ABSTRACT
Because the arts are so powerful in opening up new communicative channels, we draw on them as a way of encouraging both children and the teachers with whom we work to consider multiple perspectives. For example, at a summer institute in Toronto, we focused on how children’s literature and the arts might be brought together to identify and respond to diffi cult social issues in today’s world. We began by reading Uptown (Collier, 2000), a children’s book that celebrates New York City, and followed up this reading by inviting participants to celebrate the greater Toronto area. Each participant created a page illustrating what he or she loves about this city. Sharing their views on highlights of their city helped participants to enjoy the experience. Since we also wanted them to dig deeply, we moved beyond the initial experience by asking them to identify areas of the city that were not represented and people who were left out.
