Monroe, Suzanne S.

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

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Suzanne S. Monroe

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Multicultural Children's Literature: Canon of the Future

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Language Arts Journal of MichiganVolume 12Issue 1 The Multicultural Classroom Article 91-1-1996Multicultural Children's Literature: Canon of theFutureSuzanne S. MonroeFollow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/lajmThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@GVSU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Language Arts Journal ofMichigan by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@GVSU. For more information, please contact scholarworks@gvsu.edu.Recommended CitationMonroe, Suzanne S. (1996) "Multicultural Children's Literature: Canon of the Future," Language Arts Journal of Michigan: Vol. 12: Iss.1, Article 9.Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.9707/2168-149X.1505Multicultural Children's Literature: Canon of the Future Suzanne S. Monroe According to Native Amertcan scholar Paula Gunn Allen: Uterature is oneJacet ?Jcw.ture. The significance oja literature can be best understood in terms oj the culturefromwhich it spnngs.... A person whowas raised in agiven culture has noproblemseeing the relevance. the level ojcomplexity, or the symbolic significance oJthe culture's literature.We are aU from early childhood Jamiliar with the assumptions that underlie our own culture and its literature and art.(54} For the past seven years,! have been teaching Children's Uterature as part of our university's teacher preparation program. Most of my stu­dents are of Anglo and Hispanic heritage with smaller numbers ofstudents ofNative American, MricanAmerican, and Asian American ancestry. First languages for these students have included English.Spanish.NavaJo,Tewa.German.and Viet­namese. I try to emphasize the cultures and languages represented in each classroom com­munityas well as the more predominant culture/ language communities of the Southwest. I want to share four personally rewarding approaches which have contributed to my fasci­nation and respect for this growing body of multicultural children's literature: (1) Genre Ap­proach. (2) Author-Illustrator Studies,(3) Theme Approach. and (4) Issues Approach. The power of these approaches lies in the underlying assump­tion that students learn best through self-selec­tion of tradebooks and regular opportunities for transacting with literature. They are inspired by classroom visits with published authors and il­lustrators. Additional benefits have included the empowerment of diverse personal voice, authen­tic alternatives to a traditionally biased canon, and the transformation of family and community stories from oral tradition into print. Genre Approach A successful approach to studying multi­cultural children's literature is through genre. A variety of authors. publications, and cultural themes are included in each featured genre. In this way, writers of diverse backgrounds are viewed as an integral part of genre development and enhancement (MonroeI995). Examples of such diverse poetry might in­clude Honey. I Love and Nathaniel Talking by ElOise Greenfield; Dancing Teepees by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve; Arroz Con Leche and Las Navidades by Lulu Delacre.These poets have evolved a particular style influenced by personal experience. language, and cultural background. In featuring tradebooks reflective of diverse eth­nic, racial. and linguistic backgrounds. I provide Spring 1996 43 the opportunity to experiencepoetry from a global perspective. integrating different world views. The genre of traditional literature also pro­vides a natural framework for the continuing study of diverse world views. It lends itself to the study of global stories while emphasizing the contemporary phenomena oftranslating oral tra­dition into print. The following tradebooks are examples of traditional literature included in this genre study: In theBeginning: CreationStories FromAround the World and The People Could Fly (African Ameri­can) by Virginia Hamilton; Who Speaks for Wolf (Iroquois) by Paula Underwood Spencer; The Woman Who Outshone the Sun: The Legend of LuciaZenteno adapted from a poem byAlejandro CruzMartinez (Spanish/English); MonsterSlayer and MonsterBirds (Navajo) byVee Browne; Spider Woman (Inuit) by Anne Cameron; Why Mosqui­toes Buzz in People's Ears (African) by Vema Aardema; Fables (Northern European) by Arnold Lobel; La. Llorona by Joe Hayes (Spanish/En­glish); Hawaiian Folktales ofEarth, Sea and Sky byVivianThompson; Pecos BiU and Paul Bunyan (Anglo American) bySteven Kellogg; and CutFrom The Same Cloth: American Women ofMyth. Leg­end and Tall Tale by