From: Debbie Reese <dreese.nambe_at_gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2013 11:19:35 -0600

Thanks for pointing us to Uma's essay! I missed it when it came out, but am glad to know about it.

Reading it just as I was working on a blog post about John Segal's PIRATES DON'T TAKE BATHS was helpful. In her essay, Uma references the Alvin Ho book in which Alvin plays Indian. I wrote about it in 2011, and the author responded, saying that playing Indian is what kids do. In Segal's book, pig (main character) plays Eskimo.

I want to laugh along with everyone else at humor in children's books, but whenever I'm going to give a kid a book--any book---I take care to

make sure it doesn't contain humor that, as Uma wrote, is hurtful to readers who are, in some way, the butt of the joke.

Debbie


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Debbie Reese, PhD Tribally enrolled: Nambe Pueblo

Email: dreese.nambe_at_gmail.com

Website: American Indians in Children's Literature _at_ http://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.net

Now: Studying for MLIS at San Jose State University Then: Assistant Professor in American Indian Studies, University of Illinois
Received on Fri 22 Feb 2013 11:19:35 AM CST