It is very difficult for me to pinpoint my favorite children's books! There are so many that special and touch my heart. Both of my favorite children’s books that first came to mind when asked have to do with a topic that I love to teach; Diversity and Acceptance!
The Color of Us, by Karen Katz
This book tells the story of a young girl who wants to paint a picture of herself. Originally she sees her skin color as ‘brown.’ But by the end of the story, she has come to realize that people’s skin comes in a variety of shades (chocolate pudding, cinnamon, sand, etc) and that the colors make us special. I love the illustrations, and the way it describes skin colors in a ways that young children can easily understand and may not have thought of before! My students love to hear the comparisons of the colors, and we all have a wonderful time describing the color of our own skin. In my classroom, this unit ends with a class book where each person draws a self portrait and describes themselves as well what makes them unique.
We Are All Alike… We Are All Different, by the Cheltenham Elementary Kindergarteners
This book is very special because it was created by kindergarteners, which my class is always impressed and in awe of. Children describe and illustrate ways that they are different and ways that they are the same. There are kindergarten drawn portraits followed by actual pictures of the young authors. Not only does it teach a wonderful lesson of diversity and acceptance, but it inspires my students that they can do great things even at this young age.
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