Racist Children's Book?

no I don't

Yep. For the reasons your husband stated. If the author didn't mean it that way, it was a very poorly thought out choice.

It's part of a stereotype, that black people like fried chicken & watermelon. That, plus the color of the bear, plus "lazy and stupid" - well, I usually hesitate to claim racism but this example screams it.

I have to agree with your husband on this one. I believe your husband is correct that most people (in the US at least) would see it they way he saw it. If not intended, it at the very least was insensitive. I'm actually surprised it was published, given that publishing houses tend to be socially conservative, especially for children's books.

I would have to go with your husband as well. It is very common at least here in the states for ignorant people to make reference to African Americans and watermelons....

I can tell you that my child would not read that book on principle alone....too bad the author didn't take more time to think about it.

Black and watermelon do indicate African American. Is this a recent book? It sounds like the kind of thing that might have been written fifty years ago.

It seems the originating seeds of developing a racist perspective would allow someone to see this as a racist book; but if they did not have any issues with their race and were truly comfortable able to shy away from stereotypical incidence, rise above it, then they would not see the book as a threat . . .

I have a feeling that I would have thought so too and would have had to get rid of the book. Perhaps we are just too over sensitive...perhaps not....I would look into the background of the writer just to put my mind at ease.

I'd have to read the whole book, but like Lune, I think the author giving the bears colors and then adding the watermelon, which to an American could easily be a part of a racist mind-set, although possibly not, is raising a red flag that it may be. And, the author most certainly should have thought about the potential to read racism into it, and it was not thought out well to say the least. I have seen some children's books in the last 10 years that are clearly slanted to teach the young not to like certain groups of people. The last most outrageous I've heard about were the books about Democrats. But these kinds of books are in religious issue books and many others. Our neighbors 15 years ago actually were home-schooling and teaching from some Nazi type propoganda books. My husband was horrified. They went to a very mainstream church and we'd have never thought they'd teach children 5 and under Nazi propoganda, but they did. We did realize though that they didn't seem to stay at one church more than a few months before they moved on to another.

Oh wow. Yeah...if the author didn't actually MEAN it to be racist, it sure as heck is. His editor didn't do a very good job of catching that one...

I don't think that the book was inherently/intended to be racist. I think that the meaning people have attached to it have "made it" racist.

Actually, the basic colors are red, yellow, and blue. White is not a color, it's without color.....So much for all those white supremists. Black has loads of color, so that mix is really chock full of everything. Gray is a mix of white and black, the real middle-of-the-road color.....
There's a quote from Rumi that I'll try to remember, "Out beyond ideas of wrong doing and right doing there is a field. I'll meet you in the middle of it."

It is an eyebrow raiser. How old is the book?

"I have a big head and little arms, and I'm just not sure how well this plan was thought through."- Meet the Robinsons.

this kind of book is a very common early american childrens story. The childrens learning media was high in racist ideas as to keep the "ball rolling" in the white american's direction. As long as everyone was on the same page about the 'negroes', they coulkd keep their lifestyle.
These stories of racism are almost nonexsistant in todays society because the news and entertainment media are continuing to show african americans in a bad light, continueing to keep them down.
This is a racist book. I would be curious if you would PM me the title of the story and the authors name. Thanks for posting this article :)

Although this seems like an innocent children's book, I'm sure many would find it offensive especially here in the south. I'm curious to know what the publishing date is. It's kinda sad that everything is taking so seriously and offensive and in these days and times you have to be polliticly correct in every thing you say and do almost to the point of being silly. I wouldn't intentionally hurt anyone but some people just are too sensitive and read things the wrong way.

You could paint your own meaning into it. If the white bear had been the lazy one would your husband said the same thing? I know a lot of lazy white men, who sit around waiting for others to rescue them.

i wouldn't automatically, but after your husbands point of view, i may reconsider.

I agree the combination is overwhelming. I have to agree with your husband and the others here. It is so the stereotype and so terrible to find in a childrens book. Watermelon and lazy together make it very obvious.

not sure if I'd call it a racist book, but it certainly is not politically correct for 2007

I hate the whole 'politically correct' thing. It so often goes way overboard, but I agree with your husband. It's an obviously racist book and should be destroyed. Tell us who the publisher is.

I think that this book wasn't intended to be racist at all and hope that that seed isn't planted into a child's head - everyone loves watermelon. Salud.

Yep, your husband's right. The book is highly suspect, if not outright racist. Your red, green and orange bear idea would have been cute, by the way.

I'm from Mississippi. I have fond memories of my grandmother reading "The Uncle Remus Stories" (Brer Rabbit) in the dialect in which it was written. There was a lot of morality in those tales, based on character, not necessarily skin color. I did not, however, read them to my child when he was very young, because of perpetuating the stereotype.

I have to agree with your husband. Watermelon, black fur, stupid decisions (sponge for a boat? come ON)--a lot of racism is very subtle and the more politically correct we are in public, the further underground it goes and the harder to detect. This example is pretty obvious to me...

I disagree, I dont think it is racist at all. People scream racism way too much in my opnion.

I have to agree with your husband on this one.

a) Watermelon and black people is an old common stereotype left over from the days of American slavery when watermelons were the throw-away-fruits, and were given to the blacks.

b) The author could have said "the first bear, the second bear and the third bear" as was done in the story of the three little pigs.

While this book may not have a racist effect on all who read it, it is more likely to have an effect than "The three little pigs" where there is no real description of the pigs.

I'd like to know the name of the book and the year it was written before I jumped to any conclusions.

I also agree with your husband.

Barb H.

Your comment and a few others jumped out at me.

In the "here and now" of childhood I agree, the book would not be such a big deal. That may be the point.

ON THE OTHER HAND,

The child may remember the book. I have always been a very literal person. I would have remembered this. Children pick up on a lot moe than we give them credit for.

Imagine a one or a two year old listening to this story, or maybe even a three or a four year old. I first started to comprehend and remember at 18 months.

A few years later, or maybe 10 years later, a child hears something in passing about blacks and watermelons, or even an old HISTORICAL reference to the N-word people and watermelons.

"Oh, it's just like that book that Mommy read to me about the bears and the boats," s/he might think.

SEEDS PLANTED!!

Why even put the images there in the first place?

Were the bears pink, purple, and yellow, or even just BEARS with no description, or all the same colour (if they were all white or all black or all grey etc), this would not be an issue.

The first bear, the second bear, the third bear? As I said in my first comment, it will probably be a hot day in the arctic before someone screams "RACIST" at The Three Little Pigs.

Race and racism is in the eye of the beholder. That means that the book will be racist to some and not to others.

Race is a really stupid concept anyway. It is a purely social thing not a biological thing. It's just that some people try to justify their racism using biology. But you'll notice that they decide on the races first and then look for biological indications that fit their preconceived notions. Biologically there is a huge amount more variation within racial categories that between them.

I am probably the least politically correct person you will ever meet. I sincerely believe that, in today's world, there is way too much overreaction to nothing...

However, once the well-recognized stereotypes were introduced, the author crossed the line. It is more that just politically incorrect, it's distinctly racist and destructive. I have to side with your husband on this one. There is a major difference between being in bad taste and creating easily recognizable offensive images.

Wait a minute you are all letting the White bear get away with clear cutting old growth forest to build boats with. This causes silt build up that decimates fish habitat. So what? So he can build a yacht?

And that scuzzbucket gray bear, putting plastic trash into our waterways? Outrageous! I bet he's gonna throw some of those plastic six pack rings in too. Do you know those things can cause up to six bottlenose dolphins at a time to drown?

I think it's a children's book and making it about race is ridiculous.

Walker, brilliant coment!!! I'm not all that politically correct either (Mom thinks that's ironic considering I'm a feminist). I see the predators for who they are, and see the fakes who cry "predator" when there isn't one for who they are too

AS for Bret, you pointed out stereotypes as well. White being more afluent (having wood) grey being somewhat in the middle (not quite rich enough to afford wood, but not stupid enough to use a sponge). As for the plastic bottles, I see the grey bear as RECYCLING those, not throwing them away to rot. A boat is practical, just as a hunter eating a deer, as opposed to killing it for sport. Take what you use, and don't be wasteful.

Shannon. I'm not sure how to interpret your comment.

"I think it's a children's book, and making it about race is ridiculous."

Do you mean:

a) Putting racial slurrs into a children's book is ridicuolus. The author should have thought first

b) It's just a book, don't be so sensitive!

c) *something not mentioned in a or b*

Though the author may not be racist, the idea of the colors are....just like the old cowboy movies where outlaws were dressed in black. Lots of racist ideas are imbedded in our subconscious. Get rid of the book.

Wow, I have to say I am very surprised. I thought David would have agreed with me but he agreed with my husband instead.....

I am not raised in a cultural background where everyone is so sensitive about such things. The story book doesn't seem any wrong in my eyes. Like some mentioned, it's in the eye of the beholder, I guess.

It is sad (in my opinion) that Americans are raised to make such a big deal about races.

To answer many people's question - the publisher is a company called "Yofou" and it's a Taiwanese company. This is a Chinese book. They don't have a name for the author.

Leah - The way I read it, Shannon meant "B" (which is also what I think), but only she could tell you the real answer.

Eh. I think 'politically correct' people will claim it's racist, and ironically, it is them who make it so.

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When was the book published? In the front cover does it have the year etc.

Selene:
And, yeah, we Americans are raised to have a lot of guilt about racial origin, to the point of outright paranoia on the subject; to the point where we'd probably look at a yin-yang symbol and see racial imagery instead of balance and harmony.

I checked the book again.... the first edition was printed in Aug 2004.

Austin - Yeah.... I guess that's why the yin-yang symbol is left and right (instead of up and down).... but then, if people really wants to argue, the white half has a bigger portion on the top and the black portion has a bigger portion on the bottom. Does that make the yin-yang symbol racist? I wonder.

Well never mind... I did a google search and I see it both ways.

Parents could and probably would see it as racist, but the child wouldn't notice anything. I'm surprised that book got published!

Yep, I believe it's racist.

It promotes poor stereotypes against Grey Bears!

Seriously, whoever thought of a raft out of empty bottles?

Was this book originally written and published in Chinese, or was it originally written in English, published in the U.S. and then translated to Chinese?

I think that the answer to that question could tell if that story was intended to be racist.

Timothy - The book was originally written and published in Chinese. However, it has English translation at the bottom of each page (Chinese originals on top, and English translations on the bottom) because this series of children's books also promotes "dual language learning", as most Taiwanese parents want their children to learn English.

I have to say, though, some of the English translations are pretty poor. It is obviously done by someone who's not all that great with the English language.

Selene, most translations don't come out correct. But if the book is a from Chinese company, do they think of races the same as some Americans do? I assume that racism can be worldwide by what others say or tell them.

"If the author had no intent towards racism, he/she would have had a green bear, a purple bear, and an orange bear. "

Not so sure about that considering that Selene pointed out that the book was originally written and published in Chinese. In my experience with Chinese people, I seriously doubt that they have a preconceived notion about black people eating watermelon and being lazy. Now had the book been originally written and published in English in the U.S. and then translated to Chinese, then I would have to agree that it was intended to be racist.

Thanks for the answer Selene.

Thanks, Timothy. That's what I have been saying... We Chinese don't really see races as an issue. I believe the book was innocent. Unfortunately my husband is American and we are raising a child in America. So an innocent book is not so innocent in people's eyes.

Seline!

Interesting about English and Chinese. If the black bear, lazy, watermelon thing was a coninsedence, it must have been a very strange one. Different things have different meanings in diferent countries.....like putting the thumb and index finger together in a circle. It means nothing here, but in some countries that is as bad as the middle finger is in other places.

Were I to write a book in English, and have it translated into Chinese, I think I'd ask my translator to check for any cultural no-no's that I may not have known about, and then tell me about them, before going ahead with the book.

Yes, the book was racist. Why assign a color to the bears? Your husband is right.

Leah - True. The author could have checked.....

Thanks Selene. Being an author myself, and being married to an author, Walker and I both take notice of these things.

I don't think the book is racist. I do however think the book was trying to teach a lesson. That you need to work hard to get the job done right.

I have a book or two from my childhood (Little Black Sambo) which I actually loved,,,and it was because of the lovely little pictures..and the child and his family were more arabic looking and I fell in love with the little boy and his family..as a child I thought that whereever this kid lived..it was cool because it was different! I didn't see it as a BAD thing..at all! Culturally I just liked him, period! I also wished that I could have dressed like they had in the story! I also liked where they had lived! (sort of in the jungle, basically! LOL!) But, also I just really loved that story with the pictures!!

I also have another book that my mom as a teacher KNEW that "I should not be reading this to you..this is a bad book and it makes fun of others"...is what she told me..it was about a little African American child..(big lips) but, sweet little face..and he would always do the wrong thing..he was supposed to be doing what his Mammy or his auntie told him to do...and he did the wrong thing, over and over and over again...But, the way that I saw it..was that I felt sorry for him! He got picked on by his mom and his aunt!
I didn't feel that he was stupid..I thought that he was a very smart little boy!!
at the end of the book, he gets his revenge on his Mammy!! LOL!
IT is a book that no, you would NOT read to little children..but, you can save and cherish...I love the art..and I love the story..but, I know that this is NOT the way that African American people or any ethnic background really act!!
It is a story from the 1800!! It is called Epimindas or something close to that title anyhow! I don't have the book with me, at this writing..it is in storage! But, I still love this book anyhow...I don't think that we have to toss away books...because they are WRONG...etc..
The should be put in a reference section or special area...or saved...but, in a private stash...
Both of the characters,in each of the books I read.I always felt for them,I felt sad or sorry for them..because the first little boy's clothing were tricked out of him...by some ferocious tigers!
and the second kid..his mom and his aunt were pickin' on him!! LOL!

With your book, it can be seen that way...as racist..and it can also be seen as "just a story"...people get soooo particular...and when I used to teach in a preschool...the teachers there were funny anyways about being Politically correct! I cannot stand that!! I am sick of that!!

I think you gotta be what you gotta be, for you! and about this book...you gotta just enjoy the story....
there may be things in that story about the foods, and the colors..but, bears are the colors that they are!! (I tell bear stories...and I feel that it isn't that bad!! My little bear is brown..and heck, all of the bears that I tell about, are all different colors..and I have no racist ideas about them..what-so-ever...I just enjoy telling and retelling my stories and or writing about them!! That is what I believe that the author is just trying to do...be creative and fun and funny!!!)
So, keep reading the story...and have fun with that!
There are authors who also stick in "cultural" ideas into their books..and I think that this idea is really fantastic!! It shares more with the children..as long as it is up to date!!!
Just my take!!

Julie K.

Interesting. I haven't read all the comments, but I have to agree - it sounds subtly racist. It plays on old stereotypes and, depending on when it was written, probably wasn't intentionally "racist" at all. (After all, if it was racist, would the other two have rescued the black bear, or would they have stood on the shore, laughing at his stupidity and laziness while he drowned?) I imagine the author meant to convey the importance of friends and community helping each other out - even when some were behaving in a lazy or foolish manner. That's just not how it comes across today. After Hurricane Katrina, it seems even more offensive and hurtful.

Anyway, I have a lot of old children's books that are considered "racist" today ("Little Black Sambo" and "Little White Squibba" anyone?) I loved those books as a kid and did not grow up with racist sentiments - even though they were (subtly) everywhere around me. The high school I attended in the mid-1970s even had a freshly painted "Whites only" over the water fountain. But as for the books, I never once saw "racism" in them when I was little and not inclined to overanalyze. Had they glorified mistreatment of anyone, they would not have been on my bookshelves in the first place.

I'd still read such books to my children - and discuss the story AND the underlying implications with them (if they picked up on them at all). Now that they're older, I encourage my kids to read "banned books" and apply a little critical thinking to them. Political correctness shoves ugly ideas underground where they can fester. Open dialogue is better. Racists look foolish when their real thoughts are brought to light. Only in the light can they be debated and put in their place.

Anything and everything can be considered racist or wrong. I just read a book called The Greedy Race Car driver. I supose you could say because of the title that it is making people who like to race cars evil and money hungry. The simple wooden car that comes with the book can make you think that the hilbillies who race are simple and dumb. sorry for the rant but we have an AFRICAN AMERICAN PRESIDENT. grow up already

It's just a children's book and I don't think it's racist at all! It's only bears.