The contemporary multicultural picture book is an essential tool used to enrich curriculum in classrooms across the United States. As teachers expose their students to the story, the text becomes the catalyst to perceiving the literature as a mirror into their own culture, a window or a sliding door into other cultures. All of these perspectives are needed to educate students in our multicultural society. The purpose of this study is to provoke thought in teachers before they select contemporary multicultural pictures books to enrich their classrooms. This choice should not be based only on their thoughts about the cover, title or illustrations; but teachers should also consider the impact the main character's agency can have on their students' cultural perceptions of themselves and others. This article reflects the learning from the study through the eyes of the educator (doctoral student) and her professor.
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