19

A RT I C L E S

“We Are All Special”: Eliciting

Bilingual Children’s Voices
About Diversity Through
Art-Based Critical Literacy
SO JUNG KIM

This article examines the pedagogical potential of art-based,

early critical literacy as a space in which young bilingual children
can explore the issues of human diversity and uniqueness. Adopting a
qualitative case study approach, this study focused on 12 five-year-old
children of Mexican origin at a charter school located in Texas.

CHILDREN’S LITERATURE, as an integral part
of children’s learning, has numerous benefits for young
learners, including creating foundational pathways for
children’s language and literacy development (Giorgis &
Glazer, 2013) and expanding their imagination and creativity
(Norton & Norton, 2010). As a significant subgenre within
children’s literature, multicultural picturebooks that deal
with diverse social issues, such as race, gender, and social
class, provide children with rich and complex opportunities
to problematize diverse social issues and critically examine
them (Osorio, 2018). They help children reduce negative
stereotypical views toward different races and ethnic groups
(Kim et al., 2016), enrich their critical understandings about
gender and gender roles (Mendoza & Reese, 2001; Snow et
al., 2018), and promote appreciation for individual differences
and diversity (Kim et al., 2018; Norton, 2009; Osorio, 2018).
Children’s Literature and
an Art-Based Curriculum
Research has proven that children’s literature can expand
young children’s learning horizons when used in conjunc-
tion with art activities (e.g., Carger, 2004; Gangi, 2003).
Incorporating multimodal ways of communication when
teaching literature offers young students valuable opportu-
nities not only to learn the literacy skills specified in the
state standards but also to deepen their thoughts and
articulate their ideas (Rogers et al., 2016). Art activities
linked to children’s literature can also help children make
connections to prior experiences and promote their problem-
solving skills through real-world applications (Carger,
2004). Through art-based literacy activities, children can
gain competence in analyzing and discussing complex ideas
in meaningful and engaging ways (Englebaugh, 2003).
In addition to art activities, critical literacy has been
also emphasized as a way to create supportive environ-
ments in which young students problematize diverse social
issues, develop critical thinking skills, and critically
examine social issues (e.g., Aukerman, 2012; Comber, 2013,
2016; Kim et al., 2018; Labadie et al., 2012; Stribling, 2014;
Vasquez, 2014). Recent critical literacy studies have paid
attention to shifts in the ways that people make meaning
in multimodal ways, focusing on how multiple forms of
representation, such as visual aspects of meaning-making,
can help to promote diverse ways of meaning-making
rather than a unitary, monolithic, and fixed point of view
(Vasquez, 2007).

Journal of Children’s Literature, 48(1), pp. 19–32, 2022. ©Children’s Literature Assembly ISSN 1521-7779
20 A RT ICL E S
Like bilingual education, early critical
literacy practices also promote social
justice in early childhood education,
offering young learners opportunities to
question the ideological discourse of texts
and act as creative, active, and critical
citizens in a democratic society.
Critical Literacy and Bilingual Education
Critical literacy and bilingual education share a similar
goal: to enact social change that contributes to the achieve-
ment of a more equitable social order (Fránquiz & Ortiz,
2012; Skutnabb-Kangas et al., 2009). According to García
and Woodley (2015), one of the fundamental goals of
bilingual education is to help young bilingual/bicultural
students grow up as individuals capable of empowered
lives as participants in global communities. By providing
a meaningful and equitable education for culturally and
linguistically diverse children, bilingual education aims to
foster environments where bilingual children can employ
their diverse linguistic repertoires and dual-language
identities (García & Leiva, 2014; Henderson et al., 2018).
Like bilingual education, early critical literacy practices
also promote social justice in early childhood education,
offering young learners opportunities to question the
ideological discourse of texts and act as creative, active,
and critical citizens in a democratic society (Janks &
Vasquez, 2011; Kim et al., 2016; Vasquez, 2014).
In the past few decades, a considerable amount
of research has argued the pedagogical implications of
critical literacy for bilingual or English language learners
(ELLs), stating that critical literacy is a way to help
bilingual children engage in critical conversations about
issues of equity, social justice, and privilege (e.g., Batista-
Morales et al., 2019; Lau et al., 2017; Martínez-Roldán,
2005; Martínez-Roldán & López-Robertson, 1999). For
example, Martínez-Roldán and López-Robertson (1999)
investigated the role of small-group literature discussions
in supporting young bilingual learners’ critical conver-
sations about the books they read and enhancing their
transactions with texts. More recently, Batista-Morales
et al. (2019) documented how critical literacy tutorials
supported bilingual students’ creation of the stories about
their learning and their families. Son’s (2020) study also
reported the potential of critical literacy as a space for
bilingual immigrant children to solve their conflicts and
develop a sense of pride in their community. Taken collec-
tively, the review of the related literature reveals that,
JOURNAL OF CHILDREN’S LITERATURE
while critical literacy has been actively incorporated into
bilingual classrooms, studies that connect critical literacy,
bilingualism, and an art-based curriculum are still absent
in the field of early childhood education.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this article is to address the gap in the
academic literature by investigating how an art-based
critical literacy curriculum can serve as an effective avenue
for kindergarten-age, Mexican-descent children to develop
their emergent understandings of human diversity and
build positive self-identities. More specifically, this study
addresses two research questions:
1. How did the critical literacy practice help the
participating children develop their critical
perspectives on diversity and uniqueness?
2. How did their social interactions in two languages
help children develop their literary responses and
deepen their thoughts about readings?
To define multicultural picturebooks, this study
adopted Cai’s (2002) definition of multicultural litera-
ture as literature that incorporates the issues of human
diversity and equality, such as racial diversity and gender
equality. This study approaches critical literacy in connec-
tion with multicultural education (Nieto, 2004; Sleeter
& Grant, 2007), for the theoretical orientation of critical
literacy aligns with the goal of multicultural education,
which is to create an affirming classroom where “racism,
sexism, social class discrimination, and other biases are
no longer acceptable” (Nieto, 2004, p. xxii). By applying
multicultural perspectives to critical literacy, this study
considers early critical literacy as a pedagogical practice
to support young children’s understanding of (a) accepting
and affirming human diversity, (b) constructing a positive
sense of self and respectful understanding of others, and
(c) voicing their ideas as active citizens. Art-based critical
literacy in this study is defined as a multimodal literacy
practice in which young children read “beyond” the text,
form diverse perspectives, and shape their voices about
human diversity and self-uniqueness through art activi-
ties. By sharing empirical examples of children’s authentic
conversations and experiences with critical literacy, the
current study aims to provide insights into the potentials of
connecting an art-based curriculum, multicultural picture-
books, and early critical literacy for social transformation
in both early childhood and bilingual classrooms.
Conceptual Frameworks
In an effort to investigate the intersections between critical
literacy, multicultural children’s literature, and arts, the
study drew from different disciplinary and theoretical founda-
VOL 48 NO 1 SPRING 2022