Robert San Souci. In using such a variety of traditional literature. I am able to integrate the cultural and linguistic contribu­tions of diverse experience while providing ex­amples of tall tales. fables. proverbs, por quoi, and storiesofcreation, transformation. andwarn­ing. Author-nlustrator Studies One of the most effective ways to encourage reluctant readers is to provide transactional ex­periences with ideas and the creators of these ideas. Over the past several years, I have devel­oped the practice of author-illustrator studies. Within this framework, students get to know a particular author or illustrator of diversity very well. Some studentswrite or call the publisher for biographical and publication materials. Others write or call the author or illustrator. A few have chosen to conduct personal interviews and sup­ported these with self-recorded audio or video tapes. Several students have even arranged for their subject of study to visit our classroomI The process of research begins very early in the semester and culminates in a final paper and presentation. Students provide a rationale for choice, an extensive biographical sketch, a syn­thesis of the writer or artist's evolving style, and a summary of reader response and personal comments. They frequently bring to the class­room visual supports such as posters, publica­tions, slides of illustrator's work, and a colorful hand-outl Authors and illustrators of diversity who are providing exciting biographical and publication materialworthyofin-depth studyincludeRudolfo Anaya, Donald Crews, Carmen Lomas Garza,Virginia Hamilton, Patricia McKissack. Pat Mora. Jerry Pinkney, Patricia Polacco, Faith Ringgold, Allen Say, Virginia Driving HawkSneve, Gary Soto, Mildred Taylor, and BajeWhitethorne. These are only a few of many outstanding creators in the field of multicultural children's literature. They have provided many traditional as well as contemporary ideas in a variety of genres. Theyhave also contributed to the popular format of"family stories." Examples ofinnovative work based on personal and family stories in­clude The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco, Grandfather'S Journey by Allen Say, Family Pic­tures /Cuadros de Familia by Carmen Lomas Garza, Big Mama's by Donald Crews, Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold, and Sunpainters: EcUpseofthe NavqjoSunbyBajeWhitethorne.These tradebooks suggest that everyone carries the seed of a per­sonal story waiting to be discovered, nurtured, and shared with others. The emergence of these "family stories" supports the concept ofauthentic authorship and provides diverse role models for young readers and writers. Theme Approach I have used a theme approach to encourage students to see the circular connections thatex1st between ideas and experiences. Currently, I have been emphasizing the theme ofquilts as a frame­work for family and community stories. I have used myown grandmother's quilt as the basis for introducing this unit. The response to this piece 44 Language Arts Journal of Michigan ofmaterial culture has been overwhelming in this region of the High Plains, an isolated expanse of dry and sparse land in Eastern New Mexico and West Texas. Because quilts have been valued in local families and passed down through generations, studentscaneasily identify with Patricia Polacco's The Keeping Quilt. Ihave used this storyofJewish tradition as well as several quilt stories from African-American and Hawaiian communities to built a network of inter-cultural "quilt" stories. I have also used Faith Ringgold's Tar Beach as an example of picturebook format which emerged from anoriginal storyquilt, and SamJohnsonand theBlueRibbonQuiltbyTonyJohnston to develop students' sensitivity to stereotypes as well as the importance of gender equity in creative expres­sion. These tradebooks suggest that everyone carries the seed of a personal story waiting to be discovered. nurtured, and shared with others. The following tradebooks may be useful in developing a multicultural collection on this theme: Sam Johnson and the Blue Ribbon Quilt, The Patchwork QuUt, The Quilt Story, The Keeping Quilt, TheJosejinaStoryQuilt, EightHandsRound: A Patchwork Alphabet, A Quilt jor Kirl., Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt, Luka's QuUt, and Bess's Leg Cabin Quilt. Historically, the quilt has been recogniZed as a multi-faceted symbol of women's culture. It is significant as an indigenous American art form which crosses racial, ethnic, language and class lines. It has been created largely, but not exclu­sively. by women. Foreachojus, there is a pennanentcollection oj "scraps"and "pieced patchwork" within our memories. To respond to the call to sort, sift, and resurrect these wonderful stories is the opportunity to make visible the "hidden dimension" oj our