Abstract
Discussions about the appropriateness of American children’s books on ethnic and racial issues have recently become headlines in American daily newspapers. Journalists and opinion writers are questioning the themes and the perspectives of the authors. While some believe there must be limitations on what is published for young readers, others claim any kind of censorship is a violation of the freedom of speech. The paper will provide examples of media debates concerning recently published books for children. Among others it will discuss the controversy about Ramin Ganeshram’s picture book A Birthday Cake for George Washington published in 2016 and no longer distributed because of its “sanitized” vision of slavery.
Highlights
Dyskusje dotyczące poprawności amerykańskich książek dla dzieci o tematyce etnicznej i rasowej w ostatnim czasie znalazły się w centrum zainteresowań mediów publicznych
American children’s literature has always been politicized and offered space to discuss a variety of racial issues
Scholars have debated the “whiteness” of American children’s books for decades, the topic made the headlines in March 2014 after two authors, Walter Dean Myers and his son Christopher Myers, published their seminal articles on African American children’s literature in the New York Times Sunday Review
Summary
Dyskusje dotyczące poprawności amerykańskich książek dla dzieci o tematyce etnicznej i rasowej w ostatnim czasie znalazły się w centrum zainteresowań mediów publicznych. “Slavery with a smile” - the media controversy about children’s literature on the topic of slavery and the rhetoric of the publishing industry In his recent publication on racism in children’s books, Philip Nel is critical of the color-blind logic embraced by many contemporary publishers.
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