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Monday, April 05, 2010

"Fairy Tales: Zero Tolerance?"

Over on Worlds of Words, Marilyn Carpenter has an essay up called "Fairy Tales: Zero Tolerance?"

I read it this morning, and, like what I read. Carpenter's essay is about details of Chinese culture in Donna Jo Napoli's Bound. Click on over and read what she has to say.

I make similar arguments here on American Indians in Children's Literature. Course, here I refer to American Indian content, while Carpenter is focused on Chinese culture. The larger point is that authors must get the details right!

For examples of problems I've found, take a look at:


Gerald McDermott's ARROW TO THE SUN


McDermott made up the "Dance of Life" in ARROW TO THE SUN

Also see "Proceed with Caution: Using Native American Folktales in the Classroom" published in Language Arts in January, 2007, where I discuss Penny Pollock's Turkey Girl, and Kristina Rodanas's Dragonfly's Tale. (Send me an email [dreese dot nambe at gmail dot com] and I'll send you a copy.)
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1 comment:

  1. AnonymousFriday, April 23, 2010 at 7:14:00 PM CDT

    So glad you are also raising this issue regarding Native American books for children. I was informed by your article in Language Arts. I have a student in my children's literature class who raved about Knots on a Counting Rope last week. I will be glad to refer her to your blog.
    Marilyn Carpenter
    MarilynCarpenter.wordpress.com
    Professor of Education
    Eastern WA University

    ReplyDelete


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