I enjoy reading children’s books that reveal the power of art and how we are all artists who can find and create beauty and value in unexpected places. We can transform the ordinary, the plainest scraps–of fabric, metal, paper and plastic– even trash into something glorious, inspirational and uplifting.

“Beauty,” they say, “is in the eye of the beholder.” Human beings share an innate desire for beauty, music and creation. More importantly, the creative process can uplift individuals, even entire communities. [bctt tweet=”Art can motivate, transform and unite us as is evidenced in three of these fact-based stories.” username=”GayleHSwift”]

Magic Trash: A Story of Tyree Guton and His Art, by J H. Shapiro tells the story of an artist raised in poverty  in urban Detroit. Traditional art supplies cost too much, so he cast his eye on found objects which he repainted and reconfigured into “art.” Encouraged by his grandfather, a house painter, he followed his dream to become a painter–of art.

After the 1967 riots, Tyree’s family moved away from Heidelberg Street but Tyree never forgot his roots. After he graduated from art school, he returned to his roots only to find destruction, violence and devastation. Galvanized by a desire to bring beauty, he began transforming the neighborhood one slosh of color, one creation at a time. Initially, Tyree met resistance. eventually he won people over. Cheered by his colorful creations, neighbors began to beautify their community, remove trash and come together to improve their neighborhood. Art sparked a movement of hope, change and improvement!

Adoption-attuned Lens 

Tyree confronted the judgment of kids and adults who thought he was weird, even crazy for aspiring to be an artist. We can explore conversations with adoptees about the ways in which people look at them as odd, crazy and not “real.” This feeling of being “other” is one which many adoptees experience. Opening the conversation can offer a relief valve for this pressure-cooker emotion.

Ada’s Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay  by Susan Hood and illustrated by Sally Wern Comport tells about a town built on a landfill in Paraguay where the people rummage through the fresh trash looking for “treasure.” The valuables they seek are items which can be recycled  for pennies per pound. While the people dreamed of finding items of great value, they never truly expected to find treasure. Young people had little hope for a better life.

Until … until Favio Chavez arrived with three guitars, two violins and a dream. He wanted to teach the residents how to play music. Many children were attracted by the idea. But how could they practice in their trash town where “a violin is worth more than a house?”

Senor Chavez and Senor Gomez turned to the only resources available to them: the trash piles on which they lived. They searched for materials to build instruments on which the children could practice. Using empty paint cans, baking trays and wood scraps, they built instruments which thieves would ignore but which Ada and the other children cherished.

With practice and great effort, they learned how to make music. In the process the children’s orchestra brought hope to the barrio. They practiced. acquired skills and eventually, word of their feat reached the capital. The children were invited to perform. Eventually, they performed all over the world. They had indeed found genuine treasure in the dump. “Buried in the trash was music. And buried in themselves was something to be proud of.”

Adoption-attuned Lens Use this story to discuss how the children overcame extremely difficult circumstances through a combination of hard work and the help of supportive people. But the courage emerged from within themselves. They had to dare to try, dare to believe, dare to fail. In adoption, children may have faced difficulties, trauma, poverty but these limitations need not define them nor destroy their dreams.

Just as the children in this story triumphed over their challenges, so too can adopted children. Especially for kids adopted at older ages, they too must muster great courage to open themselves up, be vulnerable and try to piece together a new family. The road to success is possible but not always easy or smooth.

Maybe Something Beautiful: How Art Transformed a Neighborhood by F. Isabel Campoy and Theresa Howell Illustrated by Rafel López is a story similar to Tyree Guton’s. The fictional main character, Mira (whose name translates as “sight”) loves to draw, doodle and paint. She’s thrilled when a muralist arrives in town to spread his magic. Splashes of color brighten the bleak neighborhood. Formerly desolate spaces become beautiful. Mundane items, once painted, are auctioned off. This raises money to improve the neighborhood and provide art scholarships.

[bctt tweet=”Poverty does not crush the urge to create or the desire for beauty and art. Something Beautiful: reflects the truism that a dream possesses a powerful ability to inspire and transform lives. ” username=”GayleHSwift”]Artists have the opportunity to awaken spirits, rekindle hope and stir a sense of community. That is truly something beautiful.

