Running head: MULTI-CULTURAL TEXT SET

Mary Dean
Multi-Cultural Text Set:
A List of Multi-Cultural Childrens Literature

Bruchac, J. (2000). Squantos journey. San Diego, CA: Silver Whistle.
This book is the tale of Squanto, the Native American man that was captured and taken to
Europe. He returned to his motherland and helped the Pilgrims of the Plymouth colony
survive. This story is interesting because it provides the Native American viewpoint of
the story to the arrival of the white man and Thanksgiving. I would use this book as a
read aloud around Thanksgiving. I believe it would be beneficial for all children to hear
the side of the story of colonization and Thanksgiving from the viewpoint of the native
peoples.

Isadora, R. (2009). The ugly duckling. New York, NY: G. P. Putnams Sons.
Rachel Isadora retells popular fairy tales in an African context. The story is about a
duckling that does not look like other ducklings, and is at first ridiculed and rejected
because he is different. However, at the end of the story, after receiving love and
acceptance from kind children, he realizes that he is really a beautiful swan, although he
is different from other swans. This book would be a great way to introduce the concept of
differences and diversity to young children in an understandable, storybook fashion. I
would use it to talk about what makes people different and encourage acceptance and
celebration of differences and diversity.

King, M. L. (1991). I have a dream. New York, NY: Schwartz & Wade Books.
This is a picture book version of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.s I Have a Dream speech.
Young children can easily understand the words on the pages and interpret the message
because the speech was simplified for young readers. At the end of the book, the reader
finds a two-page spread of the entire speech that Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered on
August 28, 1963. I think it would be a great book to read to any grade level on August 28
because children are returning to school around that time and it would be a fantastic
opportunity to introduce and begin discussions about the importance of diversity and
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equity. I would also use this book in a unit on Martin Luther King, Jr. around Martin
Luther King, Jr. day in January, or during Black History Month in February.


Nivola, C. A. (2011). Orani: My fathers village. New York, NY: Frances Foster Books.
The author tells her own story of visiting her fathers village, Orani, in Italy, as a young
child. She truly captures the culture of the village as she retells her the traditions and her
experiences with vivid language and beautiful illustrations. At the end of the book, she
gives a more detailed account of her experiences there as a child. I would use this book in
a third grade classroom while the children are studying Rome. Orani is also in Italy, so it
would be a good way to incorporate the idea that various cultures exist in one place.

Steptoe, J. (1987). Mufaros beautiful daughters. New York, NY: Lothrop, Lee, & Shepard
Books.
This is an African fairy tale picture book about a young African girl, Nyasha, who the
king invites to his palace, along with her conniving sister, Manyara, so that he can choose
one of them to be his wife. While Manyara is unmerciful and mean to the people she
meets along the way, Nyasha treats them with kindness and generosity. In the end, the
king rejects and shuns Manyara, but he welcomes Nyasha and takes her as his wife. I
would use this story as a read aloud to emphasize the importance of treating people with
kindness and respect, regardless of the way they appear on the outside.
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Quality Childrens Picture Book Assessment

Title: I Have a Dream Author/Illustrator: King & Nelson Grade: any

The story
! is interesting to children
! offers children a variety of things to think about, question, or consider
! is age-appropriate and children can understand what is represented
" includes a rich, thick plot
! A plot is not present because the text is a simplified version of Dr. Kings speech.
" includes a problem and resolution
! Because of the lack of a plot, there really is no resolution, but he does introduce a problem
in society (i.e. lack of equality).
! utilizes style and language that are appropriate for the childrens ages and interests
! includes realistic, convincing characters

The illustrations
! are accurate in terms of setting, plot, and characters
! correspond to the text
! hold the childrens interest while the text is read
! enhance and add to the story

Cultural considerations
! Characters represent a variety of cultural groups
" Children are exposed to multiple perspectives and values
! Dr. Kings speech is representative of his own perspective.
! There are no negative stereotypes of the represented groups
" The lifestyles of the characters are genuine and complex not oversimplified or generalized
! This criterion did not necessarily apply to this picture book because there were not any
characters or a story, so to speak.
! The characters use speech that accurately represents their culture and oral traditions
! The author and/or illustrator are a part of the group represented
! Good characters reflect a variety of backgrounds
! There is diversity represented within cultural groups
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Quality Childrens Picture Book Assessment

