Diverse Representation Archives - Page 6 of 17

King of the Classroom
by Derrick Barnes & Vanessa Brantley-Newton

Lots of books about starting school focus on the specific worries which your child might have about their big day. This fabulous book reframes those fears and the result is a story which fizzes with positivity and fun.

On a bright sunny morning a little boy awakens and prepares to start the day. Today is the first day of school and Mummy says he’s going to be the King of the Classroom. He brushes his royal teeth, dresses in his special school garments and settles down for a truly majestic breakfast. The school bus will be his carriage and the school itself will be his brand new kingdom.

He introduces himself to the children around him and asks them about their summer. He’s brave making new friends in the playground. He’s kind to those around him at lunchtime. He listens carefully to his teacher and approaches every new task like the King that he is. He has a truly wonderful day.

Sun
26 ^th

Never Take A Bear To School
by Mark Sperring & Britta Teckentrup

Posted by Shelley Edwards - No Comments

If your child is wary of leaving you behind on their first day of school or nursery then this funny story might help calm their nerves.

There is one big rule when it comes to school – Do Not Take Your Bear. Why? Because bears just aren’t designed for the classroom! They cause panic in the playground, they’re far too big for the chairs and they gobble up all the food at lunchtime.

And you really wouldn’t want that level of mayhem on your first day of school because then you’d miss out on all the fun. A bear would distract you from making new friends, painting colourful pictures, doing your sums and listening to your teacher tell you a beautiful story.

Sun
26 ^th

All Kinds of Kindness
by Judy Carey Nevin & Susie Hammer

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We absolutely loved the previous collaboration between Judy Carey Nevin and Susie Hammer – All Kids are Good Kids – so we were really excited when this book arrived earlier this week, and it did not disappoint!

This stunning little board book looks at all the little ways we can show kindness to those around us. From saying please or sending a card, through to helping with chores or extending a hand to someone who is feeling lonely, no gesture is too small to make a difference.

The warm and friendly illustrations show a diverse group of children helping each other with a smile. In addition to different skin colours and hair styles we spotted a child in a wheelchair, a child with a walking stick, and two children in glasses (including glasses where one eye is covered completely). It’s also lovely to see that some of the children have an abundance of freckles, which is not something we’ve seen in a lot of picture books!

Fri
24 ^th

I Will Be Fierce
by Bea Birdsong & Nidhi Chanani

Posted by Shelley Edwards - No Comments

I love picture books where the words and illustrations work in opposition and ‘I Will Be Fierce!’ is the best example I have seen.

The pictures show a young girl moving through an ordinary day at school but the words are those of a fierce knight going in to battle, determined to make the world a better place. The result is a powerful narrative which teaches children that they can be the hero of their own story.

At the start of the day we see the protagonist don her armour (a stripy jumper), fill her treasure chest (a rucksack of books) and head out in to the world. On her way to school she fearlessly faces monsters (dogs), giants (older children) and a dragon (the school bus). The day continues in this wonderful manner as we encounter more mythical beasts (like the Guardian of Wisdom – the school librarian) and battle against doubt and injustice.

Thu
23 ^rd

Dev and Ollie: Colour Carnival
by Shweta Aggarwal & Somnath Chatterjee

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Dev is a little boy who loves football but absolutely hates anything messy, like paint, sand or muddy puddles. When his mum reminds him about an upcoming art class he goes to bed feeling anxious, until his magical friend Ollie the owl taps on his window.

Ollie sweeps Dev on to his back and carries him to Agra where thousands of people are celebrating Holi, an ancient Hindu festival. Dev watches in wonder as all around him children dance, sing and play covered in powder paint and coloured water.

Suddenly he is hit by a water balloon and his pyjamas become an explosion of paint splatters. Can he overcome his dislike of mess and embrace the colourful traditions of Holi?

Wed
22 ^nd

The Pirates Are Coming!
by John Condon & Matt Hunt

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Little Tom spends his days watching for pirates from atop a hill next to the village where he lives. When he spots a boat he shouts ‘THE PIRATES ARE COMING!’ and all the villagers quickly hide. However it soon becomes apparent that it’s just a little fishing boat, and not a pirate ship at all.

Undeterred, Tom climbs back up the hill and continues to watch the horizon. Each time he spots a boat he yells down to the village and everyone hides – but it’s always a false alarm.

But then one day he spots a very large ship with a pirate flag! He yells ‘THE PIRATES ARE COMING!’ but everyone ignores him. Tom is never right about the boats so they don’t think there’s any point hiding. How wrong they are! The ship docks and a motley crew of pirates disembark. The villagers soon realise their mistake and scramble to their hiding places…

Tue
21 ^st

Be Kind
by Pat Zietlow Miller & Jen Hill

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When Tanisha spills purple grape juice all over her favourite dress everybody in the school cafeteria laughs at her.

As she runs from the room in tears one lone girl wants to help but she just doesn’t know how. Later Tanisha returns to class wearing her art smock and the girl thinks about what she should have done. Could she have shared a napkin so Tanisha could dry herself? Should she have let her borrow her jumper? Should she have poured juice over herself as well to deflect the laughter?

As she sits painting a picture she ponders what it means to be kind. Is it giving or helping? Is it listening or sharing? Being kind should be easy, so why is it sometimes so hard?

Mon
20 ^th

Children of the World
by Tessa Strickland, Kate DePalma & David Dean

Posted by Shelley Edwards - No Comments

We have so much love for this gorgeous book which takes you on a visual journey around the world.

Every child is unique but sometimes it can be difficult for kids to grasp just how different their own experience of growing up can be compared to others. These beautifully illustrated pages feature children from all walks of life and offer a fascinating insight in to childhood experiences around the world.

It looks at different homes, families, bodies, clothes, skin colours, hats, leisure activities, working lives (including working children), food, methods of bathing, languages, names, religions and more. I can genuinely see the wonder on Ivy’s face as she picks through the information and asks questions about all the little details in the pictures.

Sat
18 ^th

Antiracist Baby
by Ibram X. Kendi & Ashley Lukashevsky

Posted by Shelley Edwards - No Comments

It has always been important to me that we have a diverse bookshelf at home. The books we read feature different races, different religions and different types of families because I want Ivy to grow up knowing that everybody’s life is important and valid.

However recent events have taught me that this is not enough. Teaching her to be kind is not enough. Teaching her to be aware of racism is not enough. Unless we actively teach our children to be anti-racist things won’t change.

For us, one of the steps in this process has been reading this excellent picture book from Ibram X. Kendi, who is the Director of the Centre for Antiracist Research at Boston University.

Wed
15 ^th

Find Out About: Families
by Pat-A-Cake & Louise Forshaw

Posted by Shelley Edwards - No Comments

Families come in all shapes and sizes and this little board book from Pat-A-Cake is a great way to introduce this concept to small children.

Each double page spread looks at a different aspect of family life and then introduces you to a child and their individual set up. There is then a question which encourages kids to think about their own family and how it may differ from others.

The book explores family size, different types of homes and environments, leisure activities, special holidays, job roles, celebrations, and family trees. It is very inclusive, with different races and religions represented along with single parents, step-parents, same-sex parents, foster parents and families with grandparents as primary carers. We see children in wheelchairs and children wearing glasses. It also features a parent who is unable to work due to illness, which is not something I have seen in a children’s book before.

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