Description
Authors: Helen Bond, Bernadine Barr, Izolda Fotiyeva and Fang Wu
ISBN: 978-1-926780-06-1
Dimension: 6 x 9″
Number of Pages: 340
Synopsis: This book seeks to understand how children and youth in the United States, Sierra Leone, Jamaica, China, and Russia made meaning of the election of Barack Obama as the first African American President of the United States. The book is developed from an international study exploring the ways Obama’s messages were understood by students following his inauguration. The book further examines whether children believed race relations in their country or human relations in the world might change as a result of this historic election. Students made vibrant drawings of “what President Obama means to me.” They also told us how they learned about him. The rich contents of the book, the issues it raises, and the insights it provides will offer readers a unique opportunity to look into the minds of the future generation around the world.
Melissa Harris-Perry –
“In this important new book a group of respected researchers make children the subject of a smart inquiry into the current political and racial environment. No other text asks and answers these critical questions.”
-Melissa Harris-Perry, Professor at Tulane University, and host of “Melissa Harris-Perry”
on MSNBC, USA
Greta Olson –
“Through Children’s Eyes documents the effect of Barack Obama’s 2008 election on school-aged children globally. The book is highly recommended for readers interested in the effect of the Obama presidency beyond the United States.”
-Greta Olson, Professor at Institut für Anglistik, Justus-Liebig-Universitat, Giessen, Germany
Ivory A. Toldson –
“The authors masterfully organize children’s prose and art to give a rare glimpse at how
current events will shape tomorrow. The book embodies the landscape of a new world.”
-Ivory A. Toldson, Senior Research Analyst for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, and Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Negro Education, USA
Frank H. Wu –
“The election of President Obama in 2008 was a historic moment for our diverse democracy. This book is an excellent start for our much-needed dialogue. The voices of the next generation show how far we have come and how far they will take us.”
-Frank H. Wu, Chancellor and Dean of the Hastings College of the Law, University of California, USA
Amazon Review by Bookhound –
“This book was a really good read! According to the authors, it is the first book to look at political and racial views of youth in response to a sitting U.S. president since a research study in the late 1950s. It’s about time. I could not believe how much students around the world were thinking about and drawing about President Obama at the time of the 2008 Presidential election. These kids are definitely the future of the planet!
The authors are very interesting, global people and their chapters on children in Sierra Leone, Jamaica, Russia, China, and the United States were amazing. They upped the ante by exploring the sources of information and the media youth used to learn about the US and Obama. I liked the children’s drawings the best because the authors explained aspects of the drawings and used them to dig deeper into responses by children. The drawings of Barack Obama as an African “big man” were great. A little teaser …I never could have guessed the one-word that kids in China and Russia most identified with Barack Obama! I bet you can’t either! I recommend the book. It is like making a trip around the world to meet young people.”
-Amazon Review by Bookhound