It’s been awhile. So long in fact, that the world began burning.
There is nothing to say on that end that hasn’t been said already. But, with all the negativity that the world is throwing at us, I did realize that the one thing I can control is the books that I read.
I haven’t been able to get to many longer books, but it has never been more important than now to highlight and share picture books that accurately depict different races, cultures, geographic locations, family lives, etc.
Reading with children about differences normalizes those differences. The unknown can be scary for children so when they see characters depicted that are different than themselves, they can begin to ‘see’ the previously unknown.
I work and live in a suburb. Most people drive where they need to go, although there is bus service, no one I know takes the bus. Stores, single-family homes, libraries, groceries, theaters, etc. are all zoned separately and laid out with sprawling streets and parking lots.
But, not everyone has these same living experiences. When we open our children’s eyes to the different types of homes people have and the different ways cities are set up, we can give them a better view of our world.
Where Children Sleep by James Mollison
Houses and Homes (Around the World Series) by Ann Morris
Last Stop on Market Street by Matt De La Pena
Same, Same but Different by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw
The Water Princess by Susan Verde
Four Feet, Two Sandals by Karen Lynn Williams
