No Red Buses Please - Homogeneity versus Sense of Place in Children's Book Illustration.

One of the points emphasised at the Children's Book Seminar 2010 at the AOI was that of multiculturalism and co-editions of children's books. Since many books may be published in different countries, the advice given is not to put in any signs of a particular country or culture, broadly speaking. So, no steering wheels on the left please etc. but rather put them in the middle. This is understandable from an economic point of view, but there is also a danger of losing a sense of place. Martin Salisbury has taken this issue up in his paper "No Red Buses Please" in the journal Bookbird, where he wonders to what extent are publishers censoring children's books prior to publication and the implications thereof.