MULTICULTURAL PICTURE BOOKS: ART FOR UNDERSTANDING OTHERS

Describes picture books on culture and folk tales of other countries. Material is arranged alphabetically by author within geographical regions and countries, with additional sections on the immigrant experience and multicultural and cross-cultural experiences. Entries relate shortcomings as well as strengths of each book, and recommend grade level. Includes a list of sources for books. This second volume contains books that came to the attention of the authors since volume I was completed in June 1993, published through March 1997. New material highlights previously neglected areas including India, Korea, and Mongolia. For librarians and educators. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

The authors, an eminent husband-and-wife team in the fields of picture-book criticism and art education, have selected and fully annotated a wide range of high-quality titles about many cultures. Their style is chatty and jargon-free; they always relate the art to the story and to the culture it reflects. The organization is by world area, and in each case, the authors discuss books of folktales that reflect the past, books about contemporary life, and finally, books about the experiences of immigrants in the U.S. Brief introductions touch on general issues of authenticity, ethnic identity, and self-esteem, but the great contribution of the book is in the detailed, highly knowledgeable discussion of individual titles. It will be used that way in children's literature courses and as a resource for libraries and classrooms. Hazel Rochman