{"id":1261,"date":"2015-01-27T23:20:10","date_gmt":"2015-01-27T22:20:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mirrorswindowsdoors.org\/wp\/?p=1261"},"modified":"2015-01-28T00:21:48","modified_gmt":"2015-01-27T23:21:48","slug":"multicultural-childrens-book-day-celebrating-osu-childrens-library-funds-photographic-picture-books","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/mirrorswindowsdoors.org\/wp\/multicultural-childrens-book-day-celebrating-osu-childrens-library-funds-photographic-picture-books\/","title":{"rendered":"Multicultural Children’s Book Day – Celebrating OSU Children’s Library Fund’s Photographic Picture Books"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today we are celebrating Multicultural Children’s Book Day<\/a>! It’s a chance to revel in the vibrant cultural diversity that is out there waiting to be explored in children’s and YA literature – and for my celebration today I am launching a new series of posts highlighting photographic picture books, both fiction and non-fiction.<\/p>\n

First up today, then: two great series published by Canadian non-profit Osu Children’s Library Fund <\/a>– as well as building libraries in Ghana and other countries in Africa plus one in the Philippines, they publish gorgeous picture books featuring the children who use those libraries. Imagine those children truly finding themselves in the books they and their friends read! As well as the early learning series and the ‘My Colour’ books shown here, there are other non-fiction stories such as Jennifer Goes to the Library<\/em> and Mumaizu and the Hippos<\/em>, in which Mumaizu visits a hippo sanctuary with his father. The books can be viewed and bought<\/a> through the Osu Children’s Library Fund website and all profits go towards funding their libraries and their resources. Kathy Knowles, who wrote and photographed all the books featured below, is the founder of OCLF, and you can read the inspiring story of how it all started here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Selection<\/p>\n

A is for Annie: An Alphabet Book from Ghana<\/strong><\/em>
\nwritten by\u00a0Kathy Knowles, photos by Bruce Hildebrand and Kathy Knowles
\n(Osu Children’s Library Fund, 2006 (second edition)) – read a review<\/a> by David Jenkinson for CM<\/em><\/p>\n

One Little Crab: A Counting Book from Ghana<\/strong><\/em>
\nwritten by Kathy Knowles, photos by Bruce Hildebrand and Kathy Knowles
\n(Osu Children\u2019s Library Fund, 2006 (second edition)) – read a review<\/a> by David Jenkinson for CM<\/em><\/p>\n

Where is the Star? A Book of Shapes from Ghana<\/strong><\/em>
\nby\u00a0Kathy Knowles
\n(Osu Children’s Library Fund, 2007) – read a review<\/a> by David Jenkinson for CM<\/em><\/p>\n

Open and Closed: A Book of Opposites from Ghana<\/em>
\n<\/strong>by\u00a0<\/strong>Kathy Knowles
\n(Osu Children\u2019s Library Fund, 2007) – read a review<\/a> by David Jenkinson for CM<\/em><\/p>\n

My Book of Stripes<\/em>
\n<\/strong>by Kathy Knowles
\n(Osu Children\u2019s Library Fund, 2014) – read a review<\/a> by David Jenkinson for CM<\/em><\/p>\n

\"My<\/p>\n

My Red Book
\nMy Yellow Book
\nMy Green Book
\nMy Blue Book<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>by Kathy Knowles
\n(Osu Children\u2019s Library Fund, 2007) – read a review<\/a> of these four books by David Jenkinson for CM<\/em><\/p>\n

My Pink Book
\nMy Orange Book
\nMy Violet Book<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>by Kathy Knowles
\n(Osu Children\u2019s Library Fund, 2011)<\/p>\n

Each of these books begins with the child on the book’s cover introducing the colour he\/she likes, then saying good-bye to the colour at the end – and in the pages between readers are introduced to items that correspond to that colour. I like the idea of each book being devoted to a single colour and at the same time being a window for young readers all over the globe on each child’s world in Ghana.<\/p>\n

Indeed, photography is the perfect medium for early learning books like all of these because it so unobtrusively yet so completely maps out the cultural and visual landscape of the children portrayed – providing crystal clear mirrors and windows for young readers.<\/p>\n

And because today is a special celebration, I can’t resist sharing with you a video uploaded by Bruce Hildebrand, who collaborated with Kathy Knowles on the photography for A is for Annie<\/em> and One Little Crab<\/em>: ‘A Library Song’, composed and performed in 2009 by The Lucky Ones, a singing group from the Nima Library in Accra, Ghana – an uplifting song that is sure to put a smile on your face\u2026<\/p>\n