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RE: Latino books & lack thereof
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From: audrey maynard <audmaynard_at_Tilburyhouse.com>
Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2013 17:52:54 -0500
;
As children's editor at Tilbury House Books, I have been reading this
thread with great interest. In the early 1990s, Tilbury House started publishing multicultural children’s books with the now-classic Talking Walls, followed by Talking Walls: The Stories Continue, Who Belongs Here? and Welcoming Babies. In the years since, we have shown diversity in our children’s
books by including kids of color, children with disabilities, a girl in a headscarf, and mixed-race families in books where differences are not part of the story. It’s just the way life is, and we think children like to see themselves in our books.
The protagonist in The Lunch Thief (Anne Bromley, illustrated by Michael Casilla) is Rafael, who ultimately decides to share his lunch
of burritos and lemon pound cake with the hungry kid who has been stealing lunches. In Sheila Says We’re Weird (Ruth Ann Smalley, illustrated by Jennifer Emery), Sheila’s “green” neighbors look
Hispanic. So does the dad in Unplugged: Ella Gets Her Family Back (Laura Pedersen, illustrated by Penny Weber); Ella’s brother is named
Carlos, her sister is Mia, and her mom is blonde.
We’re fortunate to be a small, independent publishing company— certainly running lean these days—and we make our title decisions with more criteria than just the bottom line. Yes, staying in business is important, but so are the messages our books present to the larger world. We are grateful to our authors, illustrators and also to our consultants - both child and adult, who help us make books that are culturally sensitive. Our hope is that our books 'make
a difference' in the world of today's young readers.
Audrey Maynard Children's Books Tilbury House Publishers 103 Brunswick Ave Gardiner Maine 04345
www.tilburyhouse.com
Received on Tue 12 Feb 2013 05:52:54 PM CST
Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2013 17:52:54 -0500
;
As children's editor at Tilbury House Books, I have been reading this
thread with great interest. In the early 1990s, Tilbury House started publishing multicultural children’s books with the now-classic Talking Walls, followed by Talking Walls: The Stories Continue, Who Belongs Here? and Welcoming Babies. In the years since, we have shown diversity in our children’s
books by including kids of color, children with disabilities, a girl in a headscarf, and mixed-race families in books where differences are not part of the story. It’s just the way life is, and we think children like to see themselves in our books.
The protagonist in The Lunch Thief (Anne Bromley, illustrated by Michael Casilla) is Rafael, who ultimately decides to share his lunch
of burritos and lemon pound cake with the hungry kid who has been stealing lunches. In Sheila Says We’re Weird (Ruth Ann Smalley, illustrated by Jennifer Emery), Sheila’s “green” neighbors look
Hispanic. So does the dad in Unplugged: Ella Gets Her Family Back (Laura Pedersen, illustrated by Penny Weber); Ella’s brother is named
Carlos, her sister is Mia, and her mom is blonde.
We’re fortunate to be a small, independent publishing company— certainly running lean these days—and we make our title decisions with more criteria than just the bottom line. Yes, staying in business is important, but so are the messages our books present to the larger world. We are grateful to our authors, illustrators and also to our consultants - both child and adult, who help us make books that are culturally sensitive. Our hope is that our books 'make
a difference' in the world of today's young readers.
Audrey Maynard Children's Books Tilbury House Publishers 103 Brunswick Ave Gardiner Maine 04345
www.tilburyhouse.com
Received on Tue 12 Feb 2013 05:52:54 PM CST
