Cameras are magic. By capturing a moment in time, cameras
give us the ability to explore actions and emotions in a way that we cannot in
another medium. Each time I look through a lens, my perception of the world is
altered. I can see and photograph something large, magnificent, like a sunset
or something smaller, poignant, like a smile. Perception is a funny thing, it
can change big things to become more accessible and alter smaller things to
become more meaningful. In the instant a photograph is taken, a person is at
their most vulnerable because a camera will show only the truth. Every emotion,
from frustration to triumph, sadness to joy, is seen through the lenses of my
camera.
Children in particular express each emotion clearly. I’ve
photographed everything from weddings to landscapes, but working with children
and their families has been the most rewarding. Through previous work, I was
asked to photograph children that have special needs for a Finding My Way Books
series, true stories that highlight inclusion and self-determination. I am
fortunate to use my art to support diversity and literacy.
Once the story has been written, colors and shapes come to
mind for the design and to enhance telling the story. For one book in
particular, that was not the case until I took one of the final photos. The
child was reaching her arms up in excitement, and I knew that feeling was one I
wanted to carry through the design. Not only my perception, but my process was
changed by this vivacious girl.
I hope that my photography supports children and encourages
acceptance of differences. Diversity comes in many forms, and the pictures I
take capture how easy it is for all children to be included, no matter their
ability. Beyond that, images show how beneficial inclusion is for our society.
Inclusion is finally on its way to becoming the norm and not the exception. At
least, that is case in the United States.
Soon my perception will be altered in a very different way. I
was invited to travel to Tanzania to take pictures for more children’s books featuring
kids that have a disability. In the U.S., persons with disabilities have rights
and there is a degree of understanding about their different needs; laws are even
in place to discourage discrimination. But in other parts of the world, I know
this is not the case. Children with disabilities are hidden away and ignored. I
hope to find that this is not always so.
Having never traveled internationally, I know I’m in for a
many surprises. Going to a country that is so vastly different from the United
States will be eye opening in a way that I’m probably unprepared for. Then,
I’ll pick up my camera and my view will become changed again. I hope to see
children who are included with their peers and valued for their differences. I
may not see those things, but whatever I see through the lens of my camera, I
know I will be changed.
Mary Birdsell is a freelance photographer and a former Speech and Theatre teacher. She strives to create images that reflect the strengths of each child. Mary’s background in education, theatre and photography intersect as she visually creates our books. She uses colors and shapes to tell a story. For her each book is like it’s own theatre production. Mary has created eight books for Finding My Way books. Visit https://www.findingmywaybooks.net/ for more information.
NASHVILLE, TN — Global learning company Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) and Too Small to Fail, in partnership with the National Head Start Association (NHSA) and the National Association for Family …
Nominations are open now through November 1, 2016 for the inaugural Undies. Anyone – including publishers – can nominate titles! Visit Design of the Picture Book for a case cover gallery. For more details …
Tiburon, CA May 24, 2016 — For the fourth consecutive year, the Children’s Book Council is proud to partner with DOGObooks.com on their annual Summer Reading Program. The DOGObooks Summer Reading program …
The newsletter is a valuable resource for librarians, teachers, booksellers, parents and caregivers, publishing professionals, and children’s literature lovers. Find thought-provoking articles, diverse new releases, and more in this month’s issue and sign …
New York, NY — Scholastic (NASDAQ: SCHL), the global children’s publishing, education and media company, has announced the 2016–17 National Advisory Council (NAC) comprised of leading experts in pre-K–12 education. …
Registration Opens for Nation’s Most Unique Writer’s Conference New Brunswick, NJ – Registration is now open for the nation’s most unique writers conference. The 47th Annual Rutgers University Council on …
As the winner of the official Children’s Book Week Display Contest, Wild Rumpus will receive a visit from a 2016 Children’s Choice Book Awards winner or finalist author/illustrator! View photos of …
DEDICATED TO HELPING BUILD CREATIVE, CURIOUS, AND SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS KIDS, MINNEAPOLIS PUBLISHER MIGHTY MEDIA PRESS ANNOUNCES THREE FINALISTS AND TWO WINNERS, INCLUDING ONE LOCAL AUTHOR. Minneapolis, MN—The 26th Annual Midwest Book Awards …
BOSTON, MA – Global learning company Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) today announced the release of StudyPop, a mobile interactive study game that students can play with their friends and classmates. The …
Communities nationwide celebrated the joy of reading with story times, scavenger hunts, and countless other activities. Thanks to all our kid-lit friends for making this the best Book Week yet! …
CHICAGO, IL — Ann Yawornitsky, Jennifer Sarnes and Melissa Zawaski from Wilson Southern Middle School in Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania, are the recipients of the 2016 American Association of School Librarians’ …
The series includes board and nonfiction books, pairing braille and textured images with printed text to make stories accessible for both sighted and visually impaired readers. These books are a …
A task force of REFORMA, Children in Crisis is run entirely by volunteers working closely with librarians to support literacy in both Spanish and English among detained youth. Founder Oralia Garza de Cortes spearheaded the …
CHICAGO, IL — Updated to include the 2016 award and honor books, “The Newbery and Caldecott Awards: A Guide to the Medal and Honor Books, 2016 Edition,” published byALA Editions, …
Hallmark honors new children’s picture books that celebrate family, friendship and community; inaugural winner to be announced in March 2017 KANSAS CITY, Mo. (May 11, 2016) — In keeping with …
Tell us about your
most recent book and how you came to write/illustrate it.
