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Fundamental British Values in the Early Years

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Fundamental British Values in the Early Years

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All schools and education providers have a duty to 'actively promote' the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. In addition to this, the Counter Terrorism and Security Act also places a duty on early years providers 'to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism' (the Prevent duty).

You can find statutory guidance on the duty here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prevent-duty-guidance

The fundamental British values and how they can be implemented

Democracy - making decisions together

- Nursery managers and staff can encourage children to see their role in the bigger picture by encouraging them to know their views count, value their peers' views and values, and talk about their feelings (i.e. when they do or do not need help). When appropriate, demonstrate democracy in action e.g. children voting for what film to watch with a show of hands.

Rule of law - understanding rules matter

- Staff can collaborate with children to create the rules and codes of behaviour, i.e. to agree the rules about tidying up and ensure that all children understand rules apply to everyone.

Individual liberty - freedom for all

- Staff should encourage a range of activities and experiences that allow children to explore the language of feelings and responsibility, reflect on their differences and understand their freedom to hold different opinions, for example - having a group discussion on how they feel about transferring into Reception class.

Mutual respect and tolerance - treat others as you would want to be treated

- Managers and leaders should create an ethos of inclusivity and tolerance where views, faiths, cultures and races are valued and children are engaged with the wider community.

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Faith is a deeply integral part of society and early years consultants believe that holding occasional celebrations in the nursery is not enough to teach children about different cultures.

It is okay to get confused and make mistakes, but it is not acceptable for you, as professionals, to close your minds to the significance of the religious practices, symbols, festivals and beliefs of other people, or to tell children that one faith or sect is more 'right' than another.

The EYFS states that educators must promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice and must ensure that every child is included and not disadvantaged because of ethnicity, culture or religion, home language, family background, learning difficulties or disabilities, gender or ability.

It does not specify particular religious festivals that should be celebrated in institutions, but the requirement under Personal, Social and Emotional development is that children should be provided with experiences and support that help them to develop a positive sense of themselves and of others.

The early learning goals state that by the end of the EYFS, children should:

have a developing awareness of their own needs, views and feelings and be sensitive to the needs, views and feelings of others

have a developing respect for their own cultures and beliefs and those of other people.

understand that people have different needs, views, cultures and beliefs that must be treated with respect.

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Children and young people are continually trying to make sense of the world, assimilating new information and altering their theories along the way. As Ramsey (2004) states, most human and environmental influences in their lives reinforce existing stereotypes.

When children are left to their own devices without any prominent adult figures helping them consider perspectives that challenge the status quo, they tend to develop notions that conform to said stereotypes. Brill and Pepper (2008) found that when children are regularly exposed to images, actions, people and words that counter stereotypes, they are more likely to modify and expand on their narrow theories.

Therefore, educators of children and young people should offer their students different perspectives, including those that counter society's confined constructs, in order to allow children access to a range of roles, expressions, and identities. Without such efforts, their development is hindered, keeping them from realising the extent of their potential.

At this age, children of all genders have similar interests and needs:

They’re making sense of language, social interactions, and their own bodies.

They’re curious about the world, and eager to learn through games, arts, and tactile experiences. They want to get messy and adventurous and to be physical and curious.

One of the most profound developmental tasks for young children is to understand who they are - to develop a sense of identity. Gender is a core aspect of who we are. However, gender is more complex than the binary categories of male and female. It is an interplay of sex, identity, and social influences. As an educator, your role is to support children on this path, as well as to actively work to counter gender stereotypes.

Challenge stereotypes with open discussion. Assertions like, "girls can't be firefighters" or “boys can’t be nurses” are perfect teachable moments. Stop and ask why they might think these things are true, and then, together, search for images of female firefighters or male nurses.

For more information, please visit this website as it breaks down gender identity in more detail:
https://www.brighthorizons.com/family-resources/gender-identity-early-childhood

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At Bright Horizons, we know gender identity is a complex issue, deserving of thoughtful dialogue. As educators, we strive to "create a safe and reflective space for children to develop their identities and to counterbalance gender stereotypes."

