Hellobee

Hive, I’m not going to lie. My heart has been so heavy and broken lately over the events surrounding the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner. I’m not going to write a long post about it because I don’t believe this is the place to do so, but I will say that what saddens me most is that these terrible events have shown that we, as a country, have really not come as far along as we had thought when it comes to race relations and understanding racial issues. It has been horrifying to see and hear some of the things people have shared and said in the aftermath. And while, yes, many of those remarks come from places of ignorance and lack of understanding and exposure, we can’t just perpetuate the cycle of ignorance and ignore it.

As a teacher educating some of the youngest members of our society, I feel it’s my duty to help my students understand one another and understand that ALL lives matter. I hope that when they leave my classroom, they are not only better readers and writers, but are also more caring citizens of the world. Thankfully, our school is amazingly diverse. Our students really can learn about diversity from each other and in many ways, it becomes second nature to them. However, I know that this is not the case in many schools across our country and it really does take a lot more effort to teach students in such schools about race and diversity. And I know that in communities and neighborhoods that are not very diverse, it might be hard for parents to talk and teach about race in a real and meaningful way. That’s where I think children’s books can make a huge impact.

I recently read an article about how characters in children’s books are almost always white and the fact that it’s a big problem. I could not agree more with the writer. I even wrote a blog post about it and shared some of my favorite books about race and multiculturalism. I thought it was time, in light of recent events to share more titles that feature diverse characters. This time around, though, I wanted to focus on books that feature children of color where the culture or race of the character is not the central idea of the book. I wanted to share titles where children weren’t necessarily used to explain diversity or to be a face for a cause. While those books are absolutely crucial, I strongly believe that they need to be balanced with other books that show diverse characters as protagonists in “normal” stories that children would love to listen to for the sake of a good story. I believe that such titles truly emphasize that all lives DO matter and they are worth being portrayed in great literature. This can help children see the value in every life, no matter how different those lives might look from our own.

I promised I wouldn’t be long, but I couldn’t help myself…so, without further ado, here are some of my favorite picks:

1) The Snowy Day: This classic Ezra Jack Keats story is just so simple and sweet. It is always a winter favorite in my classroom and home.

2) My Five Senses: This great early science book explains the five senses to young readers. It’s a great book to spur some five senses extension activities at home!

3) Do Like Kyla: I love this sweet story and read it as a mentor text during Writing Workshop every year. It’s a simple story about two sisters, told in the perspective of the little sister as she tries to do everything like her big sister, Kyla. A great sibling story!

4) Soo’s Boo Boos: A friend recommended this to me after I posted the above article on my Facebook page. It is an adorable counting book about Soo and her (seemingly) endless boo boos!

5) Flower Garden: Eve Bunting is one my favorite authors. She writes some incredible books about hard topics like homelessness, adoption, immigration, and the Holocaust. This, however, is not one of those books. Instead, this is a sweet story about a little girl and birthday surprise she and her dad plan for her mom.

6) Not Norman (A Goldfish Story): The little boy in this story really wanted a pet dog or cat for his birthday and is sorely disappointed when he receives Norman, a goldfish. But, Norman surprises him in hilarious ways that only a picture book goldfish can, and the little boy learns a surprising lesson!

7) Nino Wrestles the World: You guys, the boy on the cover of this book is in his underwear and is obsessed with pretending to wrestle. I know, that sounds really weird as I reread this to myself, but if you have a 5 year-old, you might understand. Perfect for any aspiring luchadores or anyone who just loves a good laugh.

8) Lola at the Library: Lola is a girl after my own heart. She loves the library and the girl loves her books! This is the first title in a short series about Lola, her family, and their love of stories.

9) Christmas for 10: We picked this book up at the library last Christmas and it’s since become one of our favorite Christmas books. It’s a sweet counting story of a family preparing for Christmas. I love that it’s simple enough for even toddlers to understand.

10) Keisha Ann Can!: This is a great story to prepare children for going to school. Keisha Ann shows us all the things she can do at school and shows the readers that they can do them, too!

11) Bebe Goes Shopping: If you’ve ever taken an infant or a toddler to the supermarket, you are so going to have text-to-self connection with this mama, meltdowns and all! Thankfully, a box of animal crackers might just save the day…there are some Spanish words thrown in the mix in this book, but they’re easy to figure out in context!

12) I Like Myself!: This little girl is not lacking in self-esteem and it’s kind of awesome. A fun and spunky story featuring a fun and spunky little girl!

13) Every Little Thing: This book has a special place in my heart. One of the songs that Lil’ CB and I like to sing together is “Three Little Birds” (Don’t Worry ‘Bout a Thing) by Bob Marley. This book puts that song into pictures and it’s just so sweet. You can’t help but sing along!

14) Whose Knees Are These?: A simple and rhythmic board book that teaches about different body parts. Great for toddlers!

15) Peekaboo Morning: I adore Rachel Isadora’s books and this one is a sweet and simple story about a toddler’s morning. Young children will be able to relate to the routines and hellos of his morning.

16) Juna’s Jar: Confession: this book hasn’t even come out yet. It’s going to be released in January, but from the early reviews and plot summaries, it looks really promising! It’s a story of friendship and imagination, and the jar in the title? It’s an old, empty kimchi jar! So basically, I mostly love it because I really relate to it.

17) The Twins’ Blanket: This is a great story about twins, but it’s also a great story about siblings and sharing in general. And the illustrations are just lovely!

18) Ish: This is a great book for any young artist or actually for any young person that’s struggled because they feel like they just can’t get something right. Ramon learns an important lesson from his little sister, Marisol, on the importance of developing your own style instead of being perfect.