Christians around the world celebrate the Christmas holiday and its beautiful message of compassion, inclusion, hope, and light a season with good will to all. The Trees of the Dancing Goats by author/illustrator Patricia Polacco delivers an inspiring story of neighbor helping neighbor, Jew respecting Christian and, how one family “rescued” the Chritmas holiday for their ailing community.
Cultures around the world celebrate universal childhood milestones. This book is a fun retrospective of the varied ways cultures around the world celebrate children losing their baby teeth. Kids will get a tickle reading about the variety of ways cultures handle this rite of passage.
Around the world, families come together to share meals, make music, celebrate joys and shoulder sorrows. “Rice and Rocks” written uses food as a common element that bridges cultures..
Yearning for acceptance, apprehension about difference, the search for common ground…Here are three books which tackle these big concepts with humor and emotion. They open perspectives and minds while entertaining. GReat selections for readers of ANY age.
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!
“Round is a tortilla,” “Green Is a Chile Pepper” & “From the Bellybutton of the Moon” make delightful choices to mark Nat’l Poetry month. Each showcases Latino heritage and features brilliant colors and lyrical rhythms.
in today’s political climate optimism and collaboration are in short supply. Today we review four books sure to rekindle our spirits and to remind us that we share more in common than not. We rededicate ourselves to seeing the humanity in others. Through that lens, we seek to build a better world for ourselves and the people we love.
It is easy to get lost in the habit of waiting to be happy…We must teach kids to enjoy the blessings of what & who are in their lives in the present moment. We must teach our children to take the time to enjoy the blessings of what and who are in their lives in the present moment. This is not to invalidate their losses, yearnings and unfulfilled needs. Rather it is to teach them to hold a both/and mentality.
AQ Lens: Beyond the obvious benefits of putting children in touch with their cultural roots, by their very existence these books send a message that these traditions are worth noting, following and showcasing. It is an easy step to carrying the same sense of value to a child’s roots. Coming from another culture makes one “different.” But it isn’t something to hide; it is something to share and honor. Readers will notice the effort and determination which the main characters demonstrate. Skills and capabilities grow out of hard work. This is a great message for them to absorb!
These books also demonstrate the universality of common daily activities: dressing, enjoying time with grandparents, preparing meals, celebrating holidays. As the reader follows the main characters through the narrative, children can note the value of self reliance, connection to family and of being part of a history–personal, familial as well as cultural. Children will enjoy learning about other cultures, whether it is part of their history or not. By expanding our children’s exposure to a variety of cultures and traditions, we better prepare them for life in this increasingly interconnected world. It is important for us to prepare them for this global citizenship.
An Annoying ABC weaves a delightful “domino” story: each action precipitates a subsequent reaction. Once “Adelaide annoyed Bailey,” mayhem ensues—in alphabetical order no less! This book hits the mark on several levels. It helps kids expand their vocabulary while enjoying the antics of this delightful cast of characters. An Annoying ABC can assist adoptive parents in teaching their children how to name and handle their big feelings. Imagine your child pretending each feeling and then your guessing which one he is portraying–lots of opportunity to be silly while discussing important emotion-management skills. I rate it a five-star read.