At Bright Horizons, we know gender identity is a complex issue, deserving of thoughtful dialogue. As educators, we strive to "create a safe and reflective space for children to develop their identities and to counterbalance gender stereotypes."

In a preschool classroom, a girl skillfully hammers nails into a piece of wood at the woodworking center. Across the room, boys play with dolls, carefully wrapping their babies in blankets, rocking them, and putting them in cradles. These activities might challenge traditional expectations about gender, but children aren't worried about stereotypes - they're just learning and playing.

At this age, children of all genders have similar interests and needs:

They're making sense of language, social interactions, and their own bodies.

They're curious about the world, and eager to learn through games, arts, and tactile experiences. They want to get messy and adventurous and to be physical and curious.

Understanding Gender & Development

One of the most profound developmental tasks for young children is to understand who they are - to develop a sense of identity. Gender is a core aspect of who we are. However, gender is more complex than the binary categories of male and female. It is an interplay of sex, identity, and social influences. Our role as parents and educators is to support children on this path - as well as to actively work to counter gender stereotypes.

From an early age, some children identify (gender identity) with a sex other than the one they were assigned at birth. "Gender expansive" children may explore and express their identity in ways that do not conform with gender norms, although young children may not articulate these feelings as they work to understand their identity. Many gender expansive children experience bullying and feelings of shame or rejection. Adults cannot control or change how young children feel about their gender, but how we respond to children can powerfully affect their sense of worth and emotional well-being.

Breaking Down Gender Stereotypes

Young children naturally classify, sort, and look for patterns to make sense of the world. This is why your child may use external characteristics, such as hairstyle or clothing, to understand a person's gender. As a parent, you can teach your child to understand that what people wear or how they style their hair does not define gender identity (though it may inform gender expression).

Challenge stereotypes with open discussion. Assertions like, " girls can't be firefighters " or "boys can't be nurses" are perfect teachable moments. Stop and ask why they might think these things are true, and then, together, search for images of female firefighters or male nurses.

Even very young children understand biological differences and can be influenced by cultural stereotyping . We give our children a gift when we allow for a broad range of interests and expressions in the early years as children learn about the world and their places in it.

Supporting Identity Exploration at Home

All children, no matter their identities and regardless of unique likes and dislikes, need time to experiment with all sorts of activities. Children need freedom to move robustly, reflect peacefully, cuddle with soft toys, build, have rough and tumble play, explore books , and enjoy nature .

Our interactions and the language we use with children should model respect for all people as we encourage children to explore their interests, engage in thoughtful dialogue about gender, and teach social skills like collaboration and compromise.

Children of all gender identities benefit from loving, supportive adults in their lives, as well as a rich variety of experiences free from cultural stereotyping. In these environments, children have their best chances to develop healthy, balanced ideas about gender, and learn about their own interests and strengths.

This open-minded, open-ended approach will inspire healthy experimentation and cooperative play throughout your child's life, potentially remove restrictions from prescribed gender roles, and support their growth into caring and loving friends, partners, and adults.

More on Identity in Childhood

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At Bright Horizons, we know gender identity is a complex issue, deserving of thoughtful dialogue. As educators, we strive to "create a safe and reflective space for children to develop their identities and to counterbalance gender stereotypes." At Bright Horizons, we know gender identity is a complex issue, deserving of thoughtful dialogue.

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Special Educational Needs and Disability

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Special Educational Needs and Disability

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The Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice (2015) defines special educational needs as:

A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her. A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she:

has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age

has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream-post 16 institutions.

Children’s special educational needs are generally thought of in the following four broad areas of need and support:

communication and interaction

cognition and learning

social, emotional and mental health

sensory and/or physical needs

There is often an overlap between disability and special educational needs. Therefore, a child can be defined as being disabled, having a special educational need (SEN) or having both a special educational need and a disability (SEND).

