As I continue to regularly read and review early and middle grade books I hope you bring you more editions of my "New Books about Diversity and Inclusion" posts. Here are eight new books which have either been recently published or are going to be released in the next year or so that I think you should keep your eye out for if you are an early years or early/upper elementary teacher looking to add more range and diversity to your classroom library.
Each of these books feature a character who is different and special and/or celebrate ways that we can include and learn from those who are different from us. You'll hear me say this a lot - giving students ample opportunities to see themselves in the books on our shelves is so very important and these books could be a great first step for you to take on that journey or they could be some new additions to an already very diverse collection at your school!
And J.J. Slept
This is such a sweet book. The story is about a multicultural family who adopts a baby named J.J. The baby quickly adjusts to his busy new home with a big family and lots of noises, but he just sleeps through the chaos. One day when the kids are gone and the house is quiet something unexpected happens with J.J.
I love that the family is diverse and that adoption is an important part of this story. As a Grade 3 teacher, I think this would be an excellent addition to my classroom library and any elementary or early years classroom. The story is easy to follow and the pictures are nicely illustrated. I would definitely recommend this book. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this awesome childrens book!
Abuelita and I Make Flan
This is a great book to celebrate diversity and multiculturalism. The story is about a young girl who is learning a traditional recipe from her grandparents. As an early years teacher, I think this book would be a great introduction to a unit on families, traditions, culture or even nutrition. I also think this is a great opportunity to add books to a classroom library that reflect diversity and that students may see themselves represented and welcome. The story also centres on the fear the child has when she breaks an important family heirloom and is afraid to tell her family. It shows that people make mistakes but family is what is important - a valuable lesson for young learners. The story ends with a Spanish glossary as well as a recipe for the flan described in the book. I feel this would be a great book for teachers or parents of children probably aged 4-9 or so. I appreciate Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book to review. I look forward to one day purchasing a copy for my class library and I think you should get a copy too!
Allie the Albino Squirrel
Allie is a little different, in her woodland community she is the only albino squirrel. As she enters kindergarten she has normal fears plus the added fear of being seen as different. I like that this book offers an opportunity to explore diversity through animals. I also like that the “child” worrying about exclusion is white. I think that it is a different approach than the standard BIPOC character facing diversity. Perhaps it is a chance for a new perspective without having to place the weight again on BIPOC children. I think this book would fit nicely in any preschool or K-2 classroom, and for families of children in that age range. It would be a great book to add to a “back to school” or “starting Kindergarten” collection as well as being a link to discussions about diversity and inclusion. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this awesome book!
The Great Ball Game
This book is a really neat adaptation of an Indigenous folk tale about a ball game. I believe the animals in the story are playing lacrosse, which actually was created by Indigenous groups in New York and parts of Canada! The teams are land animals vs birds and when a bat shows up to join the game the animals reject this potential team mate because he doesn’t quite fit in one group or the other. The story is about inclusion and the idea that differences are not just ok, they can be very helpful! The art/illustrations were done by an Ojibwe artist and are beautiful! I think this is a great book for an elementary classroom library! I would definitely read this book to my students in grade 3 and recommend it to other teachers. I’m Canadian and I think this story would be fine in Canadian classrooms, but I also think it would work in classrooms across the world as an opportunity to learn about other cultures through story.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this fantastic book! I look forward to purchasing a copy for my classroom library!
Up and Adam
This story is about a young boy named Adam and his dog named Up. After a big storm, Adam hears a news reporter say “let’s get up and at ‘em” when enlisting storm relief support, and thinks that he and his dog are being called to service. The story follows his interactions with neighbours as he and Up find kid- (and dog-) friendly tasks to help out. I didn’t realized until the end of the book that Adam also has Down syndrome. I think this is a great way to teach that people with disabilities can lead regular lives and be a positive part of their communities. This book demonstrates the importance of inclusion and the value of diversity. I would definitely recommend for families and schools looking for a picture with diverse characters and stories! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. I look forward to purchasing a copy for my classroom library!
Tayra’s Not Talking
This is a story of a young girl who does not speak and the reactions and acceptance her classmates develop as they get to know her. I’m not sure if the main character is intended to have a disability such as autism or selective mutism, but I believe this book is trying to teach young children that all classmates are worth getting to know and we are each special and unique. I think the book is set in a preschool or kindergarten class, so I would recommend this book for children ages 3-6 or so. I think my grade 3/4 students might think it is more for younger students because of the look of the classroom in the story. Books about inclusion are so important and as young children begin to understand that there are others who are different, it will be important to have books like these ones to help them see that we are all different and that’s a good thing! Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book!
The Hair Book
This is a short picture book with simple and short lines of alliterative text and which represents the many different ways people could wear their hair. This book is a perfect opportunity to show and teach about diversity and inclusion to young children. Whether you wear a hijab, have an afro or are bald our hair styles make us unique and special. This would be a great metaphor for older students when considering the reasons that there is prejudice or exclusion based on differences. In this case hair could represent burqa-bans, segregation or antisemitism and how ridiculous it is to treat people differently for choices they make with the clothes they wear, the language they speak or the religion they practice.
While I think this book is likely aimed at early years readers in the age 3-6 range, I think it could be a valuable opportunity for teachers of older students to introduce discussions about race, diversity and inclusion.
I really appreciate the opportunity from Netgalley and the publisher to read and review an advance copy of this book! I am looking forward to purchasing a copy for my students in the future!
You Are Life
You Are Life is a colourful picture book which celebrates all diversity with a special focus on accepting members of Asian cultures. In an author note at the end of the book there is mention of the anti-Asian hate and prejudice surrounding COVID-19 and while there are children of all diverse backgrounds in the story you can see pictures of items like sushi, Bollywood, K pop, incense, dragons, etc. I like that there is a special interest in celebrating Asian cultures but also love that there are other diverse elements like wheelchairs, protests, refugees and adoption.
Each page has beautiful pictures and short sentences/limited text. Some words are coloured/bolded to stand out, including words in other languages difficult words like refugee or just words that the author wants to stand out, such as “you can do anything”. I think this picture book would fit well in any early years classroom or for children ages 4-9. I think that there are opportunities for all children to see themselves in this story which is very important.
I really appreciate the opportunity from Netgalley and the publisher to read and review an advance copy of this book! I am looking forward to purchasing a copy for my students in the future!