Religion as Life: Critical Content Analysis of Picturebooks about the Lives of Muslim Children

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Religion as Life: Critical Content Analysis of Picturebooks about the Lives of Muslim Children
Language: English
Authors: Rahaf Naseef, Firman Parlindungan, Kathy G. Short (ORCID 0000-0002-9431-366X), Narges Zandi
Source: Journal of Literacy Research. 2024 56(4):444-464.
Availability: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 21
Publication Date: 2024
Document Type: Journal Articles
Information Analyses
Descriptors: Picture Books, Muslims, Religious Factors, Children, Disproportionate Representation, Cultural Awareness, Islam, Critical Literacy, Cultural Pluralism, Childrens Literature
DOI: 10.1177/1086296X241300348
ISSN: 1086-296X
1554-8430
Abstract: Religion remains an aspect of culture often missing from picturebooks, based on the misunderstanding that religion has no place in U.S. public schools. This absence is particularly critical for books reflecting the lives of Muslim children, given the rising Islamophobia in the United States. A critical content analysis to examine representations of Muslim children in contemporary picturebooks set in the United States was conducted through a postcolonial lens. Islamic religious practices are integrated into the daily lives of Muslim children in these books for an audience of Muslim and non-Muslim readers. The books represent Muslim children and their families as culturally and religiously diverse, portray religious differences as resources for communities, and reflect the hybrid identities of Muslim children. The books serve as counternarratives, creating a space for Muslim authors and illustrators to voice and validate their life experiences for a broad audience of readers.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2024
Accession Number: EJ1454509
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:Religion remains an aspect of culture often missing from picturebooks, based on the misunderstanding that religion has no place in U.S. public schools. This absence is particularly critical for books reflecting the lives of Muslim children, given the rising Islamophobia in the United States. A critical content analysis to examine representations of Muslim children in contemporary picturebooks set in the United States was conducted through a postcolonial lens. Islamic religious practices are integrated into the daily lives of Muslim children in these books for an audience of Muslim and non-Muslim readers. The books represent Muslim children and their families as culturally and religiously diverse, portray religious differences as resources for communities, and reflect the hybrid identities of Muslim children. The books serve as counternarratives, creating a space for Muslim authors and illustrators to voice and validate their life experiences for a broad audience of readers.
ISSN:1086-296X
1554-8430
DOI:10.1177/1086296X241300348