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As the mother of two preschool children, I spend a lot of time reading and telling stories. I like to tell them in the gathering dark, as the illumination from the streetlights begins to filter into our home and the noise of the city shifts to night rhythms. I hear the squeak of tennis shoes and steady percussion in the neighboring basketball court, the lumbering cadence of the passing buses, the occasional siren and accompanying chorus of howling dogs. I lie next to my children and wonder whether the pictures they are forming in their heads look at all like those in my own. I work hard to find stories that mirror for my kids the immensity and mystery of the world. I search for good books about children from different continents and cultures. I also seek stories that don’t fall into predictable patterns of what boys do and girls do—stories about kids who love science and ballet, unicorns and robots. And stories that are honest about things my children ask about—poverty, death, race, superheroes and parents who aren’t around. These are real issues and if we are going to tell stories, they must be as real. How the story is told, in addition to what parts are left out, is as important as the story itself.
Dee Dee Risher is a writer and editor. She has been trying to become multicultural most of her life and still has a long way to go. She lives in Philadelphia with her partner, Will, and her two children, Luke and Thea. Call 800/524-2612 |
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