tions. First, this study adopted Freire’s (1982) notion of
critical literacy as a constant interplay between “the words”
and “the world” and Sleeter and Grant’s (2007) notion of
multicultural education. In particular, this study focused on
the three principles of multicultural education: (a) “promoting
and understanding cultural diversity” (Sleeter & Grant, 2007,
p. 178), (b) improving one’s ability to recognize prejudices and
discrimination, and (c) increasing tolerance and acceptance of
different values, lifestyles, attitudes, and behaviors. The goal
of multicultural education is to prepare all students to acquire
the knowledge, attitudes, and skills needed to function in the
increasingly diverse world (Nieto, 2004; Van Soest & Garcia,
2003). Teachers are responsible for integrating students’
diverse backgrounds into their curricula and preparing
students “to work constructively with, communicate with, and
respect diverse people of the world” (Sleeter & Grant, 2007,
p. 154). Like multicultural education, early critical literacy
also highlights young learners’ ability to question versions of
reality in the world around them and shape their own voices
(Kim et al., 2016). In order to develop critical awareness in
a pluralistic society, children need the ability to read “the
word” and to rethink, re-create, and problematize “the world”
(Freire & Macedo, 1987).
In order to gain insights into the roles of the social
interactions, this study was also informed by a sociocul-
tural perspectives (Vygotsky, 1978) in connection to reader
response theories (Beach, 1995; Fish, 1980). Sociocultural
theory suggests the possibility of social interactions during
literature discussions to foster meaningful conversations
with young children and interrogate multiple viewpoints
(Mills & Jennings, 2011). Reader response theories, partic-
ularly those of Beach (1995) and Fish (1980), also stress a
vital role of social interactions in reading by highlighting
reading as a continuous construct process within internal
and external social contexts. Sharing responses and ideas
with peers and teachers can generate multiple responses
for both monolingual children (Mills & Jennings, 2011;
Möller, 2002) and bilingual children (Kim et al., 2018).
Informed by these theoretical notions, this study considers
reading of children’s literature as a constant interaction
among children, books, and the context.
Methods
This study was conducted in Ms. Lòpez’s1 kindergarten
classroom at a small charter school in Texas where 73% of
the city population speaks Spanish. Located in a working-
class neighborhood, the school served approximately
300 students, out of which 75% were Spanish–English
bilinguals and approximately 80% were from low-income
families. The director of the school expressed a strong
1
All names in this study are pseudonyms.
VOL 48 NO 1 SPRING 2022
So Jung Kim “ We Are All Special“ 21
commitment to the promotion of bilingual education and
multicultural education, with the ultimate goal of maximiz-
ing students’ potential in a multilingual and multicultural
global society.
PARTICIPANTS
Ms. Lòpez’s classroom was considered for the study because
she had adopted a variety of children’s literature, includ-
ing books that dealt with social issues and early critical
literacy curriculum. Also, with her firm belief in the
importance of dual-language use and social interactions,
she allowed her students to utilize two languages and
encouraged them to share their ideas during read-alouds.
Ms. Lòpez received her bachelor’s degree in early childhood
education, had more than five years of teaching experi-
ence, and spoke both English and Spanish fluently.
Although she had not received any specific training about
critical literacy, she was aware of various literacy activi-
ties that facilitate students’ critical thinking skills and
often incorporated them in her literacy curricula. There
were 12 five-year-old kindergarten children in Ms. Lòpez’s
classroom, and all of her students were classified as either
bilingual or English language learners of Mexican origin;
a majority of them were from low-income families. Most of
these children rarely had a chance to read multicultural
children’s books in their homes.
CRITICAL LITERACY ACTIVITY IN MS. LÒPEZ’S CLASSROOM
Ms. Lòpez’s critical literacy curriculum consisted of three
parts: (a) the teacher and student readings of multicultural
picturebooks in a whole-group setting, (b) in-depth conver-
sations about what they had read in English and/or Spanish,
and (c) performance of a post-reading activity. The goals of
her critical literacy activity were to facilitate her students’
acquisition of critical and positive attitudes and behaviors
toward diversity and to develop high levels of self-esteem
in the students. Over the course of this study, the teacher
read 14 books to the students that addressed issues of
human diversity and equality; generally, one book was
read in each session. All books were selected carefully by
the teacher according to their quality and the appropriate-
ness of their content for young readers. A brief synopsis
and the main theme of each book are shown in Table 1.
Taking into account the large volume of data obtained and
the limited space in this article, this study focused on The
Colors of Us (Katz, 1999), A Rainbow of Friends (Hallinan,
2005), and Ballerino Nate (Bradley, 2006), because the
teacher incorporated the art activities after reading these
books and held critical conversations about either human
diversity or self-uniqueness, which were main themes of
this study. During reading, the teacher often helped the
children ask critical questions about the story and connect
JOURNAL OF CHILDREN’S LITERATURE
22 A RT ICL E S

their own life experiences and background knowledge
with the books. Table 2 exhibits examples of the teacher’s
critical questions. Following the reading, the children
were provided time to conduct the “My Story” activity in
various forms, including drawing pictures, painting, and
making puppets. The goal of this activity was not only to
help children connect what they had read to their own life
experiences but also to offer the students the chance for
in-depth exploration of themselves and others. The entire
process of reading and follow-up activities for each book
took approximately 60 to 80 minutes.
RESEARCH PROCEDURE
A qualitative research design was used for this research to
explore the complexity of children’s discussions about the
books and their use of two languages within social contexts.
In particular, the study employed a case study approach
(Dyson & Genishi, 2005; Patton, 2014; Stake, 2005) in order
to capture the details of each participant’s critical literacy
experience and the integrity of their voice, and to gain an
in-depth understanding of the dynamics of the children’s
social interactions in the dual-language context. The data
were collected over a period of five months through multiple
means, including video/audio recordings, interviews,
children’s artifacts, and observational field notes.
As observation is one of the key methods in qualita-
tive research (Patton, 2014), Ms. Lòpez’s classroom was
observed and videotaped for approximately 60 minutes
once a week (995 minutes in total). In each observation,
the observational field notes were created using a variety
of sources of information following Emerson et al.’s (2011)
methods. The teacher was interviewed, and all interviews
were audio-recorded with permission. Two formal
40-minute interviews were conducted with the teacher,
focusing on her teaching philosophy, experience in critical
literacy activities, and goal in reading multicultural
picturebooks to her students. A summary of the data-
collection process is shown in Table 3.
The data analysis involved iterative reading of the
data, focusing on the multimodal layers of the children’s

