While writing my most recent manuscript, called Mama Wears a Hijab, I became particularly interested in the images of Muslims in picture books. How are they depicted? Do they exist at all? And who are the gatekeepers who decide what groups are seen in picture books and what groups remain invisible? I found images of Muslims in books that are intended to comfort non-Muslims about Muslims moving into their neighborhoods. I also found images of Muslims in books about Muslim holidays which also seem targeted at non-Muslims in an informational manner, educating readers about the customs of Muslims. The third category consists of books from religious publishers marketed toward Muslims only. These books would be unlikely to end up in a public school or public library and not be distributed in mainstream bookstores for mass consumption. So what this means is that Muslims exist in "window" books for non-Muslims to look at to learn about another culture, but Muslims do not generally exist in mainstream "mirror" books for Muslim children to see themselves reflected. The We Need Diverse Books http://weneeddiversebooks.org/ movement calls for the representation of more types of people in children's literature and more types of people creating the books. The goal is inclusivity and a chance to hear the stories of a broader group of people. What I am seeking is a depiction of Muslims not as "other," but as real people, with multidimensional lives. To not exist only to educate non-Muslims, but to appear in picture books in their own right. Many books that have Muslim characters are very serious, almost humorless, didactic and heavy. Can a Muslim character be cute? Can they be silly? Can they exist in a plot line that is not about being Muslim? Two recent examples of appealing and cute Muslim characters are Who We Are! All About Being the Same and Being Different written by Robie H. Harris and illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott (2016, Candlewick Press) and the 40th anniversary edition of All Kinds of Families, written by Norma Simon and illustrated by Sarah S. Brannen (2016, Albert Whitman & Company). While both of these books are focusing exclusively on different types of people and families, they do not depict Muslims as "other." The illustrations in both books are sweet and appealing, and there is no conflict. Nobody needs to be schooled on the fact that Muslims are people like anyone else, the illustrations depict this in a very natural and satisfying manner. In All Kinds of Families there are women wearing hijabs at the ice skating rink, no explanation or apology needed. The scene is about ice skating and nothing else, and the subtext is that all types of families enjoy lacing up their skates and hitting the ice. Similarly, in Who We Are! Muslim families are depicted in seven spreads. The characters are just as sweet and charming as all of the other families that Ms. Westcott has included in these scenes, with no explanation required about who these people are and why they are there. They belong, just like everybody else. But I want more. I want a cute, funny, feisty girl like Fancy Nancy or Eloise who will appear on retail swag like other wildly successful picture book characters. A little girl whose mother is wearing a hijab or a dupatta or a chador. A little girl who will be a mirror for Muslim girls and a mirror for non-Muslim girls. Not a window, because a window indicates otherness. A mirror because despite all of the painful and chaotic things that are happening on this planet right now, we are all part of the same family. For next month's post and moving forward, please send me questions and topics that you would like to discuss that involve libraries, books, diversity, and the children's literature community. fifiabuillustration@gmail.com Fifi Abu spends her days surrounded by books that have already been created and the rest of her time writing and illustrating books yet to be born. She looks forward to a day when all children can see themselves reflected in the books they read. Ms. Abu holds a master's degree in children's literature and a master's degree in library science, is an active member of SCBWI and a Children's Book Academy graduate.
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Trends. You see them everywhere you go. By definition a trend is " the current style" and/or anything that is "in vogue". So basically, what's IN at the moment is the trend for the week, the month, or the year. For example, the trend of long hair. Or maybe short hair. Clothes have lots of trends: colorful, patterned, one color only, long sleeves, short sleeves, wide pants or narrow. Cars have trends: from really big SUVs to medium sized family cars, to small and eco-friendly speedy ones. What we as writers care most about, however, are the trends in children's publishing. What type of books are being published? If you haven't seen the article by Elizabeth Bird in School Library Journal's January 2016 issue titled "What’s Trending? What Is, What Was, What’s Soon to Be in Kid Lit", you should. You can take a peek here: http://www.slj.com/2016/01/industry-news/whats-trending-what-is-what-was-whats-soon-to-be-in-kid-lit/ As you will see, Elizabeth gives a fantastic wrap-up of the trends of 2015 with a "crystal ball"-like look into 2016. She offers her opinions on trends that might happen in 2016 and more importantly for us writers, trends she'd like to see. It's a great summation and prediction of things to come. The thing is, if you are a writer, what do you DO with this information? Should you write to a trend? If you've gone to any writing conferences or followed writing blogs, you have heard everyone from editors to agents to other authors say: DON'T write to the trends. You are to : Come up with your own ideas Stay true to the topics that are near and dear to your hearts Write what you know While I whole-heartedly agree with these ideas, I also wonder if they are totally realistic. I mean, why not write to a trend? What if your trend-following manuscript happened to be the one that caused you to break into the business? It's certainly possible. If you plan to write to a trend, the key is to get in on the upswing. How do you do that? Be informed. Watch blogs (like Fuse #8) and others for past trends and predictions of future ones. You will want your manuscript to fit into the "future" list, not really the "past" trend list. You have to figure that it may take 1-2 years for your manuscript to be accepted, edited, and published so a trend you see now -- particularly a past one-- may not still be 'in vogue' at that time. Be smart. If you decide to follow a trend, find one that fits you, your writing, and most importantly the voice that you have in your head-- "your narrator". If the trend you are trying to follow is completely different from what you are writing or your voice or even a topic you aren't interested in, then don't try it. Anything that is forced will read that way to the editor or agent and they will pass on it. Be Bold Take a current trend and flip it on its side. Think outside the box. Take a trend, like say the Evil Hummingbirds section in the Fuse #8 post and make the animal something completely unexpected. A whale. A sloth. A seahorse. Something unexpected and yet totally works for your story. Need ideas? Look no further than the "weirdo" trends Elizabeth has listed in her post. I bet no one could have predicted those trends this year. In other words -- START YOUR OWN TREND. The best way to use a list of trends, or even to look through the amazing award winners just recently announced, is to see what has been successful and to apply that to your own writing. Get ideas from what is out there. Don't steal them, of course. But read widely and if you can spot a trend and it fits you GO FOR IT! You never know. Maybe your book will be the next one that is "in vogue". Happy Writing! Jennifer is the award- winning author of over twenty nonfiction and fiction books. Her books include BRAIN GAMES by National Geographic Kids (2015) , Forces and Motion by Nomad Press (2016) , and SUPER GEAR: Nanotechnology and Sports Team Up by Charlesbridge Publishing (2016). She is an instructor at the Children's Book Academy and a two-time workshop presenter at the Highlights Foundation. She is now proudly represented by agent Clelia Gore of Martin Literary Management .
