Children of Migrant Farmworkers in Picture Storybooks: Reality, Romanticism, and Representation

Abstract

Picture storybooks depicting the children of migrant farmworkers can serve multiple purposes in the classroom and library. However, the painful realities of migrancy challenge authors and illustrators to find a difficult balancing point between oppressive realities and unjustifiable romanticism while avoiding problematic stereotypes. Single books often do well vis-à-vis some aspects of migrancy but trip up regarding other issues. This article applies a critical perspective to an exhaustive collection of twenty-six books published over the past two decades and argues that only through complementary readings of multiple books can we do justice to the lives of those who feed us.

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