Something to be angry about

Everyone knows librarians are peaceful people who get along well with people, so it's refreshing to read a blog by a librarian who's not afraid to express some anger. When publishers of books or audio products take liberties with cover art and in do so distort the story, that's something to be angry about. SLJ blogger Elizabeth Bird points out that some producers of audio books change the ethnicity of characters and use generic white children on their products. What's the point? It's unlikely the producer cares that much about the ethnicity; more likely the only concern is cost and convenience in finding cheap illustrations. But the children who read the books deserve to get the original in all it's details. Ethnicity is not a minor point, it's a major part of identity. Let's not take it away from fictional characters any more than we would take it away from children.