One of the big topics in children’s books today is diversity, and although there are far more accomplished people addressing this subject than I, children’s publishing is where my energy is focused. For me, it also ties in to writing what we know. (See my first post on this topic.) So while there are many ways of supporting diversity in children’s books, from book purchasing to publishers themselves, I am just looking at writing.
What does diversity in this context mean? As I understand it, it’s a need for the stories we write and publish to include or be from the perspective of people of diverse races, cultures and backgrounds. When I was growing up, the subjects of all the children’s books I read were white, (unless we went into fairytales where Aladdin was darker skinned and exotic, but that was different.) The kids who were the main characters — think Dick and Jane — were only white. Those few stories where black people were featured were of a derogatory nature and a sad comment of the times. Hispanic or Asian individuals were non-existent. Indians were part of Thanksgiving stories, but otherwise, also absent.
How much has changed in the world of children’s books? Again, I am hardly an expert, but our books have not changed nearly as much as the changes in population of the people around us. What is true is that we as authors do need to be aware that the world is way bigger than the little enclaves where we live or where we grew up.
In my humble experience, I have found that Americans, on the whole, tend to be a rather insular people,with a focus that is primarily on our own culture. While exceptions are found in sports and music and a few select other fields, a lot of people don’t seem in touch with the breadth and diversity of the world beyond their own boundaries. A broader experience of the world would bring a lot more to a writer’s plate than what we see just at home. Representation of other races and cultures in children’s books is dragging way behind the actual reality of diversity in everyday life.
How does this affect how we personally write? And how do we write what we know in this context? There’s a lot of opinion on that. Needless to say, I can most comfortably write about my own experience in the world, and this comes from a Western European background of diverse nationalities. If I write what I know, it will be primarily from this perspective, but it doesn’t mean that I can’t include, in both my writing and illustrating, characters of the many races and cultures I have come to know along the way in my life and/or others that exist. But does that also mean that I can’t write from the perspective of a race or culture for whom I feel a deep kinship? That I don’t, or can’t, know enough?
I was fortunate to have been raised in an area with easy access to New York City so that many of our family outings were in the city where we were surrounded by diversity. When I went to college in NYC, my exposure was expanded as my school was known for drawing talent from all over the world. For this amazing experience I am very grateful. I know that I can bring this, my ongoing living and working experiences, as well as my travels to my writing, but when it comes down to writing what I know? I will still always know my own culture the best. My question continues to be, where is the line drawn? Could I pull off, for example, the true voice of a black girl? Raised in the South? For that matter, as another example, could I even pull off the voice of a rich or entitled girl regardless of race? I don’t believe those are my stories to write, but to the degree that such individuals may be in my stories, in our stories, it becomes our challenge to do research — among our fellow humans as well as in books – to make sure we are authentic in creating our characters.
Ultimately, I think we, whoever we are and whatever background we come from, do need to include characters of diverse backgrounds in our work when we have the opportunity for this very important reason. Children, from their earliest reading, need to see that the books they read aren’t simply their own reflection. Children of color, different cultural backgrounds, different socio-economic backgrounds, sexual orientation, etc. need to see themselves on the page as well, to have their existence validated and honored. We all may 
be called on to stretch a bit beyond writing what we know, but what loss could there possibly be?
We have the opportunity of expanding writing what we know to become richer as artists and human beings and to raise the consciousness and world view of eager young readers, and … to share a little reality.
Pictured on this page are a few MG and YA books I have read in the recent past which are either written by someone of a different culture/race or are inclusive of characters of diverse backgrounds/orientations. Finding picture books of the same is, unfortunately, a much greater challenge.
Here are a few interesting articles on this subject:
Lynn Joseph on Diversity in Writing
the Children’s Book Council on Diversity
Diversity in Children’s Books – Huffington Post
Where are the People of Color in Children’s Books? NY Times
Diversity Book Lists by GoodReads.
