Mia's All About Me

Abstract

In children's literature, there has been a call for books to show more diversity, equity, and inclusion. In addition, more children’s books feature animal characters rather than people of color: this inspired my project, Mia's All About Me. This book addresses issues of identity, culture, and acceptance that many children of immigrants and people of color can relate to. When developing my project, I wanted to remember my story and what I wished I could have read as a kid. With that in mind, I focused on the complexity of being from a multicultural household and what it's like for people and yourself to question your identity. After creating this initial idea, I began working on the storyline, focusing on the best language and word choice for my audience. Then, I started working on my illustrations, which used traditional mediums like watercolor in addition to digital artwork. I again kept my audience in mind and implemented diversity through the illustrations. After workshopping my project with my advisor and other faculty members, I used the Honors Program Grant to print copies of my book. After presenting at the Honors Poster Session, these books will be given to the ISU Library, Ames Library, Ames Elementary schools, and other relevant organizations. Overall, I wanted to answer the call for more diverse literature for children, specifically for an audience with similar backgrounds and experiences to my own.