Diverse Kids’ Lit – July 16, 2016

Families, Families, Families!

Some children have lots of siblings,

Some children have none,

Some children have two dads,

Some have one mom,

Families come in all shapes and sizes, and fun, positive, well-made picture books are finally popping up that celebrate this wonderful reality.  The adorable animal families in Families, Families, Families! really do come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, including more familiar family types (two parent, single parent, same-sex parents), and those that aren’t as often included in family picture books, including those in which children are raised by grandparents or aunts/uncles. It also touches on families in which parents may or may not be married, which is a reflection of our very modern society in which marriage is for many couples a personal choice, rather than a societal requirement. The animal characters are just as hilariously diverse as the families they represent, and really are a joy.

I’ll be honest, the rhyming text in Families, Families, Families! isn’t the strongest I’ve ever come across, and there are some verses that just don’t really work that well. But you know what? I’m happy to overlook that because of the wonderful illustrations and the very visible love that went into crafting this charming book. Definitely a worthy addition to any collection, and a great starting point for discussions on diversity and family.

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Diverse Children’s Books is a book-sharing meme designed to promote the reading and writing of children’s books that feature diverse characters. This community embraces all kinds of diversity including (and certainly not limited to) diverse, inclusive, multicultural, and global books for children of all backgrounds.

We encourage everyone who shares to support this blogging community by visiting and leaving comments for at least three others. Please also consider following the hosts on at least one of their social media outlets. Spread the word using #diversekidlit and/or adding our button to your site and your diverse posts.

 

We hope this community will grow into a great resource for parents, teachers, librarians, publishers, and authors! Our next linkup will be Saturday, August 6th and on the first and third Saturdays of every month.

Theme Idea for August

We thought it might be fun to try having a suggested theme for the next linkup. Those who are interested in participating in the theme would have from now until the next linkup (August 6th) to write a post based around the theme and then share it with the rest of us. You do not have to focus on a given theme to participate in the linkup, but we thought it might encourage folks to explore and share new diverse books.

The theme for the August 6th linkup is … Diverse Books for Back to School. Please consider sharing a favorite book (or books) either about school / back to school or that might make a great read aloud during those first few weeks of school. We look forward to seeing your choices!

Most Clicked Post from Last Time

Our most clicked post from the previous #DiverseKidLit linkup comes from Acorn Books: Chicken Man by Michelle Edwards. This book is the winner of a National Jewish Book Award and tells the story of a character named Rody, nicknamed Chicken Man, and how his joy in his work makes everyone on the kibbutz want to try his job next. Make sure you read to the end of the post for an incredibly-tasty looking recipe for Teigelach cookies.

#DiverseKidLit is Hosted by:

Want to be notified when the next #diversekidlit linkup goes live? Click here to join the mailing list. Interested in joining as a host or an occasional co-host? Contact katie at thelogonauts.com.

(Never participated in a linkup before? Please click here for a more detailed step-by-step.)