Tobin is an educational anthropologist and an early childhood education specialist. His research interests include cross-cultural studies of early childhood education, immigration, children and the media, and qualitative research methods. He is known for his books and video documentaries Preschool in Three Cultures: Japan, China, and the United States (1989) and Preschool in Three Cultures Revisited (2009). His other books include Good Guys Don't Wear Hats: Children's Talk about the Media; Remade in Japan; Making a Place for Pleasure in Early Childhood Education; and Pikachu's Global Adventure: The Rise and Fall of Pokémon. Tobin also led a major international project: Children Crossing Borders: Immigrant Parent and Staff Perspectives on Preschool and is currently leading the project: Deaf Kindergartens in Three Countries: Japan, France, and the United States.

Joseph Tobin offers a fresh perspective on how children make sense of media representations of race, sex, violence, and class. By weaving such cutting-edge approaches as poststructuralism, performance theory, and critical theory into his analysis, he demonstrates how the meanings children give to media messages depend on the local contexts in which they live. Tobin challenges the convention that children are easily fooled by the media and suggests instead that they are capable of resistant interpretations of the movies and television they watch. Laced with the voices and perspectives of young children, who are wise, funny, and creative in their grasp of the media, this book is a must read for anyone who cares about the modern kid.