Adoption-attuned Lens 

This book readily sparks a conversation about innate talent and following one’s dreams. Although Mira was only a child, her drawings brought joy and beauty to her family and community. Explore with children the influence they contribute. Help them to see how their presence in the world makes a difference. All people, but especially adoptees, like to know that they “count.” Help your kids see and believe they make a difference.

The Quiltmaker’s Gift by Jeff Brumbeau delights the eye with exquisite illustrations by Gail de Marcken that detail the intricate patterns of quilt. Against the backdrop of a fairytale-like theme the story unfolds through larger-than-life events.. The main character is a generous old woman who stitches magnificent pieced quilts of such beauty that her reputation stretches throughout the kingdom and reaches the ears of his Royal Greediness. Although he owns ” almost all of the prettiest things in the world,” still he remains miserable.

He covets one of her quilts and insists that she give him one. She refuses because the old woman stitches her creations and donates them only to those in need. She refuses to sell her goods to anyone. Not even the king who was neither poor nor needy. She ignores his demand for one of her glorious quilts. To punish her, he orders his soldiers to chain her in a cave with a bear. Instead of dying as he anticipated, the quiltmaker charms the bear and sews him a pillow.

The story continues with several variations of the king’s threats and how the old woman responds with kindnesses that thwart the king. Until finally, he accepts the quiltmaker’s requirement: to give away his treasure, one item at a time. [bctt tweet=”He soon discovers that the secret of happiness lies in generosity and kindness instead of greed and jealousy. ” username=”GayleHSwift”]The story comes full circle when the happy and appreciative king insists on presenting the quiltmaker with a gift. The lovely message concludes the story persuasively without an overly heavy hand.

Gail de Marcken’s watercolor illustrations create a magical mood, full of detail and charm. Not only is she an artist of exceptional talent, she knows her quilt patterns as well. Her love of the art form comes through her intricate drawings and serve as a wonderful depiction of the quiltmaker’s fantastic talent.

Adoption-attuned Lens 

One natural conversation that can arise from this story is how the diverse pieces combine to create breathtaking beauty. Similarly, families built via adoption include a unique blend of personalities, talents and genetics all of which combine to create a rich tapestry.
Our theme for today’s Diverse Children’s Books linkup is Favorite Bilingual Book(s). What are your favorite children’s books in two or more languages? (The theme is only a suggestion. Diverse posts on alternate topics are always welcome.)

What Is #DiverseKidLit?

Diverse Children’s Books is a book-sharing meme designed to promote the reading and writing of children’s books that feature diverse characters. This community embraces all kinds of diversity including (and certainly not limited to) diverse, inclusive, multicultural, and global books for children of all backgrounds.

We encourage everyone who shares to support this blogging community by visiting and leaving comments for at least three others. Please also consider following the hosts on at least one of their social media outlets. Spread the word using #diversekidlit and/or adding our button to your site and your diverse posts.

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We hope this community will grow into a great resource for parents, teachers, librarians, publishers, and authors! Our next linkup will be Saturday, October 1st and on the first and third Saturdays of every month.

Upcoming Theme

Our theme for the current linkup is Favorite Bilingual Book(s). Themes are a suggestion only; all diverse book posts are welcome. If you’re interested, you can start planning now for our upcoming themes …

• October 1st and 15th linkups: Favorite Diverse Author or Illustrator. Who is a must-read author or illustrator for you? Share your favorite(s) with us for next time.

Most Clicked Post from Last Time

Miss T’s post on 7 Diverse Books Featuring a Character With A Disability was our most-clicked post of the previous #diversekidlit! This compilation reviews a great mix of fiction, nonfiction, picture books, and novels featuring characters with a range of disabilities. This is a great resource for all readers.

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Introducing new information in alphabetical order allows kids to intuitively use this familiar sequence to help them store and retrieve data. It’s a built-in, subconscious organizational system which gives rise to our cultural expression, “easy as ABC.” Whether helping children learn how to care for the earth, explore the variety of our planet’s wildlife, pick up another language, or wrestle with the complexities of adoption, an ABC format eases new learning. This post will review four alphabet books. While they touch on very different topics, each presents information in alphabetical order.

 Compost Stew: An A to Z Recipe for the Earth by Mary Mckenna Siddals and illustrated by Ashley Wolff uses both the ABC format and rhyming which makes the text fun to hear and repeat. Over and over. And over again! The subject matter has natural appeal to kids, who, after all love all things squishy, squirmy and squelchy.

