Picturebooks for Social Justice: Creating a Classroom Community Grounded in Identity, Diversity, Justice, and Action

This article highlights the Picturebooks for Social Justice approach which the author developed within her preschool program. Picturebooks for Social Justice was born of 2-year design-based qualitative research study exploring the intentional use of interactive read-alouds in early childhood education. This was not a prepackaged plan or a strict script; instead, the author drew from the research literature and her own experience as an early childhood educator to use books as an entry point to rich discussions and thinking. Through read-alouds, the author promoted social justice and created a classroom community that embraced identity, diversity, justice, and action. Based on her experiences as teacher and researcher, the author describes the approach and offers guiding principles for early childhood educators. The insights gained here are important because exploring social justice through picturebooks has the potential to be an essential practice in early childhood education which will enable teachers to guide their students' development in this key area. By prompting dialogue, valuing children's voices, and affirming children's role as change agents, educators make social justice learning visible.