You can find Jennifer at www.JenniferSwansonBooks.com Halloween is always a good excuse for creativity at my house. Each costume is conceived and created by the kids themselves. Now that my kids are older, they make their costumes with very little help from me. My 12 year old daughter, Naomi, made a diction-fairy costume with the help of a $1 dictionary, poster board and a glue gun. I've never been thrilled about the candy part of Halloween, so when I saw author Julie Falatko's post on Facebook about her Halloween tradition to hand out books, I immediately started planning my own reading and treating! Our local library had a book sale a couple of weeks ago and I scored 175 board books, picture books, chapter books, MG novels and YA novels. My little diction fairy is going to let kids choose whatever book they want and I'm going to watch and wait. Julie said the kids in her neighborhood were thrilled! I can't wait to see what happens here in Andover, MA. Will the kids be disappointed? Will the kids be excited to choose a book even when it's unexpected? Will my kids feel embarrassed about being different? For me, reading is so much more of a treat than candy, that I can't wait to give a reading treat to anyone who stops by my house! What would happen in your neighborhood if you gave out books? Kirsti Call is a homeschooling mom of five. Her debut picture book, The Raindrop Who Couldn't Fall, came out December 2013 with Character Publishing. Her family band, Calling Out, plays songs written by her children. She contributes to Writer's Rumpus, and Kids are Writers. If you visit her house, you’ll likely find her watching her backyard chickens or writing, of course. You can find out more about her at www.kirsticall.com.
One of the best things about homeschooling is that I get to teach my kids how to write! But I have a hard time understanding my reluctant writers. How can they stare at a blank page for SO long without filling it with wonderful words? But we’ve all been there. Sometimes it’s hard to get the words on the page. Here are 3 strategies that I use for my kids and myself when we’re struggling to write.
2. Write Stream of Consciousness. Sometimes when we write what we are thinking, and let go of worrying about the perfect word combination, we come up with the most wonderful combination of words....or not. I give my kids permission to write: “I don’t know what to write” over and over again if they want to and somehow, that’s never happened. Even if that does happen, there are words on the page. And if all else fails, watch this chicken video. It's a well known fact at our house that chickens inspire ideas. What helps you overcome writer’s block?
Kirsti Call is a homeschooling mom of five. Her debut picture book, The Raindrop Who Couldn't Fall, came out December 2013 with Character Publishing. Her family band, Calling Out, plays songs written by her children. She contributes to Writer's Rumpus, and Kids are Writers. If you visit her house, you’ll likely find her watching her backyard chickens or writing, of course. You can find out more about her at www.kirsticall.com. Everything sparks ideas. But capturing ideas before they flee is daunting. For me, whimsical and wily inspiration comes from problems, experiences and observations. 1. Problems: When my daughter Sydney was in first grade, she wrote a song in response to a bully. After she sang it to her class, the bully approached her. “Did you write that song about me?” Sydney: “Yes I did.” Bully: “I’m going to be nicer to you. I don’t want you to write another song about me!” Sydney's problem inspired her to write a song that not only solved her first grade bully problem, but also drove the creation of our family band. My childhood problems tend to resurface in my writing. Ultimately all of my main characters figure out a way to overcome doubt and be true to themselves. In Cornelia Funk's The Princess Knight, Princess Violetta wants to do things that are unexpected of her. Strong women who defy stereotypes appear in all of Cornelia Funk's books and I wonder if this was a problem for her. 2. Experiences: Every manuscript we write embodies a little bit of who we were as kids. Childhood memories and experiences inspire wonderful picture books. The clumsy unicorn in one of my stories is definitely a magical version of who I was as a kid. Tara Lazar's The Monstore, depicts a boy who wants to keep his sister away. On the flap of the book, Tara says she would have loved a monstore as a kid to help her spook her little brother. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, is an example of days that we all have experienced as kids--that's why it resonates with everyone. 3. Observations: Every single one of my stories was inspired by observing my five kiddos. I told the story of The Raindrop Who Couldn't Fall on a rainy day to Sydney when she was bored of waiting at Home Depot. Sydney also inspired a story about dragons and intense tantrums. Another of my stories tells about a fashionista who is strangely similar to my 6 year old daughter. My friend Paul Czajak wrote Monster Needs his Sleep, after years of bedtime experience with his kids. Think about your problems and experiences and observe the kids you know. Pay attention to the ideas that are waiting to be held and told and made into a story that will change lives. What are your sources of inspiration? Kirsti Call is a homeschooling mom of five. Her debut picture book, The Raindrop Who Couldn't Fall, came out last December. Her family band, Calling Out, plays songs written by her children. She contributes to Writer's Rumpus, and Kids are Writers. If you visit her house, you might find her attempting to capture ideas! You can find out more about her at www.kirsticall.com. |
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