On Jan. 21, our nation will honor civil rights leader Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., which presents an opportunity to talk to children about topics such as racism and power struggles and teach them the importance of not just tolerating, but welcoming diversity.
The best way to teach children to respect others is to model respectful, anti-biased behavior. There are also ways parents and caregivers of young children can purposefully help children accept differences in themselves and others, such as by choosing books, toys, television programs and movies that reflect diverse cultures and counteract stereotypes.
Following are children's books that deal with diversity, recommended by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), which is a network of more than 4,200 children's and youth librarians, children's literature experts, education professionals, and others who work with children. This list was excerpted from their Web site.
- Bernard, Ashley. Cleversticks. Crown, 1991. Ages 4 - 8
- Dooley, Norah. Everybody Cooks Rice. Carolrhoda Books, Inc., 1991. Illustrated by Peter J. Thornton. Ages 4 - 9
- Friedman, Ina R. How My Parents Learned to Eat. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1984. Illustrated by Allen Say. Ages 4 - 8
- Hoffman, Mary. Amazing Grace. Dial Books for Young Readers, 1991. Illustrated by Caroline Binch. Ages 4 - 8
- Hollyer, Beatrice. Wake Up, World! A Day in the Life of Children Around the World. Holt, 1999. Ages 6 - 8.
- Pinkwater, Daniel. The Big Orange Splot. Hastings House, 1977. Ages 4 - 8
- Polacco, Patricia. Chicken Sunday. Philomel, 1992. Ages 5 - 8
- Seuss, Dr. The Sneeches and Other Stories. Random House, 1961. Ages 3 - 8
- Woodson, Jacqueline. The Other Side. Putnam, 2001. Illustrated by E.B. Lewis. Ages 5 - 8
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