Compost Stew carries a vital environmental message and suggests an enjoyable family project. It will open conversations about why recycling is important, what is recyclable and what is not. This will also help raise environmentally aware consumers. (It just might entice some adults to join the recycling movement.) The fabulous collage illustrations serve as a reinforcing metaphor for a successful compost stew, variety and cooperation. And illustrates how the finished product blends the ingredients into a new and better result.

Compost Stew also borrows from the familiar meme of Stone Soup and highlights the benefits of working together to pool resources and efforts. The formula for success is as easy as ABC: cooperation + many ingredients + success.

Adoption-attuned Lens: Probably the most obvious segue to an adoption-attuned question is to focus on how our families are enriched by the differences (talents, quirks, cultural traditions, etc,) which our children contribute to the family. This book really hammers home–in a good way–the concept of how we vastly enhance things when we blend efforts and diverse elements.

Ah-Choo by Lana Wayne Koehler and Gloria G. Adams with illustrations by Ken Min is a raucously entertaining book with several themes. A boy’s yearning for a pet is impeded by his sister’s hyper-sensitive allergy. Brother patiently seeks the perfect pet for their family. Various animals arrive–in alphabetical order. Readers meet some rather exotic beasties. Alas, much to brother’s disappointment, each creature generates a loud ah-choo from Sister.

Hilarious illustrations capture the chaos and light-hearted tone of the book which concludes with a happy ending. They finally discover a pet with “no feathers, fur or hair..” Read the book to find out what it is.

Adoption-attuned Lens: In addition to the jubilant tone created with the rhyming text, this book makes it easy to talk about how the family worked  to find a way to incorporate sister’s needs. The search brings the siblings together. Families support one another in this same way. A subtle message of caring leaps from the story; brother doesn’t whine or get angry. He gets creative and everyone benefits in the long run.

Olinguito, from A to Z! uses a more typical ABC format where the featured letter appears in a graphic element of the page spread. The story follows a zoologist as he treks through “a cloud forest….high, high up in the Andes”  in search of the “elusive olinguito” (a species of raccoon only discovered in 2003!) Along the way, he observes a delightful array of exotic plant and animal life.

The back matter includes additional information about the discovery of this new species and the thrill it brought to the scientific community.  The illustrator’s commentary describes the process used to create the moody and accurate pictures. He concludes with these words, “I came back from my trip amazed at the interconnectedness among all life forms in the cloud forest. Today I have a deep respect for what these rich places mean to humans and the earth.”

With all that has been in the headlines lately, this message of interdependence and mutual respect is timely. As the title suggests, the text appears in both Spanish and English and is in alphabetical order according to the Spanish word, not the English translation.

Adoption-attuned Lens: It would be easy to use this book to open conversations about how, like the animals of the cloud forest, families care about and depend on each member. What endangers one, endangers all. While the needs of each will differ, all family members must have their needs met.

Families have evolved to include a variety of parent child combinations. Through friends and classmates, children  come in contact with families that look different from their own. Sometimes this can confuse or worry them. Kids need information to help them understand whether bio, adoptive, foster or step families–they are more alike than they are different. It’s as easy as ABC: all families are “real.” The unifying factor is that they love and care for one another.

Almost every classroom in America includes some adopted children so this is a topic that interests many children. ABC, Adoption & Me: A Multicultural Picture Book by Gayle H. Swift with Casey A. Swift and illustrated by Paul Griffin explores adoption in a gentle, respectful way. It relies on the familiar scaffold of alphabetical order to structure the book.

At first glance, it seems a basic picture book, yet the concepts are actually significant ones for all adoptive families to explore. By using a cartoon-like illustrations, these ideas can be explored on a light and simple level, or on a nuanced, multi-layered one.

For example, “B is for bellybutton.” All kids have belly button. This universal commonality points out how we are all alike. It also opens the door  to a deeper conversation with older children about  how a belly button connects a baby to its mother before the baby is born. When appropriate,  parents use this page to spark a conversation about birth mothers and fathers.

ABC, Adoption & Me has won numerous awards and helps explain a complex topic to children whether they are adopted or not. It serves adoptive families particularly well and includes a guide to help parents and teachers.