Muslim Parent Preferences for Children’s Storybook Illustrations: Cultural Relevance in the Context of the United Arab Emirates

Abstract

Literacy socialization begins at home with books chosen by parents. Using a sociocultural perspective, the purpose of this study was to document Arab, Muslim parents' (n = 118) preferences for children's storybook illustrations in the United Arab Emirates. Open-ended questions were analyzed using the constant comparative method. Cultural gender schemes were highlighted. Results imply that some innocuous themes commonly found in storybooks reflecting Western values were perceived as culturally peripheral to parents from a Muslim background. Findings have implications for creating more culturally relevant children's storybooks to improve the quantity and quality of home literacy experiences of Arab, Muslim families.