Cultivating Diverse Environmental Children's Picturebooks Using Rudine Sim Bishop's Framework for Multicultural Texts

Abstract

AbstractThis article applies Rudine Sims Bishop's multicultural framework of children's literature to environmental picturebooks. The paper provides an analysis of nearly 150 picturebooks paired with preservice teachers’ responses to the texts to highlight the importance of diverse narratives and storytelling in environmentalism. The paper argues for the necessity for reading broadly and prioritizing diverse representations of which stories are told regarding environmentalism. Bishop's framework prioritizes the depth and breadth of who can be protagonists in environmentalism narratives, real and imagined, as well as how those protagonists enact responses to climate crises and the range of environmental issues that they respond to. The paper underscores the role of educators in fostering critical perspectives on environmentalism, advocating for disrupting single stories, and ensuring that a collection of texts that includes justice‐oriented and intersectional narratives is used with young readers. The article challenges dominant cultural narratives and promotes inclusivity in environmental activism.