Lack of black and ethnic minority characters in children’s books

Figures from BookTrust Represents recently revealed that between 2007-2017, only 5.6% of published children’s authors and illustrators were from black and minority ethnic backgrounds. While the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) found that of all published children’s books in 2018, only 4% featured BAME characters and even fewer, 1%, featured a BAME lead character. The analysis also found that these books tended towards themes of social justice and conflict rather than fun or magical stories. Farrah Serroukh, director of the CLPE study, is quoted: “it is fundamental for a child’s personal development that they see themselves reflected in the pages of the books they read and have the opportunity to experience realities beyond their own… such self-affirming experiences are invaluable in nurturing a child’s reader identity”.