Diversity in Canadian Children’s Book Publishing -Publishers Weekly
Still A Dreamer 
This subject continues to come up and I sincerely feel that the diversity will increase once the diversity of writers increases. I will include diverse characters in what I write but don’t believe I could do justice or speak authentically through a character with a cultural background too different from my own. I think it’s the biggest reason “white” books are the dominant ones—look around and predominantly what you see are “white” writers for children. Why that is is not something I’ve researched nor do I intend to. It’s just what I’ve noticed at every writer’s event I’ve ever attended, and it’s also not something that will change simply because it’s a topic of discussion.
We know, as writers, it is in us to write—most of us are compelled and I know I don’t want to write something that doesn’t come from my heart or interests. It would be no different or better than writing for a trend or what we think will sell. The passion to write about something or someone, whether the characters are like ourselves or others, can’t and shouldn’t be forced. It needs to happen more organically or the writing will show it. The writing will be poorly done and that doesn’t help anyone. One of the reasons animals are so popular in children’s books is for this very reason—-there’s no issue of diversity because they are “one size fits all.”
So, again, in my opinion—the more diverse the writers=the more diverse the stories and characters.
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Donna, I couldn’t have said it better and I agree, also on the popularity of animals in children’s books. Another thing we don’t see at conferences is a lot of men, yet everyone wants “boy-friendly” picture books. Stories from a boy’s point of view are a form of diversity, as well. It’s also not as big an issue in books written for adults, where readers seem much more open to diversity. The bottom line is we will create our best stories writing what we know and what we love; and this never precludes including diversity as we are able and as it fits with out stories.
Thanks for your thoughtful response. Hugs,
Jeanne
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Jeanne, I can’t remember—are you attending Craft Day? Saturday, that is?
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I am, indeed. And I trust I’ll be seeing you?
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I most certainly will be there 🙂
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See you then!
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A very important post.
Following up on both the comments above, doesn’t this speak to the insularity of our own lives? And lack of imagination?
Yes, we need a greater diversity of writers, and agents and publishers who believe these books will/can sell. But that isn’t the whole answer, or we’ll end up with writers only reflecting their own ethnic/racial/social groups. I like what you wrote here, Jeanne:
“If I write what I know, it will be primarily from this perspective, but it doesn’t mean that I can’t include, in both my writing and illustrating, characters of the many races and cultures I have come to know along the way in my life and/or others that exist.”
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Thanks for your comments, Cynthia. I was focusing on our writing, but absolutely, diversity in children’s books depends on publishers, booksellers, agents, editors — everyone in the process from the writer him/herself to the ultimate “consumer” – the parent and their child reader. Happily, librarians are more keenly aware of bringing a broader range of backgrounds to their patrons, but it’s not always so easy for them, either.
Sadly, I think electronic media, in all its wonder, serves to make people more insular as well. People have less and less of a need to be outside in the world when more and more is being brought right into their home through every digital device. Talk about insular.
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Insularity is easy. Extending oneself beyond one’s comfort zone is hard for some people.
Undoubtedly, I’ve become much more insular since the accident because I rarely leave my neighborhood.
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But at heart, you are not an insular person, nor am I. Working from home has the effect of creating more insularity for me, but it’s not really who I am. It’s our current circumstances that artificially affect that right now.
Yesterday a friend and I went to a place called Peddler’s Village – a quaint area of great little shops not far away in PA – to check out the scarecrow contest, and for me, to visit a real PTC carousel. (There will be posts.) I am not a big shopper, but as I soaked up the HUGE amounts of products out here for people to buy, all I could say was, “I have to get out more!” And so we both will.
I agree and do believe it is hard for many people to go beyond their comfort zone – whether taught by parents or just a part of the culture where they live. And that’s why we’re here, right? 🙂
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Right.
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There’s actually rarely just one answer to a problem like this, and it’s not that no writers are successful writing outside themselves. There are those who can do it very authentically, whether it’s through research or first hand experience through people they actually know, etc. The point I was making is it’s not something that should be forced simply because there’s a need. It won’t result in quality work and will waste everyone’s time, from the writer to whomever they submit to.
