Diversity
Some of my fondest memories as a parent and as a teacher involve sharing wonderful picture books with children. Whether reading to our own children or to a group, sharing a well-written and beautifully illustrated book can be a magical experience. I am a firm believer that adults have an enormous responsibility when selecting the books they share with youngsters. In addition, reading great books aloud represents a tremendous opportunity for learning and growth. We know children will have stories that they want to hear again (and again), it is our duty to complement their much-loved favourites with books that affirm and enlighten.
Whenever we share a book with another person, our individual perspectives play a part in the event. Reading Robert Munsch’s Love You Forever can be an emotional experience for any parent. Children will likely watch wide-eyed as an adult is moved to tears. Conversely, some books that captivate youngsters can quickly bore an adult.
It is important to pause and think about the diversity of perspectives that can exist within even a small group of children. We will likely have both boys and girls in the group. We will have children with many siblings as well as children with no siblings. Children who are the oldest of three and others who are the youngest. Children who wear glasses and those who don’t. Seated in front of us will be a dazzling array of sizes, shapes, faiths, skin colours, abilities, cultures, interests, hobbies, background knowledge and family situations. Some youngsters will love sports and others will be enamoured with dinosaurs. Some will want to read fairy tales and others want to hear about fire trucks. When selecting books to read aloud, let’s ensure that we take time to acknowledge and celebrate how and why each of the children is special and unique.
Discovering children's books that reflect our communities’ cultural, linguistic, family, gender and individual diversity can be a challenge. My Celebrating Diversity workshop will introduce dozens of new picture books that celebrate ways we are alike and different. We will look at books that include step parents, single parents, inter-racial families as well as stories about children coping with physical and learning challenges. Strategies for using these books with children will be explored. This very popular workshop has been well received at numerous conferences throughout British Columbia. Best suited to teaching and/or library professionals, this presentation is ideal for conferences and pro-d environments. Workshop attendees receive a comprehensive guide to all important content and an extensive book list featuring cover art, title, author/illustrator, ISBN codes and tags. If requested, certificates of attendance are available. For further information about this workshop, please send an email. Sample Celebrating Diversity With Picture Books Resource List The workshop is available with or without a Power Point component. Don’t miss our page of quotes about diversity. All Kinds of Friends, Even Green! at Amazon.ca Roy and Silo are male chinstrap penguins at New York’s Central Park Zoo. They love each other very much and make a nest together. Sadly, Roy and Silo do not have an egg to keep warm. One day their keeper decides to give them an egg that needs protection. Many days pass, Roy and Silo attend conscientiously to the precious egg. At long last the shell cracks and baby Tango arrives. Together, Roy and Silo become fathers. Based on true events, And Tango Makes Three Best for ages 4-8 New York Times article about Roy and Silo from 2004 And Tango Makes Three at Amazon.com And Tango Makes Three at Amazon.ca Argyle’s life was exactly the way he wanted it. He was the same as all the other sheep and that was just fine with him. While roaming the highlands, Argyle discovered some especially tasty grass and some very colorful flowers. Day after day he ate the flowers until… “One day MacDougal’s wife, Katharine, said, “Why dinna ye tell me about the many-colored sheep, MacDougal?” The ensuing fuss is not at all to Argyle’s liking. Placed in a pen by himself, he can’t roam and he can’t eat the delicious, colorful flowers. Thankfully, it does not take long in the “special” pen for him to lose his many colors. He returns to looking and feeling like a sheep and that is just fine with him. Argyle David and the Worry Beast: Helping Children Cope With Anxiety at Amazon.ca Well-suited to reading aloud, this book could be used to elicit a discussion about individuality and what it means to be a great friend. Suitable for children four and up. Miss Little’s Gift at Amazon.ca My Sister Gracie 32 pages, recommended for children aged 3 to 5 32 pages, ages 5 and up With a message that will resonate with adults as well as children, So Close I use this title at the beginning of my Celebrating Diversity workshops. I think we have all had the experience of missing an opportunity for a friendship or discovering a friendship under surprising circumstances. So Close is well-suited to classroom use. It could be used to encourage discussion of friendship, loneliness, social situations, hurrying and over-scheduling. Well suited to children 4 years and up. “Spork was neither spoon nor fork…but a bit of both.” Offering a refreshing and original celebration of individuality, Spork When The Messy One is plunked in a nearby highchair one day, needing something a little different, there is no better tool for the task at hand. Very good fun, will be enjoyed by utensils of every colour, size and shape, aged four and up. With a lovely message about friendship and celebrating one’s unique abilities, Up and Down will be thoroughly enjoyed by children aged three and up. Dad has very good advice for Willow. He tells her, “Your big, strong voice got stuck way inside you, Willow. That happens sometimes. But one day your voice will wiggle its way out.” Thinking about Dad’s words, gives Willlow an opportunity to devise a plan. The following morning, Willow gathers some materials together and designs her very own magic microphone. Initially, the microphone helps Willow to express herself but before long she must manage without it and does so very successfully. This is a charming story that will be enjoyed by boys and girls ages four and up. Note, although Willow’s Whispers Willow’s Whispers at Amazon.com Willow’s Whispers at Amazon.ca Kathryn Otoshi’s One was a delight from cover to cover and won many awards. Her latest title, Zero will certainly be a strong contender as well. When Zero looks at herself in a mirror, she sees ‘nothing.’ She compares herself to other numbers and longs to have value. Self- conscious about her roundness, she lacks social skills and clumsily tries to join in some fun. Unfortunately, she flattens the other numbers in her attempt to join in their fun. Vibrant illustrations support a delightful story that can be enjoyed on many different levels, whether read simply as a counting book or used as a jumping off point for discussions about individuality and self worth, Zero belongs on every child’s bookshelf.
