| Description |
xi, 178 pages ; 22 cm |
| Contents |
Should We Burn Babar? Questioning Power in Children's Literature -- The Story of Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott Revisited -- A Plea for Radical Children's Literature -- Wicked Boys and Good Schools: Three Takes on Pinocchio -- The Good Old Days. I Was There. Where Was They? A Fictional History of Public Education in the United States |
| Summary |
The title essay, a consideration of Babar the elephant, raises the question of what to do with a charming and widely-loved book whose messages, nonetheless, need to be challenged. Also included in this volume is Kohl's acclaimed essay on Rosa Parks, available here for the first time in book form. In it Kohl points out the subtle, but real, racism inherent in the usual telling of the Rosa Parks story and offers another, more truthful version entitled "She Would Not Be Moved." This retelling illustrates how Mrs. Parks's actions were part of an organized struggle for freedom, not a mere personal act of frustration. Throughout, Kohl provides new perspectives on well-known children's stories, highlighting instances of racism, sexism, and condescension that detract from the tale being told. He provides strategies for detecting bias in other works for young people and offers powerful ideas for better ways to tell children stories |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references (pages [173]-178) |
| Subject |
Children -- Books and reading.
|
|
Children -- Books and reading -- United States.
|
|
Children's literature -- History and criticism.
|
|
Children's literature, American -- Minority authors -- Study and teaching.
|
|
Cultural pluralism -- Study and teaching.
|
|
Ethnic groups in literature -- Study and teaching.
|
|
Ethnicity in literature -- Study and teaching.
|
|
Racism in literature.
|
|
Racism in textbooks.
|
| LC no. |
95068697 |
| ISBN |
1565842588 |
|
1565842596 (paperback) |
|
