Check out our recommendations for a few of the best children’s books on diversity and related issues. The beauty of the human race is how diverse we all are. It’s like a rainbow. Could you imagine the rainbow having just one color? If that was the case, would it even be called a rainbow?
But that colorful rainbow is a sight to behold and it’s the same with the diversity within the human race. Added to that, we’re not just diverse in skin color, but personality and talents as well. Even though we look different on the outside, deep down, we’re all the same; the same needs, desires, etc.
However, for selfish reasons, someone decided that diversity should not be embraced and came up with ideas to justify racism, sexism and other kinds of prejudicial attitudes towards others.
Treating people badly because of their skin color, gender, or the fact that they might be differently abled, is just wrong. If you have to hate or treat someone badly to feel better about yourself, then something is wrong with you. Doing that does not make you better either, it just makes you bitter.
Take racism for example, no one is born racist. Children play with other children who look different from them all the time, until they are exposed to the stupid ideas of adults.
Children learn from others
As with anything, individuals can adopt the behaviors and attitudes of the people within their environment. Keep in mind that children model the behavior of adults. So as a parent it’s important to be the right example for them.
Children learn from seeing others do stuff and they learn quite a bit from observing others. Even while they are learning from their ‘models,’ they would not necessarily display the behavior or attitude right away.
However, when an opportunity presents itself, that’s when the learned behaviors or attitudes will come out. That means you won’t see the impact of the Fortnite video game either, until he or she finds himself or herself in a similar situation.
So as a parent, you really have to be careful what you expose your child to.
Apart form that, they also learn from books, schools, their peers, and the media (T.V., social media, video games etc.). So while you may be trying to set the best example you can for them, they’ve got other influencing factors to deal with. Depending on their age, their peers can be especially influential.
I am sure you’ve heard the phrase “My child is a good child. He/she would never do a thing like that!” Well, quite a number of parents have had a rude awakening in that respect. Their child did something that they never expected he or she would do.
The thing is, these parents may very well be telling the truth; their child is a good child. But as a parent, the fact that we are not with our children 24/7, means that they could be learning all sorts of things, good and bad.
For example, a child behaves well at home. However, when they are with their peers or on social media, their behaviors and attitudes are totally different. In some cases, children are groomed online and indoctrinated into racist attitudes and behaviors.
That’s why children need to be monitored. But that’s a totally different article altogether. This article is about the best children’s books on diversity, so let’s get to it.
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Best Children’s Books on Diversity
Like I said before, we are not born racist, and children won’t see the differences until they see an adult display the particular behavior or attitude. That’s when it starts. For example, children weren’t chanting “build the wall” to their school mates until they were exposed to the idea of it.
Anyway, check out a few suggested children’s books on racial diversity, as well as other related issues.
1. We’re Different, We’re The Same
Written by Joe Mathieu and Bobbi Jane Kates, this book offers an easy and enjoyable way to learn about diversity and what really matters. The authors use Elmo and his Sesame Street friends to help teach toddlers and their adults, that everyone is the same on the inside.
It’s colorful and well illustrated, so it would definitely keep your little one’s attention.
2. Little Leaders
This book is for all ages. It’s a New York Times and USA Today best seller! Little Leaders educates and inspires while telling of the trailblazing history of forty (40) black women in America. Get the real story of iconic and lesser-know females, who did extraordinary things, despite the fact that the world they live in, did not always accept them.
Learn about “abolitionist Sojourner Truth, pilot Bessie Coleman, chemist Alice Ball, politician Shirley Chisholm, mathematician Katherine Johnson (Hidden Figures Movie), poet Maya Angelou and much more. Check out these bold women who, by their beliefs and actions, contributed to making a better world, and making things better for generations of girls and women.
3. Separate Is Never Equal
This is a must have for any home or school library. This book is based on the true story of the Mendez family’s and deal with racial segregation in education. It’s the perfect book any grade level, not just 3rd or 4th graders and it provides a foundation for an open and honest discussion on discrimination and racial inequality.
It’s rarely a story you will see included in a history textbook and the illustrations are different from what you would normally see in typical storybooks. Great book for an adult and child to read together, while learning of the plight of the Mexican pioneers.
4. One Big Heart: A Celebration of Being More Alike Than Different
Written by Emmy-winning ABC News correspondent Linsey Davis, this book is a multiethinic, multicultural, and multiracial children’s picture book. It’s the perfect read-aloud for children ages 4-8. It recognizes our unique differences while celebrating how alike we all are.
It’s written from a Christian worldview and it shows just how unique we are with our special traits and characteristics and shows just hoe much we are alike, as opposed to being different.
Also a New York Times best seller as well as winner of the Schnieder family book award, this book addresses the topics that are too frequently ignored. While it explores the characteristics that make us unique, it also focuses on disabilities.
Written by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and illustrated by award-winning artist Rafael Lopez, it celebrates the different abilities that children and adults have. Justice Sotomayor uses her own experience as a child who was diagnosed with diabetes, and writes about children with all sorts of challenges. She also provides insight into the special powers that these children have as wel.
The moral of the story is simple; “When we come across someone who is different from us but we’re not sure why, all we have to do is Just Ask.“
Wrap Up – Best Children’s Books on Diversity
The books provided here are by no means an exhaustive list, but they can definitely provide you and your child that much need insight when it comes to diversity and related issues.
There are lots more to choose form when it comes to children’s books on cultural diversity. But these were a few of the best sellers and provide a diverse choice, so we hope you enjoy them, the same way other customers have.
Be sure to let us know which one you selected and share your thoughts on the issue with us. We look forward to hearing from you.