Let’s say you’re white and you only grew up in white neighborhoods and are only familiar with other cultures through the media or reading. You see a news story about some tragedy that happened in a predominantly black neighborhood. If you’re so moved by it and find yourself compelled to tell THAT story or one like it, in order to be authentic you need to do a tremendous amount of research and you have to have a talent to be able to do it authentically. Then flip it. Say you’re black and grew up in the ghetto, but you saw something on TV about a wealthy, white family that lived in a mansion. What would it take for that black author to authentically write about the aristocratic family?
I definitely think we should all strive for more diversity when we can do it and if the story calls for it. But in the same breathe, and I’m not speaking from a knowlegeable place here—are all authors of books that feature characters of any ethnic background other than white hyper conscious of keeping their cast of characters diverse, too? I don’t know, but I wouldn’t bet on it either. Is Grace Lin worrying about including whites, blacks, hispanics or anyone else outside her ethnic heritage when writing? I don’t think so, and honestly, I don’t think she should be. Let her help fill the void in that respect. When I read Where the Mountain Meets the Moon or Linda Sue Park’s A Single Shard I didn’t expect, nor would I want to see other cultures represented aside from the ones in those stories. In fact, Linda is an author who is talented enough to write authentically when outside her culture as she did with A Long Walk to Water. Brilliant! But the truth is, she was not focusing on the color of their skin, but on their life situation in that country and what life was like there. She was totally compelled to write that story, which you have to be to write authentically outside what you know.
I just recently read The Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes. It was about a black community with all black characters and it happened to be written by a black woman. The story wasn’t meant to be diverse. Not all stories are nor should they have to be, in my opinion. I do think there needs to be more of a selection, but I still see the problem rooted more in the lack of cultural diversity among the writers. Not all writers of a race or culture are able or want to write outside what they know best. Even if they try when, in fact, they’re simply not talented or knowledgeable enough to do it well, the quality of the writing will likely not be publishable. Just the way it takes so much to get a novel written well enough to submit, how much more difficult to get something written well enough when it’s also what we don’t know. It’s up to the individual writer what they are driven to write and why, and the talent to do it well is something we either do or don’t possess.
As for me, I write across all the formats, from board books thru YA. In several picture books I deliberately used animals or things not human because I wanted them to be neutral. In another there are two animals and a pet owner. He happens to be an aging white man who’s balding with red hair. He doesn’t need to be anything else. In another storybook, the two main characters are white and a couple of minor characters will be diverse, but shown through illustration. In my YA series, simply because I naturally picture them this way, the three main characters are white. There will be diversity with other characters throughout the series, but not those three. Is it because I’m white that I automatically see things this way? I’m thinking yes, just as if I were black, I would automatically see characters I create as black. Not always, but more often than not. I think it depends on what we’re writing. I think it’s easier to bring diversity into picture books because the illustrations allow for it. You can change skin color and hair without having to say anything from a cultural perspective.
I think two people who are gifted at including diversity are J.K. Rowling and Peter H. Reynolds. Jo Rowling did it through names and skin color, but none of her characters behaved in “cultural” ways other than influence typically by financial status or beauty, etc. You never heard anything through those books that was stereotypical as far as black, hispanic, asian or anything else, yet you knew/guessed the ethnic heritage by name or simple description and I believe it was her way of writing with diversity in mind that lent to its worldwide appeal. Peter Reynolds does it largely and easily through his illustrations and sometimes the names of his characters. Both authors incorporate diversity naturally and authentically and in ways that portray the diversity evenly and balanced without a blatant “look, I’m forcing diversity” way, yet they are obviously diverse. I think Jo Rowling’s talent for getting inside ALL her characters’ heads with such clarity and realism, whether it’s gender, color, financial status, etc., is a great gift which most authors are simply not as capable.
This is not an easy problem to solve, that is if it even can be solved : / I just know I’m not a writer who will attempt solving it, but I will bring diversity in when I can.
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And I think the last line you wrote is all one can do, to be conscious of the need for diversity and include it when it is appropriate and/or possible in our stories.
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