Title: The Ugly Duckling Author/Illustrator: Rachel Isadora Grade: K-3

The story
! is interesting to children
! offers children a variety of things to think about, question, or consider
! is age-appropriate and children can understand what is represented
! includes a rich, thick plot
! includes a problem and resolution
! utilizes style and language that are appropriate for the childrens ages and interests
! includes realistic, convincing characters

The illustrations
! are accurate in terms of setting, plot, and characters
! correspond to the text
! hold the childrens interest while the text is read
! enhance and add to the story

Cultural considerations
" Characters represent a variety of cultural groups
! The characters in the book are either animals or African Americans because the setting is
somewhere on the African continent.
! Children are exposed to multiple perspectives and values
! There are no negative stereotypes of the represented groups
! The lifestyles of the characters are genuine and complex not oversimplified or generalized
! The characters use speech that accurately represents their culture and oral traditions
" The author and/or illustrator are a part of the group represented
! Rachel Isadora is a white, American female, but she has spent a substantial amount of
time studying African cultures and visiting various countries on the African continent.
! Good characters reflect a variety of backgrounds
! There is diversity represented within cultural groups
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Quality Childrens Picture Book Assessment

Title: Mufaros Beautiful Daughters Author/Illustrator: John Steptoe Grade: 3
rd
-4
th


The story
! is interesting to children
! offers children a variety of things to think about, question, or consider
! is age-appropriate and children can understand what is represented
! includes a rich, thick plot
! includes a problem and resolution
! utilizes style and language that are appropriate for the childrens ages and interests
! includes realistic, convincing characters

The illustrations
! are accurate in terms of setting, plot, and characters
! correspond to the text
! hold the childrens interest while the text is read
! enhance and add to the story

Cultural considerations
! Characters represent a variety of cultural groups
! Children are exposed to multiple perspectives and values
! There are no negative stereotypes of the represented groups
! The lifestyles of the characters are genuine and complex not oversimplified or generalized
! The characters use speech that accurately represents their culture and oral traditions
" The author and/or illustrator are a part of the group represented
! Steptoe is a black male from Brooklyn, New York. Although he is not from Zimbabwe, he
collected this story from people living nearby and did a tremendous amount of research
before writing this story.
! Good characters reflect a variety of backgrounds
! There is diversity represented within cultural groups
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Quality Childrens Picture Book Assessment

Title: Squantos Journey Author/Illustrator: Joseph Bruchac & Greg Shed Grade/age:

The story
! is interesting to children
! offers children a variety of things to think about, question, or consider
! is age-appropriate and children can understand what is represented
! includes a rich, thick plot
! includes a problem and resolution
! utilizes style and language that are appropriate for the childrens ages and interests
! includes realistic, convincing characters

The illustrations
! are accurate in terms of setting, plot, and characters
! correspond to the text
! hold the childrens interest while the text is read
! enhance and add to the story

Cultural considerations
! Characters represent a variety of cultural groups
! Children are exposed to multiple perspectives and values
! There are no negative stereotypes of the represented groups
! The lifestyles of the characters are genuine and complex not oversimplified or generalized
! The characters use speech that accurately represents their culture and oral traditions
" The author and/or illustrator are a part of the group represented
! Bruchac is Native American, but he is not a member of the Patuxet tribe or Wampanoag
nation. However, he worked closely with a friend who is a member of the Wampanoag
nation.
! Good characters reflect a variety of backgrounds
! There is diversity represented within cultural groups
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Quality Childrens Picture Book Assessment

Title: Orani: My Fathers Village Author/Illustrator: Claire A. Nivola Grade/age:

The story
! is interesting to children
! offers children a variety of things to think about, question, or consider
! is age-appropriate and children can understand what is represented
! includes a rich, thick plot
" includes a problem and resolution
! The story is about the authors experience as a young child, so there is no problem or
resolution.
! utilizes style and language that are appropriate for the childrens ages and interests
! includes realistic, convincing characters

The illustrations
! are accurate in terms of setting, plot, and characters
! correspond to the text
! hold the childrens interest while the text is read
! enhance and add to the story

Cultural considerations
! Characters represent a variety of cultural groups
! Children are exposed to multiple perspectives and values
! There are no negative stereotypes of the represented groups
! The lifestyles of the characters are genuine and complex not oversimplified or generalized
! The characters use speech that accurately represents their culture and oral traditions
! The author and/or illustrator are a part of the group represented
! Good characters reflect a variety of backgrounds
! There is diversity represented within cultural groups