'Trust them to Figure it Out': Toni Morrison's Books for Children

Abstract

Toni Morrison has joined the ranks of those writers whose work includes texts for both adults and children. This paper examines this less known side to Morrison's work in an attempt to define its characteristic features and its place within ethnic and African-American children's literature. The texts will be read in the light of the ideas of such thinkers as John Dewey and Martha Nussbaum, among others, who advocate a liberal model of education that fosters autonomy and critical thinking. Depictions of children in Morrison's adult fiction, for the author has shown a life-long interest in childhood, will also be engaged.