Editorial

Dear Bookbird Readers,

In this first issue of the new calendar year, we have assembled a collection of articles from the Netherlands, South Africa, Australia, Norway, the United States, New Zealand, and Japan. You'll find a common thread woven through the first five pieces which focus on encounters of literature about "the other" in the context of one's own cultural setting. The final two companion articles from New Zealand and Japan portray key ways in which libraries can invite children into a wide world of reading within their own particular settings.

Helma van Lierop-Debrauwer's South Africa in Dutch children's literature, 1899-1901; The U-Huhu stories of Nynke van Hichtum analyzes a three-part series about a Zulu boy named U-Huhu written by Nynke van Hitchum, one of the best known Dutch authors from the first part of the twentieth century. In Debrauwer's close reading of these texts she articulates a depiction of "the other" rooted in exoticism and describes a view of Zulu culture presented to readers within van Hichtum's ideological framework and the context of the times.

We traverse from the past into the present contemporary terrain of South African children's literature in Breaking new ground with Reviva Schermbrucker: South African writer and illustrator by Ruth Stone and Barbara Lehman. We learn about Schermbrucker's powerful impact on contemporary South African children's literature in her landmark portrayals of either under-represented or non-represented identities. In particular, we discover that Schermbrucker was among the first to publish a book about a contemporary Black child with illustrations that reflect contemporary Black townships.

How is literature by "the other" translated for targeted readers of another culture? Leah Gerber grapples with this issue in The proof is in the puddin': the German translation of Norman Lindsay's The Magic Pudding. Considered an Australian classic, The Magic Pudding was published before 1918, yet was first translated in 1992. Gerber's close analysis of the translation into German depicts a tightrope balancing act in which efforts are made to maintain both the cultural integrity and literary style of the work with a need to "domesticate" the text to make it more comprehensible to readers and to enhance its marketability.

What kinds of cultural encounters can be found in contemporary Norwegian children's literature? Does Norwegian children's literature mirror a multicultural society? What is the impact of translations from other countries on Norwegian children's literature? These are the questions that Åse Marie Ommundsen asks in Childhood in a multicultural society? Globalization, childhood and cultural diversity in Norwegian children's literature. As Ommundsen explores these issues, she draws some provocative and interesting conclusions.

Finally, the last of this quintet of articles focusing on encounters with "the other" is Christina Desai's The world as presented to U.S. children: Building bridges or confirming expectations? Desai questions whether or not the faith in the power of children's literature as a vehicle to promote understanding is well-founded. In her analysis of a sample of books from the American Library Association's bibliography, Growing up around the world: Books as passports to global understanding for children in the United States, she raises important issues and sheds light on this critical question.

The final two companion pieces focus on the importance of school libraries. Wayne Mills provides a Kiwi perspective on school libraries offering a cogent rationale for the importance of the school library and identifying guidelines for successful contemporary school libraries and librarians. Moving from the general to the particular, Momo Yuriko profiles an innovative award-winning school library initiative. In keeping with Mills' discussion of key ingredients, Yuriko describes a welcoming child-centered emotional and physical environment at the Gurigura library at Keimei Elementary School in Japan. Unique to this project is the description of school-wide initiatives that promote curriculum development and community engagement to promote wide reading. This article is adapted from the English language supplement, HONTSUBA, to the new Japanese edition of Bookbird that appeared in March 2010, and is published by...