The early years set the tone for children’s feelings, beliefs, and ideas about those different from them. As shared in this previous blog post: https://blogs.iu.edu/earlyliteracy/2023/06/12/discussing-race-and-freedom-with-young-children/, the sooner these conversations start, the better. Supporting children to learn about the world’s diversity is especially important if you live and/or work in a mostly homogeneous community. Books are a wonderful way to expose children to different people and cultures and to begin talking about the value of diversity. With the school year right around the corner, it’s the perfect time to beef up the diversity in your classroom library to ensure broad representation and build children’s exposure to and appreciation of diverse cultures. If funds are limited, supplementing your curriculum by borrowing books from your local library is a great option. Some libraries offer online ordering and drive-up retrieval options and customer service agents that can offer guidance and support. Be sure to ask your library about their services so you can select what works best for you.
Here are a few picture book titles to get started:
Bolling, Valerie; illustrated by Sabrena Khadija. Ride, Roll, Run: Time for Fun. (Abrams Appleseed, 2022) After school is time for fun with our friends! This inclusive celebration of kids in motion highlights young people with disabilities playing alongside their friends.
Brown, Keah; illustrated by Sharee Miller. Sam’s Super Seats. (Kokila, 2022) Sam is excited about going back to school with her mom and her two best friends. WIth a few needed breaks because of Sam’s disability, this caring group has a good time preparing for the year.
de la Fuente-Lau, Shuli. How We Eat. (Little Feminist Press, 2022) Simple text and bright, inviting photographs show the many ways kids eat their food in this board book for young readers.
Kamanda, Ali and Jorge Redmond; illustrated by Ken Daley. Black Boy, Black Boy: Celebrate the Power of YOU. (Sourcebooks, 2022) Using rhyming text and boldly colored illustrations, this empowering book affirms Black boys through the examples of Black men such as Colin Kaepernick, Chinua Achebe, and many others.
You can find a full book list at We Are Kid Lit Collective https://wtpsite.wordpress.com/2023/05/18/2023-summer-reading-list/ created by and about BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color), with attention to their intersecting identities.
See this previous blog post:https://blogs.iu.edu/earlyliteracy/2021/09/09/diversifying-your-library/ for more information and resources on how to diversify your classroom library.
Lynne Hall is a Research Associate at the Early Childhood Center. She holds a Master of Science in Education and an Indiana instructional teaching license (Early Childhood Education and Services; Elementary/Primary Generalist; Elementary/Intermediate Generalist). She formerly taught preschool in a variety of settings for over 15 years. Her expertise includes early literacy instruction, equity in early childhood education, and inclusive classroom practices.
Email her at hallma@iu.edu
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