Many multicultural books use foreign language incorrectly. Accurate words and phrases in Spanish, French or German, for example, make a story more real for the reader. Some critics argue that only people with a background in the actual ethnicity they write about can present an accurate depiction of that culture, as someone from the outside cannot possibly recreate an authentic perspective. Consider the author's bio when determining the worth of a multicultural text.
Multicultural children's literature writer Joseph Bruchac dissuades readers from selecting books afflicted with the "Dances with Wolves" syndrome, where authors present different cultures in black and white -- all bad or all good. Rather, quality multicultural literature portrays a diversity of characters within a single culture: characters are not all noble or do not share all the same facial features. Furthermore, majority groups must not require minority characters to be successful or talented, or stand out in some other way, to accept them. Rather, majority groups must allow minority characters to succeed or fail like characters belonging to a majority.
Multicultural books, by their nature, are often informative. Historically, many ethnic groups have clashed with each other, creating in some cases catastrophic results, such as in Nazi Germany and apartheid in South Africa. Even the U.S. cannot boast a history immune to racial segregation. Quality multicultural authors are aware of the background and possess extensive historical knowledge of the ethnicity they aim to represent. Such a background adds credibility to the accuracy of any facts, statistics or descriptions they present.
Although children's literature often teaches a lesson, such a focus must not define all multicultural children's literature, or multicultural literature in general. Inserting moral judgment about an ethnic group's conduct or decision, whether unconsciously or consciously done, is unfair. Such an approach simplifies historical events of great complexity, even in a seemingly clear case like Nazi Germany; while the criminality of Nazi generals and commanders is unquestionable, blaming the Holocaust on "crazies" does not account for ordinary Germans who bought into and perpetuated stereotypes of Jews in the workplaces and schools, or other nations that watched in silence.