This week’s featured books, though very different in subject, have a common thread: Acceptance. For yourself and of others.
Book summaries come from Goodreads. Click the book cover image to add it to your own TBR.
Board Book
Developed by experts in the fields of early childhood and activism against injustice, this topic-driven picture book offers clear, concrete language and beautiful imagery to introduce the concept of BODY LIBERATION. This book serves to celebrate the uniqueness of your body and all bodies, and addresses the unfair rules and ideas that currently exist about bodies. It ends with motivational action points for making the world more fair for all!
Sam @ Little Cub Literacy – “This book tackles an important—and sometimes tough—topic with little ones and get them to really be open-minded and accepting of themselves and all those around them. As we read Every Body, Mackenzie said “bodies are perfect,” and “this is just like the bodies book!” (Bodies are Cool, another regular read in our house.) I am so glad we have so many body positive books these days that are true representations of the variety of bodies in the world.
FICTION PICTURE BOOK
Kanzi is starting to feel welcome in her American school. Then, the shelf of books about immigrant kids and kids of color suddenly disappears from the school library.
When Kanzi learns that books with kids who look like her have been banned by her school district, she descends into fear and helplessness. With her classmates support and their teachers' help, they hatch a plan to bring diverse books back to the library.
Tura @ Teaching Cultural Compassion – I am a fan of Aya Khalil‘s books, and she’s really out done herself with The Great Banned-Books Bake Sale. With the same characters and illustrator from her book The Arabic Quilt, she has created a new story that many of our kids seem to be living. This is one of my favorite new books.
Katy @ Books YA Love – Unfortunately this book is based on a real incident, as Kanzi’s first story, An Arabic Quilt, is among books being removed from school libraries in the US. During Banned Books Week (and every week), seek out books that feature characters from outside the dominant culture and hear voices often suppressed!