Assess a children’s book of your own choosing using criteria for anti-bias content and lessons.
1. Read the article: Derman-Sparks, L. (2016, April 14). Guide for selecting anti-bias children’s books. Teaching for Change: Building Social Justice Starting in the Classroom
Pay attention to the nine categories:
1) Illustrations 2) Story Line and Relationships between People 3) Messages about Different Lifestyles 4) Effects on Children’s Self and Social Identities 5) Children and Adults Engaging in Action for Change 6) Author’s or Illustrator’s Background & Perspective 7) Loaded Words 8) Copyright Date, and 9) Appeal of Story and Illustrations to Young Children.
2. Now choose a children’s book (preschool through 3rd grade) that you might read to children in a center, school, or your own home. You may choose to view and/or read a book on a website.
Here are resources where you can find anti-bias children’s books:
Peace library. Child’s Peace Books [website]. The books are separated into different categories addressing different aspects of diversity.
Wright, B (2021). Now read this! Books that promote race, identity, agency, and voice. Teaching Young Children Vol. 14, No 2. NAEYC.
Feeny, S. Freeman, N. & Schaffer, K (November 2019). Focus on ethics: Gender expression and identity. Young Children, Vol. 74, No. 5. NAEYC.
3. Now assess the book using the information in the article.
A. Select two (2) of the nine categories from the article (Derman-Sparks, 2016).
For each category selected, assess your selected book by responding to at least one of the questions listed in the category.
Be specific when sharing your findings. Give reasons as to why, or why not, the selected book meets the anti-bias criteria.
You may include other Unit resources.
Provide a link to your book on Amazon, YouTube, or another web source.
In response to your peers, answer the following:
Have you heard of this book before?
Do you agree that this book meets or does not meet anti-bias criteria? Why or why not?
Would you use this book in your classroom? How? In what type of lesson?