All Kinds of Friends, Even Green (Ellen B. Senisi)– Here we accompany Moses on a school day. When he is given an assignment to write about friends, he carefully considers all of his friends and all the fun things he does with them. Ultimately, he decides to write about an iguana named Zaki whose toes were poisoned by mites. Moses likes Zaki because ‘she figures out how to get where she wants to be in different ways.’ All Kinds of Friends, Even Green! 
All Kinds of Friends, Even Green! at Amazon.com
And Tango Makes Three
Written by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, illustrated by Henry Cole
David and the Worry Beast (Anne Marie Guanci and Caroline Attia) was written especially to help children cope with anxiety. David’s worry beast causes him to worry when he plays basketball, when he’s at home and when he is at school. His anxiety grows and grows until he learns specific steps to cope with his worries. In addition to providing tips for children, David and the Worry Beast 
David and the Worry Beast: Helping Children Cope with Anxiety at Amazon.com
The Friendship Puzzle: Helping Kids Learn About Accepting and Including Kids With Autism (Julie L. Coe, Jennifer Maloni, and Sondra L. Brassel)– when Mackenzie meets a new boy in her class, she tries to be his friend but he seems a little different. She subsequently decides to find out how to be his friend. She learns that Dylan ‘doesn’t have a lot of words and that it is hard for him to tell people he wants to play or be friends.’ In addition to telling the story of Dylan and Mackenzie, The Friendship Puzzle
I’m Not.
Miss Little’s Gift 
Miss Little’s Gift at Amazon.com
Many years ago, Ruby lived with her grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins in a huge house in a city in China. At that time, girls did not typically have a chance to go to school but Ruby was fortunate. In her household, because there were many children, a teacher came and taught all the boys. Unlike her girl cousins, Ruby did not want to be married; she wanted to go to university. Each day, Ruby worked hard to study with the boys in addition to learning all of the household skills expected of girls. Ruby’s Wish 
– Written and illustrated by Gillian Johnson
Fabio, an “only” dog, longs for a brother. He dreams of exploring a park, sharing a bone and playing together with his new buddy. Imagine Fabio’s surprise when his new brother is a sister – and not at all like the playful puppy he envisioned. Thankfully, teasing neighbourhood dogs help Fabio appreciate and love his newly adopted sister, Gracie.
My Sister Gracie at Amazon.com
Old Bird - written by Irene Morck and illustrated by Muriel Wood
When Papa buys Bird, a gentle mare who will transport Archie and Arnfeld to and from school, he has no idea the impact the horse will have on his farm. Bird follows the children as they do their chores and insists on being allowed into the barn. Bird opens latches and asserts herself until Papa decides she must be sold. Just before the auction, Bird again has her way. This time she shows the family just how she can contribute to the farm. Old Bird
In Up and Down
Violet – written by Tania Duprey Stehlik, illustrated by Vanja Vuleta Jovanovic
When Violet attends her first day at a new school, she meets red, yellow and blue children but she doesn’t see any purple children. Upon returning home, her mother explains, “I am red and daddy is blue and you, my beauty, are a bit of us both.” Together, they play with paints and discover that many beautiful colours are created through mixing. Simply told, Violet
Willow is a lovely soft spoken girl with ideas, opinions and dreams. Unfortunately, her quiet voice is often overlooked and, as a result, her teacher and classmates miss hearing her thoughts and choices. For Willow, this means lost opportunities for companionship at lunchtime, orange juice instead of apple juice, disappointment at playtime and standing at the end of the line once again.
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