's Books Distort the Asian American Image," 66 children's books published from 1945 through 1976 were examined and problems of serious stereotypes were found. Of the 24 picture books in the analysis, 22 were found to be "racist, sexist, and elitist." At the 21st Annual intornational Conference of Children's Literature Association'in 4994, a study by Violet H. Harada indicated improvement in authenticity of picture books with 907. of the works using positive non-stereotypical portrayals and 707. presenting authentically described cultural details. Throughout these studies, however, the meaning of "authenticity" is not clearly defined. There is a fundamental difference between the concepts of authenticity and of non-stereotyping. Examples from popular picture books show how sometimes even small errors can be important for the cultural groups in question. Also, members of a cultural group do not always agree with each other on cultural values. Writers and illustrators need to train themselves to distinguish the values, facts, and attitudes which members of a culture as a whole would consider worthy of acceptance and belief. Several studies indicate that folktales represent an extremely high percentage of multicultural picture books. Writers need to carefully select and adapt stories, engaging in research to reflect the culture of origin and to make their value implications compatible with those of recipient cultures. (Contains 6 references.) (CR)