TABLE 1
Multicultural Picturebooks
Title & Author Story
The Skin You Live In The story explores the concept of skin to encourage self-esteem and to celebrate the ways in which children are both unique
(Tyler, 2005) and similar.
A Rainbow of Friends The book conveys the message that children have different interests, talents, and weaknesses, but all kids are special.
(Hallinan, 2005)
The Colors of Us Seven-year-old Lena and her mother take a walk through her neighborhood and notice the colors of everyone.
(Katz, 1999)
Colorful World The book celebrates differences and urges all children to be proud of themselves.
(Winans et al., 2008)
Pablo’s Tree A young Mexican American boy looks forward to seeing how his grandfather has decorated the tree he planted on the day the
(Mora, 1994) boy was adopted.
It’s OK to Be Different The book introduces the concept of tolerance of differences with simple images for easy understanding and comprehension.
(Parr, 2009)
Who’s in My Family? Siblings Nellie and Gus and their parents are off for a day at the zoo, where they see so many different kinds of human families,
(Harris, 2012) along with a variety of animal families.
The Paper Bag Princess The Princess Elizabeth is slated to marry Prince Ronald when a dragon attacks the castle and kidnaps Ronald. Elizabeth finds the
(Munsch, 2013) dragon and rescues the prince.
Ballerino Nate Nate wants to learn ballet, but he has doubts when his brother Ben tells him that only girls could be ballerinas. In the end, Nate
(Bradley, 2006) follows his heart and manages to prove his brother wrong.
Amazing Grace Grace wants to play Peter Pan in her school play. She overcomes her peers’ doubts and fulfills her desire to perform Peter Pan.
(Hoffman, 2005)
What Mommies Do Best / The first half of the story shows mommies engaging in everyday activities with their children. When the book is flipped, it says
What Daddies Do Best that daddies can do the same things.
(Numeroff, 1998)
I Want to Be a Cowgirl A young girl does not want to be a girl who cleans and cooks, nor does she want to be a school girl or a girlie girl. She has her
(Willis, 2002) heart set on becoming a cowgirl.
The Boy With Pink Hair A kindergartener, miraculously born with pink hair, learns how to overcome teasing by focusing on his talent: cooking delectable
(Hilton, 2011) pink foods.
The Princess Knight Disguising herself as a boy, Princess Violet takes part in a knights’ jousting tournament. When she wins the contest, she reveals
(Funke, 2004) her true identity.
Do Princesses Wear A little girl asks her mother if princesses ride tricycles, climb trees, do chores, or have to eat the crusts of their bread.
Hiking Boots?
(Coyle, 2003)

JOURNAL OF CHILDREN’S LITERATURE VOL 48 NO 1 SPRING 2022

 So Jung Kim “ We Are All Special“ 23

discussions about the books they read. The data analysis
was based on a thematic approach examining the essential
elements of the phenomena. First, all data were transcribed
immediately after each observation or interview and
grouped for each literacy activity. Then, these data were
pulled apart to determine patterns (Patton, 2014), and
through conducting whole-document analyses, 118 initial
codes were developed. In order to organize a large number
of codes, in the second stage, the data were coded into
meaningful segments based on Corbin and Strauss’s (2008)
axial coding method. The goal of this stage was to find
integrity across the data by unpacking the interconnect-
edness among the codes. After the codes were identified
through a reiterative reading of the data, flexible catego-
ries were generated to integrate emergent themes into the
initial categorization scheme. In this process, 82 descrip-
tive codes were employed to sort the data into 29 catego-
ries, which were finally organized into 10 meaningful
clusters—race, uniqueness, self-identity, gender, culture,
bias, diversity, equality, family, and language—and these
themes were broken into subthemes in order to compare
and contrast emerging themes across the different cases.
The following tables exhibit the examples of theme catego-
ries (see Table 4) and the frequency of each child’s response
(see Table 5).
The final stage involved triangulating the data
sources to increase the internal validity of the data analysis
and enhance reliability (Kirk & Miller, 1986). In an effort
to verify the data analysis and validate the consistency
of the findings generated by the different data-collection
methods, a “triangulation” method (Patton, 2014) was
adopted. Also, the “member check” method (Kirk & Miller,
1986) was employed to confirm the categories and themes
that had emerged and to avoid any possible misunderstand-

TABLE 2
Examples of Critical Literacy Questions

Book Questions After Reading Questions During the “My Story” Activity
The Colors of Us • What color is your skin? • What is your favorite color and why do you like that color?
(Katz, 1999) • Do you like your skin color? If yes/no, why? • What makes you different from your peers?
• What is your best friend’s skin color? • If somebody asks who you are, how would you answer?
• How is your skin tone different from others?

A Rainbow of Friends • What is your favorite thing to do and how does this make you • How is your hair different from your peers’ hair?
(Hallinan, 2005) different? • How are your eyes different from your peers’ eyes?
• Do you have any unique experiences to share with your • How are your lips different from your peers’ lips?
peers? • What makes you different from your peers?
• What are you good at and why is it important?
• What are your friends good at?

Ballerino Nate • Did you like the story? If yes/no, why? • What do you want to be when you grow up?
(Bradley, 2006) • What is wrong with boys wanting to be a ballet dancer? • Everybody has their own story. What is your story?
• In your view, what should girls do? What should boys do? • Do you think there is anything that you should not do as a girl?

TABLE 3
Data-Collection Process
Data Source Focus Length/Number
Audio and video recordings • Children’s responses to different races and gender roles during • Once a week or every other week
whole-group read-aloud sessions based on the class schedule for
• Children’s discussions about human differences and equality 60–90 minutes
• Children’s social interactions with their peers and teacher • Approximately 995 minutes in total
• Children creating written texts during post-reading activities

Classroom observations • Children’s physical and verbal behavior and gestures during • 18 field notes in total
Field notes reading sessions • 3–5 pages each
• Children’s use of two languages during literature discussions
• Teacher’s questions and interactions with the children before,
during, and after reading
• Children’s interactions during post-reading activities

Semi-structured interviews with the teacher • Teacher’s teaching philosophy • Twice

• Teacher’s experiences related to using multicultural children’s • 40 minutes
books and critical literacy pedagogies
• Teacher’s goals of incorporating multicultural books and critical
literacy pedagogies

