I love this article by Lee and Low Books. The list of 10 reasons makes me smile like the child in the image because I always loved picture books. But the only kids of color in those books were cartoon figures or animal representations of multicultural kids. My family grew to be large and diverse, with many young voracious readers. Finding books with children that look like them has been a challenge. I’m happy to see the the trend changing over the past few years — thanks in part to publishers like Lee and Low.
“When we talk about reading diversely, the conversation often focuses on representation and social justice: making sure that our books don’t reinforce inequality by stereotyping, marginalizing, or erasing groups of people. This is urgently important.
But what often gets left out of the conversation is how reading diversely can be a matter of pure enjoyment. For those of us who love books because they help us see the world through someone else’s eyes, reading diversely can be the icing on the cake of a spectacular reading experience.
- The world is diverse, so why shouldn’t our books be?
- It’s boring to only read about people just like you.
- Heroes come in all shapes and sizes.
- Diverse books inspire us to be the authors
of our own stories. - Walking in someone else’s shoes builds empathy.
- Diverse books make us feel seen and understood.
- Reading diversely can help turn nonreaders into readers.
- Understanding different cultures helps us succeed in a global world.
- Magic happens when we step outside of our comfort zones.
- Diverse books redefine who and what we can be.”
Source: Lee and Low Books blog.leeandlow.com
What are your favorite children’s picture books with multicultural children?
