By Robin R.
In our home, books are like a campfire. We gather around them, share the stories, and discuss them. Often when we're not reading the books, we pretend to be the favorite characters or incorporate them in our conversations. "How would Maisy deal with this mess in the kitchen?"
Because I am a lesbian parent, my friends sometimes ask me to recommend children's literature that will help them broach discussions of diversity with their kids. My own kids are both under two, so my knowledge is stronger in the toddler lit category. Here are a few that our nearly-two-year-old chooses regularly.
"It’s Okay to be Different" by Todd Parr is a simple book with bold illustrations that are reminiscent of the art of Keith Haring. The ideas are worded in an open-ended fashion, so that the page that says, "It's OK to have different moms and different dads" applies to divorced and remarried families, as well as gay or lesbian ones.
"Little Miss Spider" by David Kirk is about a spider who is adopted by a beetle named Betty. The moral of the story is that love, not genetic connection, is what makes a family. The story would resonate for adoptive families of any kind.
"ABC: A Family Alphabet" by Bobbie Combs is an alphabet book in which each sentence illustrates a different letter of the alphabet. Each scenario invokes a family with either two moms or two dads.
One of my fellow DotMoms told me that she and her 6-year-old daughter enjoyed "Heather Has Two Mommies" by Leslea Newman. When my girls are older, we will look into that option.
The question of children's literature and diversity is one that many of us have contemplated. If you have favorite books that teach tolerance, please feel free to share them with us.
Robin R. lives in Texas with her family and works as the Executive Director of Writers in the Schools (WITS).