VOL 48 NO 1 SPRING 2022 JOURNAL OF CHILDREN’S LITERATURE

24 A RT ICL E S

ings. During this process, all data coding was reviewed by
other professionals in the field of early childhood develop-
ment and literacy education to avoid potential bias, validate
the data analysis, and gain additional insights about
emerging themes. With an inter-rater agreement rate of
92%, any conflicts in the coding results were resolved collec-
tively through face-to-face discussion.
The researcher’s positionality in this study
represented a space in which “objectivism” and “subjectiv-
ism” met (Burke, 2014). This study was part of a larger
critical literacy project in bilingual classrooms that
involved two research professors. This particular study
was performed by the principal investigator, who had had
a variety of experiences working with Mexican-origin
children in that area. Being mindful of her subjectivity, the
researcher minimized her role as a participant-observer
and spent considerable time in the setting to establish
rapport with the children and immerse herself in the data
(Creswell, 2013). As a participant-observer, the researcher
rarely joined the conversations between the teacher and her
students during the read-alouds in order to not hinder their
natural conversations.
Findings
The current study focused on investigating the potential of
early critical literacy curricula enriched by art and multicul-
tural picturebooks as a space in which kindergarten-age,
bilingual children can examine the issues of human diversity
and self-uniqueness. In this study, Ms. Lòpez incorporated
multicultural picturebooks and art activities in her critical
literacy practices. Her storytelling art activity provided
the participating children with the opportunity to critically
examine the stories, make real-world connections, and
create their own voices on diversity and self-uniqueness. The
findings in this section discuss three instructional episodes,
focusing on the children’s critical engagement with the books
as well as re-creation of those stories in two languages.
“MY SKIN IS HONEY BROWN”:
EXPLORING DIFFERENT SKIN COLORS
In this study, the picturebooks depicting people of differ-
ent skin colors offered the children the opportunity to
explore their own skin colors and different skin colors
around them. For instance, reading the book The Colors of
Us (Katz, 1999), which discussed the story of a little girl,
Lena, who observed the variations in the skin colors of her
neighbors to paint her self-portrait, facilitated the conver-
sation about different skin colors. Before reading the book,
the teacher asked some questions, such as “What do you
think the book is going to be about?” and “What color is
your skin?” She also asked the children to view the differ-
ent skin colors of the hands in the inside cover illustration

TABLE 4
Examples of Descriptive Codes

Main Theme Subthemes Examples of Descriptive Codes

Examining diverse skin colors
Examining nontraditional
gender/gender roles
Creating new perspectives
Roles of “My Story” activities
Language
Main characters’ skin colors in the book Positive response to my skin color
Own skin color Negative response to my skin color
Friends’ skin colors Positive response to my friend’s skin color
Family members’ skin colors Negative response to my friend’s skin color
Neighbors’ skin colors Biased response to dark skin
Human diversity Biased response to light skin
Main character’s gender roles Negative response to traditional female roles
Traditional male and female roles Positive response to nontraditional gender roles
Nontraditional male/female roles Questioning traditional male roles
Gender diversity Questioning traditional female roles
Stereotyped gender representations Challenging biases to male roles
Gender/gender role equality
Connecting the story to personal experience Bringing personal experiences to understand the story
Questioning the author’s perspectives Making text-to-self connection
Making connections Making text-to-text connection
Creating new perspectives Making text-to-world connection
Elaborating thoughts and ideas Adding more details
Helping to reflect personal experiences Sharing ideas with peers
Sharing ideas with peers Sharing ideas with the teacher
Looking at the story from different perspectives Listening to peers’ experiences
Confirming ideas
Challenging ideas
Spanish Use of English
English Use of Spanish
Others Use of other languages
Code-switching

JOURNAL OF CHILDREN’S LITERATURE VOL 48 NO 1 SPRING 2022

 So Jung Kim “ We Are All Special“ 25

and then compare them with the colors of their own hands.
As they started to read the book, the teacher helped the
children not only comprehend the story but also speculate
about differences in skin colors as follows (translations are
included in brackets):
Teacher: So, what color was Lena’s skin?
Naomi: Cinnamon! I like cinnamon.
Teacher: Great. What about her mom? Yes, Emma.
Emma: Su mamá es mm [Her mom is umm]…(the
color of) French toast.
different, just like our skin colors are different. Most
of you are brown skin color, but there are different
shades of brown, like “peachy tan,” “cocoa brown,”
“chocolate brown,” and others.
Mario: My skin is honey brown.
Teacher: Good, Mario’s skin is honey brown and
Emma’s is peach brown. We are all different. So, do
you think it is a good thing or bad thing?
Emma: It’s a good thing.
Teacher: Why do you think so?

Teacher: Awesome! Then, what about her neighbors? Emma: (after a few seconds) Porque es mas divertido
Yes, David. [Because it’s more fun].

David: Somebody is a yellow brown. Like me!

In the excerpt above, the teacher asked the questions
Teacher: Very good. Their people’s skin colors are all about the book, and the children shared their responses in two

TABLE 5
Example of Frequency of Each Child’s Response

Response Frequency
Code (A: Affirmative, C: Challenging,
Q: Questioning, M: Making Connections)

Main Differences Main characters’ Main character’s gender

characters’ in skin gender role (nontraditional role (nontraditional male
skin color colors female character) character)
Book 1 Book 2 Book 3 Book 4
Ava A (2) C (1) A (4) C (0) A (4) C (6) A (4) C (4) A (3) C (5) A (3) C (4)
Q (2) M (6) Q (1) M (3) Q (2) M (7) Q (1) M (8) Q (2) M (2) Q (3) M (1)
Emma A (4) C (1) A (5) C (1) A (6) C (7) A (5) C (5) A (2) C (6) A (2) C (4)
Q (2) M (5) Q (2) M (3) Q (2) M (8) Q (2) M (9) Q (2) M (3) Q (1) M (6)
David A (6) C (1) A (3) C (1) A (7) C (3) A (5) C (4) A (7) C (7) A (5) C (3)
Q (3) M (7) Q (0) M (4) Q (2) M (4) Q (2) M (10) Q (1) M (6) Q (5) M (9)

Jessica A (3) C (2) A (6) C (0) A (3) C (5) A (5) C (3) A (5) C (7) A (6) C (4)
Q (3) M (3) Q (2) M (5) Q (0) M (3) Q (3) M (4) Q (3) M (1) Q (4) M (8)
Leo A (4) C (1) A (4) C (0) A (3) C (2) A (5) C (1) A (3) C (6) A (4) C (4)
Q (2) M (4) Q (2) M (6) Q (2) M (3) Q (2) M (5) Q (2) M (2) Q (2) M (3)
Mario A (3) C (1) A (5) C (0) A (3) C (5) A (3) C (1) A (3) C (4) A (5) C (1)
Q (2) M (5) Q (1) M (5) Q (2) M (5) Q (1) M (3) Q (2) M (4) Q (2) M (3)
Olivia A (4) C (0) A (3) C (2) A (5) C (3) A (4) C (1) A (2) C (5) A (4) C (1)
Q (2) M (7) Q (0) M (7) Q (2) M (6) Q (0) M (5) Q (2) M (4) Q (2) M (3)
Peter A (1) C (0) A (2) C (1) A (3) C (2) A (1) C (0) A (2) C (1) A (1) C (1)
Q (2) M (6) Q (0) M (3) Q (1) M (3) Q (0) M (0) Q (2) M (1) Q (0) M (5)
Ryan A (0) C (1) A (3) C (1) A (1) C (3) A (1) C (0) A (4) C (3) A (3) C (3)
Q (2) M (2) Q (0) M (2) Q (3) M (2) Q (1) M (2) Q (2) M (0) Q (2) M (0)
Sebastian A (2) C (1) A (3) C (1) A (6) C (1) A (5) C (2) A (5) C (6) A (5) C (1)
Q (2) M (5) Q (1) M (5) Q (2) M (6) Q (2) M (3) Q (2) M (3) Q (2) M (4)
Sofia A (2) C (0) A (3) C (1) A (3) C (1) A (5) C (3) A (1) C (1) A (4) C (1)
Q (1) M (4) Q (0) M (4) Q (2) M (7) Q (2) M (5) Q (1) M (2) Q (2) M (4)
Zack A (0) C (1) A (0) C (0) A (1) C (0) A (1) C (0) A (2) C (1) A (3) C (1)
Q (0) M (2) Q (1) M (0) Q (2) M (1) Q (0) M (0) Q (2) M (0) Q (1) M (0)

Note. Numbers in parentheses indicate the frequency of each response.

