Rethinking the portrayal of deaf characters in children's picture books

Abstract

Children's literature provides the opportunity for children to see both representations of themselves and of others in print and in pictures. Not only can engaging with picture books develop key literacy and language skills and a love of reading, but reading (and/or being read) high quality books also has the potential to foster an appreciation and respect for oneself and others. However, sometimes the diversity that exists in the real world is not represented well—or at all—in books created for young children (Mendoza and Reese, 2001; Kama, 2004). In this article we will discuss the lack of, and critical need for, children's books that portray Deaf1 characters from a cultural perspective. We will also provide examples, from a sampling of children's picture books, of messages about deafness and deaf characters in text and illustrations (e.g., Golos and Moses, 2011; Golos et al., 2012). Finally, we will highlight the implications for both hearing and d/Deaf children as well as parents and educators. Typically, when people think about deafness, they think about a person with a disability, that is, someone who is unable to do something (i.e., hear). This represents a pathological perspective of deafness, which entails viewing deafness as a disability or as a condition that needs to be fixed with medical intervention (i.e., cochlear implants or hearing aids; e.g., Lane, 1992; Lane et al., 1996; Padden and Humphries, 2006). Deaf studies scholars suggest an alternative view of deafness from a cultural perspective, in which the deaf person is seen a member of a minority population, the Deaf community, rich with their own language (i.e., American Sign Language or ASL) and culture (i.e., Deaf culture) (e.g., Lane et al., 1996).