The self-styled radical educator ("I Won't Learn from You," 1994,
etc.) collects meandering, utterly predictable essays on the
importance of narrative in the education of children. The title
essay is hardly the incendiary piece it purports to be. Rather,
Kohl rehearses the standard worries about kiddie culture: It's too
violent, racist, sexist, homophobic, etc. The Babar books in
particular suffer from their Eurocentric power relations and their
celebration of assimilation; Kohl's analysis, by way of Frantz
Fanon, links Babar to the triumph of colonialism. Among the other
diversions popular with children that come under attack along the
way is the Barbie doll, derided as "part of the complex that can
lead to bulimia and anorexia." But Kohl lacks the courage of his
convictions and soft-pedals his radicalism with caveats, usually in
someone else's voice ("Sometimes an elephant in a green suit is
just an elephant in a green suit"). After an essay in which he
rewrites the standard textbook version of Rosa Parks's story, which
focuses on the courageous individual, so that it reflects instead
"community-based social struggle," Kohl reveals his true agenda in
"A Plea for Radical Children's Literature," which includes a series
of prescriptions reminiscent of old social-realist proletarianism
and Soviet-style utopianism. He suggests what this sort of
literature would look like by drawing attention to some neglected
books by Geoffrey Trease, Virginia Hamilton, and Vera Williams -
all of which allegedly embody "working-class pride" and "democratic
socialist ideals." Two essays on American progressive educators
turn attention to forgotten figures on the Left, from New York
educator Angelo Patri to radical textbook author Harold Rugg, the
bane of fundamentalists and capitalists. Kohl's emphasis on the
"nurturing tradition" reflects his love of the empty bromide and
his annoying rectitude. The essence of PC educational ideals.
(Kirkus Reviews)
In "provocative and entertaining essays that] will appeal to
reflective readers, parents, and educators" ("Library Journal"),
one of the country's foremost education writers looks at the
stories we tell our children. Available now in a revised edition,
including a new essay on the importance of "stoop-sitting" and
storytelling, "Should We Burn Babar?" challenges some of the
chestnuts of children's literature. Highlighting instances of
racism, sexism, and condescension that detract from the tales being
told, Kohl provides strategies for detecting bias in stories
written for young people and suggests ways to teach kids to think
critically about what they read.
Beginning with the title essay on Babar the elephant--"just one
of a fine series of inquiries into the power children's books have
to shape cultural attitudes," according to "Elliott Bay
Booknotes"--the book includes essays on Pinocchio, the history of
progressive education, and a call for the writing of more radical
children's literature. As the" Hungry Mind Review" concluded,
"Kohl's prescriptions for renewing our schools through the use of
stories and storytelling are impassioned, well-reasoned, and
readable."
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