Anguished cries of ‘cancel culture’ rang out with news that six Dr Seuss books would be shelved. But canceling Dr Seuss is not possible, nor is it the best way to build diversity and understanding.
At the turn of the 20th century, with few children’s books featuring Black characters, one young editor implored his peers to ‘Let us make the world know that we are living.’
A researcher who explored 500 picture books created by authors or illustrators living in Canada suggests books that are extraordinary in both text and illustration.
A new film version of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden opens today. First published in 1911, the novel foregrounds Edwardian beliefs about the importance of gardens that still resonate.
Limited promotion and marketing budgets reinforce false ideas about how well diverse books and writers will sell. This leads to a negative cycle for black, Asian and minority ethnic writers.
Boys are scientists, girls are ballerinas - that’s if girls appear at all. A recent analysis of bestselling picture books shows gender stereotypes are alive and well.
The book took eight years from conception to publication. In the earliest dummy, the monsters that millions have grown to love actually started out as horses.