My new book is titled Genius
– The Game. It is the first in a series of books about child prodigies from
diverse backgrounds who come together to change their stars and the world. The
launch pad for their revolution is a competition called the Game. There, they
will compete with 200 other prodigies in a contest that will not only test
their brains but also challenge their ideals.
Genius – The Game
explores the outer reaches of technology, the explosive power of young minds,
and the bonds of family. It is filled with big ideas and even bigger emotions.
But more than just a book, the Genius series is a movement – it is my call to
the youth of the world: liberate your minds and you can liberate the planet.
Do you think of
yourself as a diverse author/illustrator?
I am an immigrant. Born and raised in Mexico, I went to art
school in England before I came to the US ten years ago.
Who is your favorite
character of all time in children’s or young adult literature?
I don’t have just one. I love many things about many
characters. And they’ve all helped me form who I am today. Some of them
include: Max from Where the Wild Things
Are, because we all have a secret island we imagine ourselves escaping to
(so long as we’re back for supper). Jack in Lord
of the Flies, because it’s scary how the darkness can hit us at any moment
(and where I come from, you never forget that it’s always looming right around
the corner). Of course, I also like Harry Potter. In fact, I like to think of
Genius as being a kindred spirit – but instead of using magic, the kids in
Genius use their minds.
Hypothetically
speaking, let’s say you are forced to sell all of the books you own except for
one. Which do you keep?
Ah! What a nightmare. Where would I be without my books?!
That’s a tough question and my answer changes frequently but I have never
fallen out of love with The Master and
Margarita by Bulgakov. The book has everything, from a deep sense of humanity
– including all our best and worst traits – to a fantastically grounded
inventiveness.
What does diversity
mean to you as you think about your own books?
I consider all of us immigrants. It might have happened 100
million years ago, but we all trekked up out of the ocean and onto the land!
And all of us are diverse. Sure, there are majorities and minorities and I
celebrate the distinctive cultures we’ve developed, but we are all people – all
driven by the same needs and emotions. I like to think of my characters less as
products of their unique environments or backgrounds and more as humans of the
world. This, in fact, is the message at the heart of my books.
What is your thought
process in including or excluding characters of diverse backgrounds?
It is not a process. It is instinctual. It’s the reflection
of the world I live in. As an artist, I studied sculpture with people from many
countries – from Egypt to Japan. As a director and producer, I spent years
making music videos with a whole range of diverse people – from elite hip hop
artists like Mos Def and Ahmir Questlove from the Roots to David Byrne. Right
now, I’m exploring a project with Idris Elba and a Chinese/Thai writer…Truth
is: I want my books to be filled with the most exceptional, flawed, emotional,
and brilliant characters. If you get beneath the surface, you find that most
people come from diverse backgrounds. There is no quota system in my stories,
the only thing that drives their creation is my passion, my deepest need, to
write realistic but fascinating characters.
Final thoughts
What I see is simple: People lack an understanding of how
diversity enriches our culture. The more voices we have in a conversation, they
better that conversation will be. I’m not immune to this either. Just recently,
my brilliant friend Marlon James taught me incredible things about the West
Indies that I was completely ignorant about.
Leopoldo Gout, the producer behind Days of Grace, which A.O.
Scott of the New York Times called “a potent and vigorous film,” is
also a writer, artist, and filmmaker. He hails from Mexico, studied
Contemporary Art at Central Saint Martins in London, and now resides in New
York City with his wife and two children.
New York and London —The Random House US and Penguin Random House UK children’s divisions of Penguin Random House will jointly publish a young adult adaptation of Dan Brown’s The Da …
On Tuesday 17th May, 2016, author and illustrator PJ Lynch was announced as the fourth Laureate na nÓg, Ireland’s laureate for children’s literature, at a special event at the Arts Council’s …
