One Family by George Shannon and Blanca Gomez presents a fascinating introduction into counting with a twist. The reader meets many types of family; each is one example of one kind of family.

We discover that a family can include a range of individuals, colors, ethnicities, and even species and still be one family! This offers a delightful riff on inclusion when it comes to recognizing the many types of families that are common today–and a few more unusual ones. The concept is clear: each is one  example of a family. The story concludes,

“One is one and everyone.

One earth. One world.

One Family.”

We are all part of one family–the Family of Man. As adoptive families, we have a vested interest in this kind of acceptance and inclusion. The detailed and upbeat illustrations invite exploration–and counting–as well as identifying other “collective” nouns. Blanca Gomez, an internationally recognized illustrator, lives in Madrid, Spain.

AQ Lens: The obvious message that families need not look similar, is one that adoptive families are wise to reiterate on a regular basis. This story has a wonderful sense of joy and humor in addition to its message of tolerance and acceptance. Parents might want to highlight the Hispanic heritage of the illustrator as a way of raising awareness and overtly supporting diversity in our families, books, communities through in our purchases. Family supports family. Celebrate diversity and support our One Family: the family of Man.

Our theme for #DiverseKidLit in April is Favorites. Please consider sharing diverse books and resources that support love and families. (As always, the theme is only a suggestion. Diverse posts on alternate topics are always welcome.)

Exciting News!

Becker’s School Supplies has offered a fabulous prize for participating in our upcoming #diversekidlit Twitter chat on Monday, April 10th from 8-9 pm ET. One winner will receive all four of these wonderful diverse picture books: If Kids Ran the World; Golden Domes, Silver Lanterns; I’m New Here; and Same, Same But Different. These would make a wonderful addition to your home, classroom, or library.

You can find all the details about our upcoming chat, including a list of questions that we will be discussing, by clicking here. We hope to “see” you on Monday, April 10th from 8-9 pm ET – and good luck!

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, April 15th and on the first and third Saturdays of every month.

Upcoming Theme & Chat

Our theme for the current month is Favorites. Themes are a suggestion only; all diverse book posts are welcome. If you’re interested, you can start planning now for our upcoming themes …

• April 15th continues the celebration of the one-year anniversary of #diversekidlit! Our theme with be Favorites. Share your top diverse books or authors or topics.

Most Clicked Post from Last Time

The most-clicked post from the previous #diversekidlit was Gayle’s wonderful list of books for Planting Seeds. Harvesting Change. Making Choices. These three books emphasize the central theme of caring for our environment as a means of both action and activism. A great tie-in to doing some of your own planting too!

#DiverseKidLit is Hosted by: