Diversity is increasing in the illustrations of children’s books – “Just a darker colored pencil is not enough”, says the illustrator

Yet ten years ago, you had to search through children’s books to find stories with non-white children as active actors. Since then, the change has been rapid: especially in the illustrations, the variety has clearly increased.

With a few exceptions, however, the proliferation of illustrations has not led to a corresponding change in the authors’ backgrounds.

The contradiction is also recognized by an expert in children’s and youth librarianship, a reading activist and a librarian Inari Koskimies. While working at the Kontula library in 2019–2020, he noticed that the diversity of customers was not reflected in the books.

“In my book recommendations, the main characters were almost always white, even though the customers came from many backgrounds. It started to bother me, because everyone needs the experience of being able to identify with the story,” he says.

The suitor began to actively look for various books. Today, there are more of them, especially in picture books, which, according to him, react faster to social changes than other books.

However, according to him, the development has remained superficial.

“It’s great that diversity can be seen in the illustrations. But it’s not enough to just color the characters in different colors if the authors don’t diversify. At the same time, the people whose stories are in question should be included and listened to.”

Also children’s author and illustrator Sarah Obele recognize the phenomenon. In his opinion, the multiplicity of characters can sometimes feel unglued, and the use of illustrations of multiple characters is often also very careful.

“Many white illustrators certainly have in mind that they don’t want to underline the skin color of non-white characters too much. But if only a darker crayon is used in the illustration of the characters without a deeper understanding, the end result will easily remain superficial,” he says.

Obele points out that she is a white illustrator, but also a mother of non-white children.

According to him, experience brings more understanding, but does not remove responsibility.

“If the story is not my own, I have to make sure of things. For example, when illustrating Jani Toivolan Roni-books, I asked separately about the character’s skin color. I couldn’t make assumptions.”

Otavan publishing director of children’s and young adults’ books Kaisu-Maria Toiskallio doesn’t recognize the idea of ​​glued-on multiplicity from the publishing house’s point of view.

“Publishing houses don’t make children’s books with the idea that nothing is glued on. If the book has, for example, a kindergarten group, it’s only natural that it shows different children. The fact that diversity is visible in the illustrations is a good thing.”

He also emphasizes that the work of illustrators should not be limited too much.

“I wouldn’t like it to be thought that illustrators can only illustrate what they feel. After all, we also illustrate fantasy.”

According to him, publishing houses would gladly publish more works by various authors if there was more supply.

“Nevertheless, we are looking forward to, for example, the one that comes out in the fall Maryam Abuzaid-Ryun written and illustrated children’s book called Compastelle.”

Texts sensitivity reading has become more common, but the practices for illustrations are variable.

According to Kaisu-Maria Toiskallio, the sensitivity of the illustrations is actively considered in publishing houses.

“Sometimes you feel that it would be good to show the illustration to someone. It is case-specific and also depends on the illustrator’s own experience base.”

He says that experts are used if necessary. For example, in a book that featured a stuttering character, a stuttering person was consulted, and Magdalena Hain Sarvijumalaan (2023) the pre-reader was a brown young man, like the main character in the story.

Correction 26.4. at 9:24 p.m.: Magdalena Hai’s book Kuunkehä was wrongly mentioned in the text, when it was intended to mention the book Sarvijumala.