The essays in this collection explore African American children's literature and the view it provides of the African American community. Of particular interest is the relationship between African American folktales and those of subSaharan Africa. The following essays are included: (1) "The All-White World of Children's Books" (Nancy Larrick); (2) "African Americans in Children's Literature--From Stereotype to Positive Representation" (Mary Thompson Williams and Helen Bush Caver); (3) "Since the Sixties: Literature for Children by African-American Writers and Illustrators" (Frances Smith Foster); (4) "Illustration Is My Form, the Black Experience, My Story and My Content" (Tom Feelings); (5) "African-American Communication Tradition Oral and Literate" (Madge Gill Willis); (6)"Images of African-Americans in Picture Books for Children" (Judith V. Lechner); (7) "My Calling as Storyteller" (Cynthia Watts); (8) "The Pied Piper of Isleford: Ashley Bryan" (Kemie Nix); (9) "African-American Women Writers of Adolescent Literature" (Rosalie Black Kiah); (10) "The Family Chronicles of Mildred D. Taylor and Mary E. Mebane" (Donnarae MacCann); (11) "Master of Nonfiction: James Haskins" (Joan Nist); (12) "The Coretta Scott King Award" (Lee Bernd); (13) "The International Context of African-American Children's Literature" (Dianne Johnson); (14) "African American Folktales versus White Supremacist Juvenile Fiction" (Donnarae MacCann); and (15) "Multiculturalism and Theater for African-American Youth in the '90s" (Michele McNichols). Each essay contains references. (SLD)