Inside Board Books: Representations of People of Color

Abstract

Research suggests that exposure to books and other resources about people who look like them, and stories that reflect their world, may contribute to an infant and toddler of color’s developing appreciation of self. The purpose of this study was to examine children’s board books published between 2003 and 2008 to determine the representation of people of color. The findings were analyzed using the lenses of critical race theory and the typology developed by Rudine Sims Bishop to describe African American children’s literature. The results indicated that, despite the increasing ethnic and racial diversity in the United States, board books that feature people of color are rare and often present inauthentic and monolithic representations. Even rarer seems to be the creation of board books by authors and illustrators of color. The authors conclude that the lack of board books featuring children of color denies these children an important resource for developing a positive self‐concept.