REFLECTION & REASON

We are fortunate to live in a time where walking into a bookstore and finding an ethnically diverse selection of children's books is no longer an anomaly. The past decade has brought a vibrant increase in visibility to the characters that fill the pages of children's literature, and with each generation we will surely see the social effects of this inclusive representation. As a child, bestselling children's author and storyteller Angelot Ndongmo didn't have the literary luxury of choosing between culturally reflective texts at the library or through her local bookseller. In fact, selecting books was less tied to personal reflection and instead focused on plot and theme. A fictional adventure is always satisfying for a young mind with a healthy imagination, but it was an avoidable misfortune for the generations who never had the added bonus of being able to receive that extra boost of culture through literature at a young age. If you happen to live in Toronto an...