VOL 48 NO 1 SPRING 2022 JOURNAL OF CHILDREN’S LITERATURE

26 A RT ICL E S

languages; for instance, Naomi mostly used English during The children selected different colors to represent
the conversation, whereas Emma mixed both languages. Such not only their skin colors (e.g., honey brown skin color—
conversation enabled the students to not only deepen their David) but also their personality (e.g., warm heart—David)
comprehension but also explore different skin colors around or experiences (e.g., a leg injury—Leo) (see Figure 1). In
them. Although the teacher did not use the term “race” to sharing their stories, David employed both English and
teach her students about people of different skin colors, the Spanish, and Leo mostly used Spanish. Through coloring
children were able to develop their emergent notion of racial their figures and sharing the reasons for their color choices
diversity through examining that people are born with differ- with peers and the teacher in both languages, the children
ent skin colors and there are a broad range of skin tones. had the chance to not only investigate the metaphorical
In order to help the students to expand their thoughts meanings of colors as symbols but also reflect on their own
about different skin colors, the teacher also incorporated a personalities or unique experiences.
storytelling art activity. During this activity, the children
FIGURE 1
made rough sketches of human figures on paper, used
David’s and Leo’s Works
crayons to add colors to their drawings in a manner that
best portrayed themselves, and attached their papers to
their brown paper bags. Just as the main character Lena
searched for “correct” colors to paint her self-portrait,
during the activity, the children tried to find the best colors
that could represent themselves, sharing different ideas
with peers in dual languages. Once they finished their
work, each student presented their product to the whole
class, and the following is an example of this:

David: (pointing out his figure) This is me. My (skin)

color is peach brown, so I colored peach.

Teacher: Nice! I can see the peach color in there. But

“I LOVE DANCING”: EXAMINING INDIVIDUALITY
I also see the red color. So, can you tell us why your
The children’s critical examination of diversity and individu-
upper body part is red?
ality was also observed through the conversations after
David: ¡Porque estoy tan caliente como el fuego! reading the book A Rainbow of Friends (Hallinan, 2005),
[’Cause I’m hot, like fire!] which depicted children who are different in shapes, sizes,
and colors. During reading, the teacher often helped the
Teacher: Oh, that’s awesome. It’s because your heart
children be engaged with a story in a personal way by
is hot. Right?
asking thought-provoking questions, such as if they had
David: (nodding affirmatively) friends like the ones in the book and what different talents or
abilities they had. With the teacher’s questions, the children
Teacher: That is great! I can see why you colored it
expressed their own spontaneous and honest reactions and
red. Great job, David! Now Leo, what colors did you
shared their experiences about their friends. The following
choose to color yourself? I can see different colors in
excerpt reveals an example of children’s conversations about
there.
what made their peers unique and special:
Leo: (pointing out the left leg in his figure) Aquí
Teacher: OK, David, now it’s your turn. So, what
coloreé rojo [I colored red here].
makes Sebastian special?
Teacher: Your leg? Why?
David: (after a few seconds) Sebastian is funny!
Leo: ’Cause my leg hurt.
Teacher: Great! Sebastian is funny, and it makes
Teacher: Oh, it’s because you hurt your leg last him special!
week.
Sebastian: Yep, I am funny!
Leo: Yeah, I fell (murmuring and not clear). Pero
Jessica: (raising a hand with an excited face)
ahora es muy fuerte [But it’s very strong now].
Teacher: Yes, Jessica.
Teacher: So, your leg is even stronger now. Right?
That’s awesome, Leo. Jessica: Umm, Emma has many unicorns.

JOURNAL OF CHILDREN’S LITERATURE VOL 48 NO 1 SPRING 2022

 So Jung Kim “ We Are All Special“ 27

Teacher: Oh, that’s right, Emma has many unicorns! (The teacher joins them.)
(to Emma) How many unicorns do you have?
Teacher: You guys are having fun here. So, what’s
Emma: Eight! going on?

Teacher: That’s awesome. Your unicorn friends
definitely make you special. Now, who wants to share
what makes Jessica special?
Naomi: (after a few seconds) ¡Ella sonrie mucho! [She
smiles a lot!]
Teacher: Yes, Jessica smiles a lot. Jessica! Do you
want to show us your beautiful smile?
Olivia: Ava was singing her purple song.
Teacher: Oh, that’s nice. Can you sing it again?
Ava: (smiling shyly) Well…
Teacher: OK, maybe next time. (pointing to Olivia’s
puppet) So, can you tell me about your puppet, Olivia?
Olivia: I am dancing. I am dancing very well.

Jessica: (smiling shyly) Ava: Qué bien [That’s nice].

Teacher: That’s awesome, Jessica. (to children) Olivia: ¡Si, a mi me encanta bailar asi! [Yep, I love
You know what? I like all of your smiles. Can we all dancing, like this!] (dancing a little bit)
smile? (children are smiling) Very nice. (looking at
(Ava and Olivia are giggling together.)
David) Can you smile? Good, good, real smile. (to Leo)
Now you smile, Leo. (some children laugh). Smile. Teacher: Look at you, Olivia. You are a great dancer!
Smile. Very nice!
Oliva: Yes, I am special. No, we are all special!
The children expressed different talents and abilities
of their friends in two languages, and in this process, they FIGURE 2
were able to understand that each person is special in their Ava’s and Olivia’s Works
own ways, and thus, it is important to celebrate the unique-
ness of others. Such examination also offered the children
the opportunity to investigate their own unique character
strengths and abilities and develop a sense of pride, which
was particularly evident through their storytelling activity.
Following the reading, the children were provided paper
with different shapes of noses, eyes, and lips, and they were
asked to create their own faces using these materials, and
glue them to their paper bag puppets. Once they completed
their puppets, they shared their puppets with their partners,
and the teacher visited each group and guided them,
emphasizing that we are all unique, and thus it is important
to embrace diversity and appreciate each other’s uniqueness.
In the excerpt above, Ava indicated that her unique appear-
The following is an example (see Figure 2):
ance and secret song could be what made her special, while
Ava: (pointing to her puppet) I have red hair and I Olivia pointed out that her dancing ability could be her
wear purple glasses. special talent; in conversing with each other, both of them
mainly used Spanish. Like Ava and Olivia, the other children
Olivia: Se parece a ti [It looks like you].
also shared their thoughts on their various characteristics.
Ava: (pointing to the purple dress in the puppet) Me Through this practice, they had the chance to relate the book
gusta el color morado [I like purple]. And I can sing to their life experiences, ponder how they were different from
MY purple song. others, and voice their ideas on why they were special.

