Today, more authors and illustrators of color are in the field, more books are getting published for the multicultural market, and the Coretta Scott King Award has a sales impact second only to the Newbery and Caldecott medals. The current situation In spite of this progress, at present many groups are still not published in proportion to their numbers in the population at large. There are increasing numbers of African-American authors and illustrators, but this development is impressive only by comparison to the even smaller representation of other groups. There are many folktales being published, sometimes because this can be a quick and easy way to do a multicultural book, with so many stories already available in the public domain, ripe for publication as a picture book. But there is also much of interest.
Collections can be good value for the consumer.
Virginia Hamilton has also compiled several excellent collections I think fiction is also a strong area, particularly among African-American authors. I've seen many wonderful and inspiring multicultural picture books. I know of less of interest in nonfiction, with most books aimed at the library market. A few striking multicultural poetry books stand out in a thinly published area. I see greater interest among publishers in books set in specific contemporary American or foreign cultures, and in innovative nonfiction.