In the Library

Illustration © D. Yael Bernhard

“Latino girl with a keen interest in wildlife sitting in library, learning about foxes. Little brother in background.” Those were the instructions from my editor. This illustration assignment was for a “leveled reader” – a short story for children with a focus on teaching vocabulary and reading. If you were in elementary school back in the 60s or 70s, you might recall the “Dick & Jane” series as the first leveled readers. Today, these kid-friendly booklets are also teaching children something visually: multiculturalism in our society. I’ve illustrated leveled readers about families of Inuit hunters, orphans in India, slaves in colonial America, and multi-ethnic kids playing in the snow. In this case, the publisher wanted to show young readers an immigrant child who is interested in science and wildlife rehabilitation. We need not even ask, why not? Isn’t this why people come to America – so their children can pursue equal opportunities in the career of their choice?

I liked that nothing was said about “minority inclusion.” I was simply asked to show a certain kind of character, which is normal in any educational illustration assignment. Hopefully, the teachers who would ultimately hand out this leveled reader to classrooms full of young students would not point anything out either, and simply let the children draw their own conclusions, whether consciously or unconsciously. To whatever degree possible (and I understand there are exceptions), “color blindness” seems like the shortest route to racial and cultural equality. In all my multicultural children’s books, I simply show what I want to be perceived as normal, and don’t make a point of it with words.

Libraries are sanctuaries for children and adults alike – a place of peace, quiet, discovery, and learning. I loved depicting this library scene – but ironically, you won’t find a leveled reader in a library (or a book store), as they’re only distributed in classrooms.

In this story, the girl’s curiosity about foxes is piqued by discovering a fox den under her own front porch. Her family enlists the help of a wildlife rehabilitator, who successfully relocates the mother fox and kits to the forest. I got to illustrate that, too:

The story leaves the reader with the impression that the little girl’s encounter with this family of foxes will change the trajectory of her future. How wonderful! Happy endings are pretty much the norm in juvenile publishing. Kids need positive messages. Though their ideals will soon encounter the harsh realities of today’s world, they need to grow up with hope.

Working on this assignment made me curious about foxes, too! Just a few nights ago, I saw a beautiful red fox on the side of the road, barely visible in the dark – and thought of this illustration. What a beautiful, graceful creature.

A good week to all –

D. Yael Bernhard

https://dyaelbernhard.com

Have you seen my other Substack, The Art of Health? In addition to being a visual artist, I’m also a certified integrative health & nutrition coach with a lifelong passion for natural food cooking and herbal medicine. Now in its second year, this illustrated newsletter explores cutting-edge concepts of nutrition. I strive to make relevant information clear and accessible, and to anchor essential health concepts in unique images. Check it out, and if you like it, please subscribe and help spread the word. Your support keeps my work going!