Olivia: Purple song?

Ava: Yep, purple song!
Olivia: Can you sing it?
Ava: Well, OK. It’s like… (singing the song a little bit)
Olivia: Eso es gracioso [That’s funny].
“I CAN BALLET TOO!”: CHALLENGING GENDER BIAS
Ms. Lòpez’s efforts to create an interactive learning
atmosphere where the children openly shared their
diverse views on reading helped them understand not only
human diversity but also equality regardless of gender.
For instance, through reading the book Ballerino Nate

VOL 48 NO 1 SPRING 2022 JOURNAL OF CHILDREN’S LITERATURE

28 A RT ICL E S

(Bradley, 2006), a story of a boy, Nate, who desires to
become a ballet dancer, the children could ponder gender
roles in ballet. The following is an example of how critical
conversations about the book helped the students explore
human diversity and equality regardless of gender:
Teacher: Yes, he is doubting if boys can be ballet
dancers. Why?
Sofia: Por su hermano [Because of his brother].
Emma: He said it’s yuck!
Teacher: Right, Ben said ballet is only for girls, so
Nate can’t do it. So, do you guys think so too? Yes,
Sebastian.
Sebastian: Pero yo vi hombres bailando en la
televisión [But I saw men dancing on TV].
able to examine a larger theme of diversity and equality
through the storytelling activity, which was to make their
own fish using the materials relevant to their lives and
display them in the fishbowl visual aid. For instance,
Sofia made a fish that represented her Mexican identity by
using green, white, and red fluffy balls (the colors of the
Mexican flag). She said her fish was born in Mexico and
that her dream was to be a doctor. Whereas Sofia used the
materials relevant to her ethnic identity, Emma focused on
materials that could express her “happy” state of mind. She
put a big smiling face sticker on her fish and said her fish
was happy, because her dream was to be a princess (see
Figure 3). Once all students shared their stories, together
they read the message attached to their fishbowl, which
was “We may all be different, but in this class we swim
together” (see Figure 4).

Children: (nodding affirmatively) FIGURE 3

Sofia’s and Emma’s Works
Teacher: That’s right. There are many male ballet
dancers in the world! Yes, David.

David: I can ballet too!

Teacher: Oh, that’s right. I remember you talked

about learning ballet.

David: But I don’t like it.

Teacher: Why?

David: It’s boring.

Teacher: Oh, I see. Yeah, some people like Ben and

David don’t like ballet and others like Nate love it
because we are all different. But Ben kept saying
FIGURE 4
ballet is only for girls. Do you guys agree with Ben?
Fishbowl
Children: No.

Emma: Ballet is for everyone!

Teacher: Great! Yes, ballet is for everyone.

During reading, the teacher helped the children to examine

the story from critical perspectives, rather than simply
checking their comprehension skills. With the teacher’s
questions, the children actively shared their views and
switched their languages. For example, Sofia used English
predominantly in the beginning of the conversation,
but she often changed her language to Spanish. David
employed mostly English throughout the conversation.
As the conversation progressed, Sebastian challenged the
existing biased attitude toward ballet, sharing his own
experiences of watching male ballet dancers on televi-
sion, and the other children agreed with him, nodding
their heads affirmatively. After reading, the children were

JOURNAL OF CHILDREN’S LITERATURE VOL 48 NO 1 SPRING 2022


Discussion
The current study interrogated the pedagogical potentials
for an art-based early critical literacy curriculum in the
intersection of sociocultural perspectives, early bilingual
education, and teaching diversity for young children.
The findings of this study add important discussions to
related literature in the following three regards. First,
the findings provide important points of possibility for
employing both multicultural picturebooks and art activi-
ties in early critical literacy practices as a way in which
to engage young children in meaningful discussions about
human diversity and uniqueness. As shown in the three
instructional episodes, the critical literacy practice in
Ms. Lòpez’s classroom created an interactive learning
environment where the children deeply engaged in stories,
negotiated their views, co-constructed meaning, and
created their own voices. With the teacher’s assistance,
the children were able to critically examine the books
and deepen their thoughts about human diversity and
uniqueness through text-to-self and text-to-world connec-
tions. The post-reading art activities, such as drawing
self-portraits or making puppets, also provided them
with the valuable chance to participate in both the art
and storytelling and learn about themselves and others.
Such a finding is aligned with prior studies that have
highlighted the role of critical literacy pedagogy as a
vehicle for young children to explore various viewpoints
and explore social issues critically in both monolingual
(e.g., Aukerman, 2012; Chafel et al., 2007; Comber, 2013;
Kim et al., 2016; Vasquez, 2014) and bilingual contexts
(e.g., Batista-Morales et al., 2019; Zhang, 2015). The study
also suggests the potential for implementing multicultural
picturebooks and arts in early critical literacy practices
as a means by which to foster young bilingual learners’
critical understanding of diversity and equality, as well as
to develop a sense of pride in them as storytellers.
Second, the findings of the study suggest that in
order to enhance critical literacy practices in bilingual
classrooms, it is vital to create supportive learning
environments where young bilingual children can openly
share their ideas in two or more languages. Critical
literacy seeks to “broaden narrow bridges of communi-
cation and open up spaces in which bilingualism and
multilingualism can thrive” (Fránquiz & Ortiz, 2012,
p. 119). In this study, Ms. Lòpez allowed her students to
use both English and Spanish, and such a flexible use of
linguistic resources helped the children to interact with
the stories and their peers and create their personal
narratives in a more comfortable atmosphere. The positive
role of the utilization of two languages was consistent with
those identified in previous research, which stressed the
importance of translanguaging practices to enhance early
VOL 48 NO 1 SPRING 2022
So Jung Kim “ We Are All Special“ 29
bilingual/biliteracy development (e.g., García & Woodley,
2015). However, the current study provides additional
insights into the role of translanguaging in facilitating
in-depth conversations about books during early critical
literacy practices. Such findings also suggest that in order
to create a stimulating critical literacy space in bilingual
classrooms, it is important for teachers to assist bilingual
children in being fully engaged in bilingual discussions by
allowing them to use an array of their linguistic repertoire.
Third, this study proposes an extended vision of
critical literacy in early childhood settings by connect-
ing it to a multicultural curriculum. In this study, the
children actively responded to multicultural children’s
books and created their own voices on diversity and
self-uniqueness by bringing in their life experiences. The
children critically examined diverse social issues, such
as diversity in skin colors and gender roles, and they
voiced their ideas about their potentials and abilities
through the critical literacy activity. The way in which
they did this suggests the possibility of connecting
early critical literacy and multicultural picturebooks
as a medium for enabling young children to explore
their diverse “worlds” through their own “words.” By
connecting multicultural perspectives to critical literacy
practices, early childhood teachers can help children
gain competence in analyzing and discussing diverse
real-life issues that they encounter on a daily basis
and develop a sense of belonging and acceptance in
age-appropriate, meaningful, and engaging ways.
LIMITATIONS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS
Before transitioning to a discussion of the conclusions result-
ing from this study, some limitations are worth reporting.
First, this research study employed an ethnically homoge-
nous group of participants in that all of the data were
collected from people from Mexican-origin backgrounds.
Also, a majority of the children in this study were from
low-income families. The focal children likely represent
Hispanic children from similar socioeconomic backgrounds.
Thus, this study may not be representative of children from
other backgrounds. Further research may seek to ascertain
a deeper understanding of culturally and linguistically
diverse children’s experiences with critical literacy practices
in different ethnic and socioeconomic settings. As a continu-
ation of this line of research, this study also invites further
research to examine the potentials or challenges of art-based
critical literacy practices in other content areas through
cross-curricular observations. Despite some limitations,
the current study provides an in-depth portrait of bilingual
children’s engagement in critical literacy practice through
children’s literature. Since very few studies have been
documented about early critical literacy practices in connec-
JOURNAL OF CHILDREN’S LITERATURE
30 A RT ICL E S

