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As committed publishers, quality and excellence in children’s books is
something we all strive to achieve. More precisely,
quality in both form and
content. The challenge that faces publishers, especially in the
international context, is the differing perceptions of quality. What are
those standards? Who sets the standards? How fair and how realistic are
they? Given the disparities among regions in the world, can we possibly pass
an absolute judgement in terms of quality?
Multiculturalism is the buzzword in international children’s publishing
today. Publishers, editors, writers, illustrators, teachers seem to speak in
one voice about reading books from everywhere, about sharing stories that
help us understand ourselves better and therefore understand those who
appear different. What we assume from this is that there is a continuous
exchange of books between countries – between east and west, north and
south. Books that maintain high standards of quality, both in production and
content.
Multicultural books, we also assume, would be about stories from a
particular culture, written in a language and style that is familiar to that
culture, illustrated in a style inspired by the traditions and colours of
art in the region – even when the interpretation is contemporary and
produced so that the book is visually attractive and durable in the hands of
the young readers. In other words, a book where the story rings true and is
well-rendered, which is printed in full colour where required, on the best
available paper, and bound so that it lasts.
But this is also where the ‘problem’ arises with regard to quality.
Quite
often, if the books are about stories that don’t reflect the popular notions
about a particular culture, if use of the English language is different
(though in reality more authentic to the region), if the pictures don’t
conform to what is seen by others as representative of the place, if the colours are different from what the international market is used to seeing
in children’s books, then the books usually fail the quality test in the
international marketplace.
The regional aspect is equally important in terms of production. Publishers
in less affluent countries are only too aware of the high standards of
production so accessible to western publishers, and of the care and
meticulousness of their production. They are conscious, too, of having to
match that quality with the production resources that are available to them
in their own countries. A lot of the resources are available, but they are
restricted by limitations or, more accurately, regional variations – such as
in quality of paper (not as white, or as glossy), sizes of the books which
depend on paper and press, thickness of the board and so on. Added to that
is the constraint of having to keep a special eye on the price of the book,
given the buying power of the local market. The challenge publishers face –
and attempt to overcome – in these circumstances is to be realistic about
costs without compromising quality.
Very often, however, that quality is not quite the one demanded in the
international market. Which brings us back to the question – who sets the
standards, and can there be any one fair set of standards to judge
excellence? Multiculturalism demands an openness in perception . . . in all
matters. Young readers will be able to engage in its true spirit only when
there is an acceptance and appreciation of books that are different not
merely in story and setting but in looks, feel and tone.
Unless the
publishing world allows for those differences, multiculturalism in
children’s books will remain mere tokenism. We have to have the faith that
books enjoyed and rated highly somewhere are good books everywhere. That is
the true test of quality that the ‘international’ publishing world needs to
understand, accept and work towards.
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