In avoiding preparation for Saturday’s Presentation in Taipei, I have gone back down the rabbit-hole of discussion after discussion, post after post and tweet after tweet regarding Sophie Blackall and Emily Jenkin’s A Fine Dessert.
I have A Fine Dessert on display as a contender for the 2016 Caldecott Medal; in good company with posts like these from Mr. Schu (Scholastic Ambassador for School Libraries), and here on the New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Books of 2015.
I’ve enjoyed commentary from other reputable sources such as NPR and as always read through the comments after; with a mixture of those commenters agreeing with NPR’s heading of the book having either “award buzz” or “whitewashing slavery”. Reading posts here on Debbie Reese’s blog, led me down another interesting path that I recommend you all check out. Debbie posted a letter from Emily on October 29th;
This is Emily Jenkins. I like the Reading While White blog and have been reading it since inception. As the author of A Fine Dessert, I have read this discussion and the others with care and attention. I have come to understand that my book, while intended to be inclusive and truthful and hopeful, is racially insensitive. I own that and am very sorry. For lack of a better way to make reparations, I donated the fee I earned for writing the book to We Need Diverse Books.
After following the conversations and drama this book has stirred, and after reading this great post over at Library Girl’s blog just this morning, I know that more needs to be done with this beautiful book than just put it on display. Library Girl references Sandra Hughes-Hassel who “advocates for using book displays as an opportunity to affect social justice.” If I only displayed the book, I’d remain at Level 1; Addiditive Approach, whereas there are two more levels I should be seeing; Level 2; The Transformative Approach, or better still, Level 3; The Social Action Approach where I would be “taking action to educate others about why these texts are necessary.”
I’d already read A Fine Dessert to students in Grades 2,3 and 4…I will now read it through a more thoughtful lens; admiring it for not only it’s beauty, but also for the discussion it will promote, and the learning it will encourage.
the barefoot librarian 