tion to either multicultural books or art activities with young
Mexican-origin children, especially from low-income families,
the study may open doors for future studies related to
art-based early critical literacy for young Hispanic children.
Conclusion
The stories of the children in Ms. Lòpez’s kindergarten
classroom provided powerful documentation of young
children’s ability to negotiate, create, and re-create
meanings about human diversity and uniqueness in two
languages during a critical literacy practice enriched by art
activities. For these children, books were not just collections
of words and sentences, but tools to explore their worlds.
As shown in the findings of this study, integrating art and
multicultural picturebooks in critical literacy practices can
enrich early literacy instruction by helping young bilingual
children become active participants who expand their
thoughts and develop their emergent understandings of
human diversity and equality. In this richly diverse world,
young children encounter diversity in the daily construction
of their social lives (Dyson, 2016; Follari, 2015). Thus, it is
vital that teachers help young children accept, understand,
and value differences, as well as build positive self-identities
and support their growth as critical thinkers. They can do
this by offering them alternative landscapes within which
to critically examine the books and create their own voices.
When teachers create a supportive critical literacy environ-
ment in which each student’s voice is valued, young children
can grow into democratic individuals who think critically,
embrace diversity, and take action for social change. �
Dr. So Jung Kim is an associate professor in the Department of Teacher
Education at the University of Texas at El Paso. Her primary areas of research
include early critical literacy/critical media literacy practices, multicultural
children’s literature, bilingual/biliteracy development, and sociocultural
perspectives in learning. Email: skim7@utep.edu

References
Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative inquiry and research design:
Aukerman, M. (2012). “Why do you say yes to Pedro, but no to me?”
Choosing among five approaches (3rd ed.). Sage.
Toward a critical literacy of dialogic engagement. Theory Into
Dyson, A. H. (2016). Making space for missing childhoods:
Practice, 51(1), 42–48. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2012.636335
Implications for theory, policy, and pedagogy. In A. H.
Batista-Morales, N. S., Salmerón, C., & Dejulio, S. (2019). Their
Dyson (Ed.), Child cultures, schooling, and literacy: Global
words, their worlds: Critical literacy in bilingual spaces.
perspectives on composing unique lives (pp. 165–178).
Bilingual Research Journal, 42(4), 471–490. https://doi.org/10
Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315736518
.1080/15235882.2019.1675804
Dyson, A. H., & Genishi, C. (2005). On the case: Approaches to
Beach, R. (1995). Constructing cultural models through response
language and literacy research. Teachers College Press.
to literature. The English Journal, 84(6), 87–94. https://doi
Emerson, R. M., Fretz, R. I., & Shaw, L. L. (2011). Writing
.org/10.2307/820901
ethnographic fieldnotes (2nd ed.). The University of Chicago Press.
Burke, B. (2014). Positionality: Reflecting on the research process.
Englebaugh, D. (2003). Integrating art and language arts through
The Qualitative Report, 19(33), 1–9.
children’s literature. ABC Clio.
​​Cai, M. (2002). Multicultural literature for children and young
Fish, S. E. (1980). Is there a text in this class?: The authority of
adults: Reflections on critical issues. Greenwood.
interpretative communities. Harvard University Press.
Carger, C. L. (2004). Art and literacy with bilingual children.
Follari, L. M. (2015). Valuing diversity in early childhood
Language Arts, 81(4), 283–292.
education. Pearson.
Chafel, J. A., Flint, A. S., Hammel, J., & Pomeroy, K. H. (2007).
Fránquiz, M. E., & Ortiz, A. A. (2012). Coeditor’s introduction: Critical
Young children, social issues, and critical literacy: Stories of
literacy and bilingual education. Bilingual Research Journal,
teachers and researchers. Young Children, 62(1), 73–81.
35(2), 119–124. https://doi.org/10.1080/15235882.2012.707464
Comber, B. (2013). Critical literacy in the early years: Emergence
Freire, P. (1982). Pedagogy of the oppressed. Continuum.
and sustenance in an age of accountability. In J. Larson & J.
Freire, P., & Macedo, D. (1987). Literacy: Reading the word and
Marsh (Eds.), Handbook of research in early childhood literacy
the world. Routledge; Kegan Dongwon.
(2nd ed., pp. 587–601). Sage Publications.
Gangi, J. M. (2003). Encountering children’s literature: An arts
Comber, B. (2016). The relevance of composing: Children’s
approach. Pearson College.
spaces for social agency. In A. H. Dyson (Ed.), Child cultures,
García, O., & Leiva, C. (2014). Theorizing and enacting
schooling, and literacy: Global perspectives on composing
translanguaging for social justice. In A. Blackledge & A.
unique lives (pp. 119–124). Routledge.
Creese (Eds.), Heteroglossia as practice and pedagogy (pp.
Corbin, J., & Strauss, A. (2008). Basics of qualitative research:
199–216). Springer.
Techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory
García, O., & Woodley, H. H. (2015). Bilingual education. In M.
(3rd ed.). Sage Publications.

