Why have the heroes of traditional European children’s literature so often been young, white, attractive boys? Taking this literary stereotype as a point of departure, and with the aim of sparking critical reflection among primary school students on structural inequalities, the European research project Zoom Out— led by the University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC)— has produced three short animations.
These videos are designed as educational resources to encourage critical thinking in the classroom. Created from an intersectional perspective, they aim to show how various axes of inequality — such as gender, race, social class, and functional diversity — interact and shape our lived experiences.
Each of the three animations addresses a distinct theme. The first, What Is a Book For?, takes a poetic approach to exploring how children’s literature helps shape our imagination and influences our self-perception. The second video, If You Want, You Can… or Not, introduces the concept of inequality through an accessible, intersectional lens aimed at younger audiences. The third, Children’s Literature and Inequality, opens a debate on how we should respond to the inequalities found in children’s books and advocates for developing a critical reading perspective from an early age.
The animations, which are between three and four minutes long, are available in six languages—Catalan, Spanish, English, Italian, Polish, and Croatian—and are accompanied by a set of classroom activities that support the exploration of diversity, difference, and equity.
The project features illustrations by Cristina Zafra, animation by Sergi Benach, production by Lorena González, and sound and music editing by Cristian Arenós.
Zoom Out is spearheaded by sociologist and gender studies researcher Gerard Coll-Planas, who wrote and directed the animations. He highlights the value of these tools in helping children “not only see themselves reflected in stories but also question whose stories get told, and why.”