individual and corrunon inheritance. (Monroe 1994) Issues Approach An issues approach has been most successful with graduate students who are willing to look at the deeper issues of racism. sexism. ageism, and invisibility in children's tradebooks. Students often formulate an issue question after reading many multicultural books and noting patterns, trends. or actual gaps in writing and publishing. Students have pursued research on self-selected topicS. completed a review of literature. initiated a shelf search of appropriate books at libraries and bookstores. and developed an annotated bibliography of recommended books. A continuing issue for me has been the invis­ibility of Native American female protagonists in children's literature. Since the early 1930s. the majority of images have been traditional ones. often stereotyped. This trend has regularly been perpetuated by uninformed and insensitive au­thors as well as illustrators. publishers, and the media. I encourage my students to look beyond the narrow, often unauthentic and commercial­ized image of "Pocahontas." I challenge them to search for more authentic and contemporary images of Native American girls and women in settings of home, school. career, and literacy context. Among the manypublications most represen­tative of life in contemporary rural and urban settings are the following: Jenny Redbird Finds Her Friends (Ojibway), The Spider... The Cave and the Pottery Bowl (Hopi), Lucy Learns to Weave (Navajo), AUve Yazzie's Year (Navajo), Red Rib­bonsjorEmma(Navajo). NotJustAnyRing (Pueblo). Goodbye, My Island (Inuit). A Promise Is a Promise (Inuit), Children ojClay (Pueblo), Kinaalda (Na­vajo), and A First Clay Gathering (Pueblo). Each of these books presents Native American women of both youth and age in strong and positive roles, and a realistic image of the balance between traditional culture and contemporary social and political issues. In addition to selections which feature Native American female protagonists, I also feature Na­tive American women writers and their works. Three Native American women are continuing to contribute to the quality and authenticity of Na­tive American children's literature. Virginia Driv­ing Hawk Sneeve (lakota Sioux) has written Spring 1996 45 Dancing Teepees:Poems byAmericanIndianYouth and The Sioux: A First Americans Book. Paula UnderwoodSpencer (Iroquois) has published Who SpeaksJor Wolf, a community-learning storybased on several thousand years of oral tradition. Vee Brown (Navajo) has collaborated with illustrator Baje Whitethone, Sr. (Navajo) on two tribal cre­ation stories of "Changing Woman" entitled Mon­ster Slayer and Monster Birds. Students are encouraged to become familiar with Native American authors and illustrators through author studies, authorvisits, genre stud­ies, and issues approach. These are all legitimate ways of learning more about the culture, lan­guage and world view. In contrast, the theme approach is limitingto the studyof Native America simply because it has been over-used. often in­sensitively. As an alternative to this erroneous imagingofNative America as a culture ofthe past, I attempt to present more authentic and contem­porary images of a living and dynamic people! Resource Development The following resources have been most use­ful in the development of a graduate course in Multicultural Children's Literature as well as workshops for in-service teachers. I have used Teaching Multicultural Children's literature K-8 edited byViolet Harris, as a required text. I have supplemented this basic text with two additional resources: Multiethnic Children's literature by Gonzalo and Janet Lee Ramirez, and Kaleido­scope by Rudine Sims Bishop. All of these re­sources address recent multicultural publica­tions. A major resource for updating my class­room collection of tradebooks have been issues of Language Arts, particularly the March. 1992 is­sue. Other resources 1 have used include MulticulturalVoices inContemporary literatureby Francis Ann Day and Instructormagazine, which has featured lengthy author-illustrator studies with fold-out photo-biographical sketches. 1 am currently using the December, 1995 issue of Instructor which features the article "How to Choose the BestMulticultural Literature" (Murry) as a resource for updating our classroom and library collections of books. In conclusion, multicultural children's litera­ture is not an isolated genre as featured in most traditional texts. It should be integrated through­out the curricular year rather than being taught just prior to holidays or monthly celebrations. It ismore than food. festivals, andceremonialdress. Multicultural children's literature is the very "fab­ric" of contemporary life in a multicultural and global society. With our continued nurturing. it will become the established canon of the future! Works Cited Aardema, V. Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears. New York: Dial Books for Young Read­ers, 1975. Allen, P. G. The Sacred Hoop. Boston: Beacon Press, 1986. Bishop,R S. Kaletdesoope:AMulticulturalBooklist For Grades K-8. Urbana. IL: NCTE. 1994. Browne. V. Monster Slayer. Flagstaff. AZ: Northland,1994. --- Monster Birds. Flagstaff, AZ: Northland, 1994. Cameron, A. Spider Woman. Madiera Park, B.C.: Harbour Publishing Company. 1988. Clymer, E. The Spider. the Cave and the Pottery BowL New York: Atheneum. 1972. Coerr, E. TheJosejina Story Quilt. New York: Dial, 1989. Crews, D. Big Mama's. New York: The Trumpet Club,1991. Cruz-Martinez. A. The Woman Who OutshDwn the Sun. San Francisco: Children's Book Press, 1991. Day. F. A. Multicultural Voices in Contemporary Uterature. Portsmouth. NH: Heinemann, 1994. Delacre, L. ArrozConLeche. New York: Scholas­tlc.1989. Las Navidades. New York: Scholas­tic. 1990. 46 Language Arts Journal of Michigan Driving Hawk Sneve, V. Dancing Teepees. New York: Holiday House,1989. --. 'The Sioux: A First Americans Book. New York: Holiday House, 1993. Ernst, L.C. Sam Johnson and the Blue Ribbon Quilt. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1985. Flourney, V. 'ThePatchworkQuilt. New York: Dial, 1985. Greenfield, E. Honey, I Love. New York: Harper Collins,1978. Greenfield, E. NathanielTalking. New York: Black Butterfly Children's Books,1988. Guback, G. Luka's Quilt. New York: GreenwUlow,1994. Haller, D. Not Just Any Ring. New York: Alfred Knopf, 1982. Hamilton, V. In the Beginning: Creation Stories From Around the World. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1988. Hamilton, V. 'The People Could Fly. New York: Alfred Knopf, Inc., 1985. Harris, V. Teaching Multicultural Literature in Grades K-8. Norwood, MA: Christopher Gor­don Publishers, Inc., 1992. Hayes, J. La Llorona: 'The Weeping Woman. EI Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos Press, 1987. Hoffman, V. Lucy Learns To Weave. Phoenix, AZ: Navajo Curriculum Press, 1974. Hopkinson, D. Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt. New York: Alfred Knopf & Sons, 1993. Johnston, T. 'The QuiU Story. New York: G. P. Putnum, 1995. Kellogg, S. Paul Bunyan. New York: W. Mor­row,1984. --. Pecos BilL New York: W. Morrow, 1986. Language Arts. Theme Issue: Multicultural Children's Uterature. March 1993. Lobel, A. Fables. NewYork: Harper & Row, 1988. Lomas Garza, C. Family Plctures/Cuadros de FarnJ1ia. SanFranciSCO: Children's Book Press, 1990. Long. D.AQuiltForKiri.Wellington, New Zealand. Learning Media, Ministry ofEducation. 1991. Love, D. A. Bess's LDg Cabin Quilt. New York: Holiday House, 1995. Maher, R. AUce Yazzie's Year. NewYork: Coward, McCann and Geoghegan, Inc., 1977. Melton, D. HowToCaptureUveAuthorsandBring 'ThemThYour&hools.KansasCity, MO: Land­mark Editions, Inc., 1986. Monroe, S. "Quilt Scraps: A Framework for Fam­ily and CommunityStories." NewMexi.coJour­nal ojReading, 14.3 (1994): 4-7. Monroe, S. "Spider Woman's Intent: Reweaving the World Through Voice and Vision." New MexicoJoumalojReading, 14.2 (1995): 7-11. Munsch, R. A Promise Is a Promise. Toronto: Annick Press, Ltd., 1988. Murry, W. "How to Choose the Best Multicultural Uterature." Instructor. December 1995: 46­53. Naranjo-Morse, N. A FY.rst Clay Gathering. Cleve­land, OH: Modem Curriculum Press, 1994. New Mexico People & Energy Collective. Red Ribbons For Emma. Stanford, CA: New Seed Press, 1981. Paul, A.W. Eight Hands Round: A Patchwork AL­phabet. New York: Harper Collins, 1991. Polacco, P. 'The Keeping QuiU. New York: Simon and Schuster. 1988. Ramirez, G., and J. L. Ramirez. Multlethnic Children's Literature. Albany, N.Y: Delmar Publishers, Inc., 1994. Ringgold, F. Tar Beach. New York: Crown Pub­lishers. 1991. Roessel, M. Kinaalda: A Navqjo Girl Grows Up. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner Publications Com­pany, 1993. Rogers. J. Goodbye. My Island. New York: GreenwUlow. 1983. SanSouci, R. CutFrom'TheSameCloth. New York: Philomel Books. 1993. Spring 1996 47 Say, A. Grandfather's Journey. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1993. Spencer. P. U. WhoSpeaksForWoy: SanAnselmo, CA: A Tribe ofTwo Press, 1991. Swentzell. R. Children ofClay. Minneapolis. MN: Lerner Publications Company. 1992. Thompson, V. HawaUanMyths ofEarth. Sea and Sky. Honolulu: University of Hawa11 Press, 1966. Whitethorne, B. Sunpainters: Eclipse of the Na­vqjoSun..FlagstafI, AZ: NorthlandPublishing, 1994. Young, B., et aI. Jennie Redbird FindsHerFriends. Independence, MO: Independence Press, 1972. 48 Language Arts Journal of Michigan 

Multicultural Children\u27s Literature: Canon of the Future

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Multicultural Children\u27s Literature: Canon of the Future

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