Ziney Zine
Munchkins Need More: The Impact of Diverse Books
As children's literature plays a crucial role in shaping our perceptions of the world, it is essential that we promote diverse representation in children's books. Research has shown that children who do not see themselves reflected in books may question the value of reading and literacy altogether. On the other hand, exposure to diverse literature can foster empathy, curiosity, and understanding toward those from different backgrounds. Through her pursuit of a Master's in Fine Arts in Collaborative Design, Hafsa has developed skills in participatory engagement, applied systems thinking, and design to tackle the issue of representation in children's literature. Her multistage collaborative design process involves research, design sprints, systems mapping, futures-centered design, visual facilitation, and data visualization to interrogate the wicked problems facing the world today. Through this approach, she hopes to promote critical discourse between educators, book purveyors, and readers to create more meaningful representations of diverse characters in children's books.
Experiments