Into the magical world with real-life images

Cerrie Burnell

Sharjah - Author Cerrie Burnell talks about how she incorporates all kinds of children in her books

Afkar Ali Ahmed

Published: Fri 29 Apr 2016, 4:37 PM

Born with one hand and diagnosed with dyslexia when she was 10, Cerrie Burnell a much-loved Cbeebies presenter and children's author soon found herself at the forefront of promoting diversity.

When she was young she realised that there was no representation of herself in children's books.

"I wondered why there wasn't a person that looked like myself in books. Children need to see themselves in the book in order to be inspired. When I was young all the characters in the classical books that my parents read to me where white and able-bodied," she said. "If we truly want to inspire all children then we have to see all kinds of children in books and children's literature is the place it needs to start."

Cerrie said the key to remember when telling diverse stories is subtlety. "The story, the world of the book and indeed the characters should be child-friendly, imaginative and heartfelt, magical but still real. Portray it in a way that isn't shocking but moving. "What I like to do in my books is layer things up. People think that when you're writing children's books you simplify things but you have to write up. You have to be very sparing with your words and incredibly dedicated to tell the story in an effective and engaging way," she said.

So, is this your first time participating at the Sharjah Children's Reading Festival?
This is my first time.

How do you feel about your passion and art in this part of the world?

My work is very much about inclusion and diversity and I would like my books to reach children in all continents. Because my daughter has duel heritage (beautiful brown skin) it was important that my first picture book Snowflakes had a child who looked like her in the illustrations. My next picture book Mermaid is about a little boy from an Asian family who dreams of learning to swim, and a girl who is a wheelchair user (and also a mermaid!) who teaches him. I really want my work to reach a global audience, so I would happily travel anywhere.
How can children be taught concepts such as diversity?

I don't think diversity is a concept, it's more the way we live. Our wonderful world is full of different types of communities, through my work I am aiming to encourage everyone to embrace these brilliant differences.

I would like my books to reach children in all continents. Because my daughter has beautiful brown skin it was important that my first picture book Snowflakes had a child who looked like her in the illustrations. -Cerrie Burnell

Would you consider tackling the issue of disabilities and the image that sounds them a life mission? Do you think we have a long way to go when it comes to educating society?

Because of my work in television I've automatically become a disabled role model, which is something I'm immensely proud of. The world still has a lot further to come in terms of viewing disability in a positive light, as it does women's rights and race. Everything I do is geared towards promoting equality.

Is there a particular age group that you find easier to connect with, or enjoy engaging with the most?

I think being a parent and working with pre-school children. I'm very much at ease with the picture book audience (0-6) but when I'm writing picture books (Snowflakes, Mermaid and now Ballet Dreams) I'm also writing for the parent or grandparent reading the text. It's been a whirlwind adventure to write my Harper series, which I'm speaking about at Sharjah. It's been wonderful getting to connect with 7-10-year-olds. Although the protagonist is a girl called Harper who has a rare musical gift, there is a character called Nate who has a pet wolf - he really brings the boys to the story - and another boy called Ferdie who dreams of being a poet, as well as a mysterious Wild Conductor and a host of other characters. It's definitely a series that can be enjoyed by boys and girls.

Cerrie Burnell was named in the Observer's top ten children's presenters and also featured in the Guardian's 2011 list of 100 most inspirational women where she received praise for tackling disability head on. Cerrie divides her time between London and Manchester and her bestselling picture books Snowflakes and Mermaid have won critical acclaim.

afkar@khaleejtimes.com