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September is Hispanic Heritage Month and what a great way to share and celebrate the Hispanic heritage than with books. Books are the greatest tools for early learners to begin exploring the world around them. Learning about people and their heritage or traditions promotes love of all human kind.
Pride 1 2 3 by Michael Joosten celebrates all people and the pride of many different families. It is about community, love, and standing up for who you are while counting to ten.
What Am I? by By Diane de Anda is a creative way to learn first words in Spanish. Rhyme and lift-the-flaps to teach basic transportation names. A great toddler book to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.
The list below are links to more titles to explore to teach about love and the Hispanic Heritage Month.
If Dominican Were a Color by Sili Recio is a book for ages 4-8. The colors of Hispaniola burst into life in this striking, evocative debut picture book that celebrates the joy of being Dominican.
Our Favorite Day of the Year by A. E. Ali is for ages 4-8. A picture book following a group of boys from different backgrounds throughout the school year as they become the best of friends.
Santiago’s Road Home by Alexandra Diaz for ages 8-12. A young boy gets detained by ICE while crossing the border from Mexico to the United States in this timely and unflinching novel by award-winning author Alexandra Diaz.
With A Star in my Hand by Margarita Engle for ages 12-99. From acclaimed author Margarita Engle comes a gorgeous novel in verse about Rubén Darío, the Nicaraguan poet and folk hero who initiated the literary movement of Modernismo.
Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From by Jennifer De Leon for ages 14-99. First-generation American LatinX Liliana Cruz does what it takes to fit in at her new nearly all-white school. But when family secrets spill out and racism at school ramps up, she must decide what she believes in and take a stand.
If You Come To Earth is a new children’s book released today by Sophie Blackall who is a two-time Caldecott Winner, authgor-illustrator.
About the new children’s book
If You Came to Earth is a glorious guide to our home planet, and a call for us to take care of both Earth and each other.
Sophie Blackall has met amazing children in her travels around the world in support of UNICEF and Save the Children and these children have inspired this story. The curious and imaginative child in this story brings us the important message about the need to care for the earth and each other.
Our planet is so diverse and as I read this book that was very clear. We are all different but we share one important gift…our planet. It’s our differences that make us amazing together. A great story for families, classrooms and read-a-longs.
Children’s Books about Culture, Differences, Standing Up for Others are topics we need to share with our children…yesterday! Talking with kids about cultural awareness and using their voice is tough. We want to talk in a way they understand or they don’t retain what they hear and remember some points down the road if it was too much, too little or even too informative. Perhaps we can leave the conversation starters to Authors, many of which are Teachers, Counselors and Speakers that know how to guide us in these conversations within stories and illustrations.
Books are the greatest tools we have as parents to teach subjects and topics with our children and these titles below, specifically, help us start the conversation about culture, differences and even when and how to use our voice to stand up for others.
I have reviewed many books and I have reached out to the Publishers and Authors I know to help me put such a list together. I didn’t want to wait until these books make it to me and communication can happen between myself and publishers so I started my list below with books you have already seen me discuss but now I bring them forward again.
I will update this list EVERY time I come across a title within this topic that I feel will help you start these important conversations. Make sure you follow my socials (buttons are in my header) and bookmark this page so you are updated when I suggest a new title. I will announce for you every time a new title is added.
I will work hard to find the books that you need to have the conversations of being a kind human to all! If you like this list, be sure to hit the Rating button at the end of this post! Some affiliate links may be within.
Now at over 20 titles….
Guion the Lion
Topic: Appreciating differences and embracing others’ ideas
Author: Rebecca Wilson Macsovits, Mom of a son with Down Syndrome
Topic: portrait for young people of the passionate performer and civil rights advocate Josephine Baker, the woman who worked her way from the slums of St. Louis to the grandest stages in the world.
Author: Patricia Hruby Powell, won a Sibert Honor for Nonfiction, a Coretta Scott King Honor, and five starred reviews. She lives in Illinois.
Topic: captures the universal love between a father and child. Set in Africa and featuring the Maasai culture
Author: Barbara M Joosse, visited schools in Kenya and Uganda in 1997, and the Maasai and their tenderness toward their children planted a seed in her heart that grew into the idea for this book.
Topic: welcoming picture book that celebrates diversity and gives encouragement and support to all kids
Author: Alexander Penfold, author, illustrator, and animator. Over the years she’s done everything from animating special effects for Universal Television and the Discovery Channel
Topic: For Tweens, fourteen year old Jo Ann Allen was one of twelve African-American students who broke the color barrier and integrated Clinton High School in Tennessee in 1956
Author: Debbie Levy, bachelor’s degree in government and foreign affairs from the University of Virginia, and a law degree and master’s degree in world politics from the University of Michigan.
What does a Mother do when she wants to preach love and acceptance especially when her own son has down syndrome? She writes a children’s book full of colorful illustrations and engaging characters to share an important message to kids. This is what the book, Guion the Lion, by Rebecca Wilson Macsovits is about. The story teaches its readers to accept others differences… and similarities.
Little readers will learn how appreciating and accept others differences and embracing others’ ideas can lead to unimaginable fun! This book, page by page, reflects the words of Dr. Wayne Dyer “Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.” Add a little imagination to that and you have Guion and her pal, Rae’s story.
Find the book on Amazon – it will be available for purchase early next week!
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