Dreaming UP: Dazzling Blend of Fantasy with Reality Celebrates Diversity

A Celebration of Building serves as an excellent metaphor for building community, creativity and relationships. The illustrations feature a diverse characters who create universal kid creations: sofa forts, sand castles, blocks, etc. The accompanying arhitectural photographs bring those imaginary designs to life in real buildings from all around the world. The similarities between fantasy and reality are stunning. Some of them are so unusual it is difficult to believe that they are real. Such fun to see them! Continue reading →

Summer: Time for Dreaming, Exploring Boundaries, Nurturing Awareness

Like the other books in reviewed in this post, readers will see the value of friendship, the benefit of being open instead of limited by bias and the willingness to dare--to be stronger, braver and more open-minded. These are great lessons for all kids but especially for adopted children who throughout their lives will frequently experience being "othered" simply because they were adopted. The conversations which this book might open can include topics like defeating fear, trying new things, and walking in the "shoes" of others. Continue reading →

Making Room for All: Diversity in Action

Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki and illustrated by Dom Lee is especially relevant in today’s climate of intolerance and anti-immigration. Baseball is considered by many to be our national past time. In 1942, the United States gathered Japanese Americans, stripped them of their property, forcibly... Continue reading →

Wisdom for Life’s Journey: Be Brave. Be You.

Adopted children have real life experience with loss and grief. Yet the overarching message which the narrator (parent) conveys is that it is possible to have "more ups than downs...more tippy-toes than deep." The message validates reality for our kids: they have had "downs" and they have struggled in "the deep." Continue reading →

Daddy, Papi, Gramps–Whatever the Name, He’s Important

Gator Dad by author/illustrator Brian Lies. This delightful book depicts an extraordinary dad engaging with his children. The exuberant illustrations wonderfully fulfill the text. The story opens with dad's shadow looming over his sleeping children. This iconic image usually evokes fear in kids but these baby gators are EXCITED not afraid. Clearly they associate dad with fun and when he invites them to "squeeze the day," they are willing conspirators. Continue reading →

Is It Raining Blessings or Misery?

Events can be simultaneously happy/sad, positive and negative so these books might lead to conversations about how one can experience things in complex ways. These four stories share a common thread about how it is a "blessing to be a blessing" as well as "Things are not always what they first appear to be." Continue reading →

Nurturing Empathy and Courage in Children

Three stories explore the experience of beginning a new life in a foreign land. For adoptees, these books offer a chance to draw parallels to their adoptions--their fears, challenges and emotions that children face while becoming part of their new families. Continue reading →

Tall Tales Can Be Tell Tale Windows to the Heart

 This post reviews  H.O.R.S.E. by Christopher Myers and  Imani’s Moon by JaNay Brown-Wood Diverse Children’s Books is a brand new book-sharing meme designed to promote the reading and writing of children’s books that feature diverse characters. This community embraces all kinds of... Continue reading →
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