JOURNAL OF CHILDREN’S LITERATURE VOL 48 NO 1 SPRING 2022


References cont.
Bigelow & J. Ennser-Kananen (Eds.), The Routledge handbook
of educational linguistics (pp. 132–144). Routledge.
Giorgis, C., & Glazer, J. I. (2013). Literature for young children:
Supporting emergent literacy, 0–8 (7th ed.). Pearson.
Henderson, K. I., Martín-Corredor, L., & Caffrey, G. (2018).
Issues of equity in dual language bilingual education. In N.
Avineri, L. R. Graham, E. J., R. C. Riner, & J. Rosa (Eds.),
Language and social justice in practice (pp. 63–71). Routledge.
https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315115702
Janks, H., & Vasquez, V. (Eds.). (2011). Critical literacy revisited:
Writing as critique. English Teaching: Practice and Critique, 10(1).
Kim, S. J., Park, S., & An, S. (2018). “You can’t be rich only doing
good deeds”: Bilingual kindergarteners’ discussions about
poverty and wealth. International Journal of Early Childhood,
50(1), 101–119. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13158-018-0209-9
Kim, S. J., Wee, S.-J., & Lee, Y. M. (2016). Teaching
kindergartners racial diversity through multicultural
literature: A case study in a kindergarten classroom in Korea.
Early Education and Development, 27(3), 402–420. https://doi
.org/10.1080/10409289.2015.1069110
Kirk, J., & Miller, M. L. (1986). Reliability and validity in
qualitative research. Sage Publications.
Labadie, M., Wetzel, M. M., & Rogers, R. (2012). Opening spaces for
critical literacy: Introducing books to young readers. The Reading
Teacher, 66(2), 111–127. https://doi.org/10.1002/TRTR.01097
Lau, S. M. C., Juby-Smith, B., & Desbiens, I. (2017).
Translanguaging for transgressive praxis: Promoting critical
literacy in a multiage bilingual classroom. Critical Inquiry in
Language Studies, 14(1), 99–127. https://doi.org/10.1080/1542
7587.2016.1242371
Martínez-Roldán, C. M. (2005). The inquiry acts of bilingual
children in literature discussions. Language Arts, 83(1), 22–32.
Martínez-Roldán, C. M., & López-Robertson, J. M. (1999).
Initiating literature circles in a first-grade bilingual
classroom. The Reading Teacher, 53(4), 270–281.
Mendoza, J., & Reese, D. (2001). Examining multicultural picture
books for the early childhood classroom: Possibilities and
pitfalls. Early Childhood Research & Practice, 3(2), 1–38.
Mills, H., & Jennings, L. (2011). Talking about talk: Reclaiming
the value and power of literature circles. The Reading
Teacher, 64(8), 590–598. https://doi.org/10.1598/RT.64.8.4
Möller, K. J. (2002). Providing support for dialogue in literature
discussions about social justice. Language Arts, 79(6), 467–477.
Nieto, S. (2004). Affirming diversity: The sociopolitical context of
multicultural education (4th ed.). Pearson.
Norton, D. E. (2009). Multicultural children’s literature: Through
the eyes of many children (3rd ed.). Allyn & Bacon; Pearson.
Norton, D. E., & Norton, S. E. (2010). Through the eyes of a child:
An introduction to children’s literature. Prentice-Hall.
VOL 48 NO 1 SPRING 2022
So Jung Kim “ We Are All Special“ 31
Osorio, S. L. (2018). Promoting critical literacy among emergent
bilinguals: An exploration of their identities. [Unpublished
doctoral dissertation]. The University of Illinois at Urbana–
Champaign.
Patton, M. Q. (2014). Qualitative research and evaluation
methods: Integrating theory and practice (4th ed.). SAGE.
Rogers, R., Labadie, M., & Pole, K. (2016). Balancing voice and
protection in literacy studies with young children. Journal
of Early Childhood Literacy, 16(1), 34–59. https://doi
.org/10.1177/1468798414554632
Skutnabb-Kangas, T., Phillipson, R., Panda, M., & Mohanty,
A. J. (2009). Multilingual education concepts, goals,
needs and expense: English for all or achieving justice?
In T. Skutnabb-Kangas, R. Phillipson, A. K. Mohanty,
& M. Panda (Eds.), Social justice through multilingual
education (pp. 302–320). Multilingual Matters. https://doi
.org/10.21832/9781847691910-020
Sleeter, C., & Grant, C. (2007). Making choices for multicultural
education: Five approaches to race, class, and gender (6th ed.).
Prentice Hall.
Snow, R. K., Piper, R. E., & Pittman, R. T. (2018). Using
multicultural literature to engage students in critical
conversations about gender identity. English in Texas, 48(2),
27–32.
Son, Y. (2020). Critical literacy practices with bilingual
immigrant children: Multicultural book club in an out-
of-school context. International Journal of Early Years
Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669760.2020.1848528
Stake, R. E. (2005). Qualitative case studies. In N. K. Denzin & Y.
S. Lincoln (Eds.), The Sage handbook of qualitative research
(3rd ed., pp. 443–466). Sage.
Stribling, S. M. (2014). Creating a critical literacy milieu in a
kindergarten classroom. Journal of Language and Literacy
Education, 10(1), 45–64. http://jolle.coe.uga.edu
Van Soest, D., & Garcia, B. (2003). Diversity education for social
justice: Mastering teaching skills. Council on Social Work
Education.
Vasquez, V. (2007). Using the everyday to engage in critical
literacy with young children. New English Reading
Association Journal, 43(2), 6–11.
Vasquez, V. M. (2014). Negotiating critical literacies with young
children. Lawrence Erlbaum.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher
psychological processes. Harvard University Press.
Zhang, G. (2015). Learning critical literacy in ESL classrooms.
Creative Education, 6(12), 1316–1321. https://doi.org/10.4236
/ce.2015.612131
JOURNAL OF CHILDREN’S LITERATURE
32 A RT ICL E S

Children’s Literature Cited

Bradley, K. B. (2006). Ballerino Nate (R. W. Alley, Illus.). Dial
Publishing.
Coyle, C. L. (2003). Do princesses wear hiking boots? (M. Gordon
& C. Gordon, Illus.). Rising Moon.
Funke, C. (2004). The princess knight (K. Meyer, Illus.). Chicken
House.
Hallinan, P. K. (2005). A rainbow of friends. Ideals Children’s
Books.
Harris, R. H. (2012). Who’s in my family?: All about our families
(N. B. Westcott, Illus.). Candlewick.
Hilton, P. (2011). The boy with pink hair (J. Hill, Illus.). Celebra
Children’s Books.
Hoffman, M. (2005). Amazing Grace (C. Binch, Illus.). Dial Books
for Young Readers.
Katz, K. (1999). The colors of us. Henry Holt and Company.
Mora, P. (1994). Pablo’s tree (C. Lang, Illus.). Simon & Schuster
Books for Young Readers.
Munsch, R. (2013). The paper bag princess (M. Martchenko,
Illus.). Annick Press.
Numeroff, L. (1998). What mommies do best / What daddies do
best (L. Munsinger, Illus.). Simon & Schuster Books for Young
Readers.
Parr, T. (2009). It’s OK to be different. Little, Brown Books for
Young Readers.
Tyler, M. (2005). The skin you live in (D. L. Csicsko, Illus.).
Chicago Children’s Museum.
Willis, J. (2002). I want to be a cowgirl (T. Ross, Illus.). Henry
Holt and Company.
Winans, C., Thomas, K., & Love, A., III. (2008). Colorful world
(M. Strong, Illus.). Crabtree Publishing Company.

JOURNAL OF CHILDREN’S LITERATURE VOL 48 NO 1 SPRING 2022

Copyright of Journal of Children's Literature is the property of Children's Literature
Assembly and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv
without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print,
download, or email articles for individual use.