The Equality Act (2010) defines disability as:

a physical or mental impairment and the impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

Funded early years settings should follow the guidance in the EYFS and SEND Code of Practice to ensure all requirements outlined are incorporated into all aspects of their provision. Settings should ensure that all staff are knowledgeable in relevant law and policy and know how to apply it in their practice. This ensures children's needs are identified early, appropriate support is given, and children are referred onto external agencies if their learning and development continues to be a concern.

For more information, please visit:
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/special-educational-needs-and-disability-send

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Covid-19 a dvice for parent, carers and practitioners caring for children with SEND

Government advises that all children including those with SEND should return to education from September 2020. They strongly emphasise that the benefits of getting children with SEND back into education will outweigh any risk. However, government data showed that not all children with SEND have returned back to provision.

This could be for a range of reasons, including parental choice. However, it is important that early years settings do not refuse access to provision for these children but plan for their safe return. If a setting is unsure how they would meet the child's needs, then they should conduct a risk assessment jointly with parents to help plan the best way forward.

. Advice for parent carers:
Contact.org/Covid-19 Disabled Children's Partnership/Coronavirus Advice for practitioners on supporting disabled children:
Government - actions for early years settings during coronavirus (Nov 20)
Council for disabled children/Covid-19 support
If you are a parent or a member setting and you require additional advice relating to a child with SEND during the pandemic please email Nicola.Gibson@eyalliance.org.uk.

Special educational needs, disability and areas of need

The Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice (2015) defines special educational needs as follows

"A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her. A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she:

has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age,

has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream-post 16 institutions."

For children aged two or more special educational provision is education or training provision that is additional to, or different from that generally is made for other children of the same age. For a child under the age of two, special educational provision means education provision of any kind. A child under compulsory school age has special educational needs if he or she is likely to fall within the definition shown above when they reach compulsory school age, or would do so if special educational provision were not made available for them.

Children's special educational needs are generally thought of in the following four broad areas of need and support:

communication and interaction;

cognition and learning;

social, emotional and mental health, and;

sensory and/or physical needs.

There is often an overlap between disability and special educational needs. Therefore, a child can be defined as being disabled, having a special educational need (SEN) or having both a special educational need and a disability (SEND).

The Equality Act (2010) defines disability as
a physical or mental impairment and the impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.
This definition provides a relatively low threshold and includes many children and adults. Long term is defined by the Equality Act as a year or more and substantial is defined as more than minor to trivial.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and SEND

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is the statutory framework for children's early education aged 0 to 5 years providing standards for all children's learning (including those with additional needs), development and care in early years settings. All early years providers must follow the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the EYFS and the learning and development requirements, unless an exemption from these has been granted. All Ofsted-registered settings offering early years provision must meet these standards to ensure that children learn and develop well and are kept healthy and safe.

The EYFS states that those that work with young children should be alert to emerging difficulties and respond early to concerns. SENCOs need to be aware that in particular, parent/carers know their children best and it is important that all practitioners listen and understand when they express concerns about their child's development. They should also listen to and address any concerns raised by children themselves.

The EYFS framework requires non-maintained providers to have arrangements in place for meeting children's special educational needs. They should have clear arrangements in place for identifying children's additional needs and to promote equal opportunities. This approach should form part of the provider's overall approach to monitoring the ongoing assessment of all children's progress and development.

Those in group provision are expected to identify a SENCO and childminders are encouraged to identify a person to act as SENCO to help support children with SEN.

If a child is also disabled then the child is offered support and protection under the Equality Act 2010. Additional duties are set out within the Act for those settings in receipt of public funding.

How can settings ensure that children with SEND are supported?

Funded early years settings should follow the guidance in the EYFS and SEND Code of Practice to ensure all requirements outlined are incorporated into all aspects of their provision. Settings should ensure that all staff are knowledgeable in relevant law and policy and know how to apply it in their practice. This ensures children's needs are identified early, appropriate support is given, and children are referred onto external agencies if their learning and development continues to be a concern. Below are some other useful resources produced by the Alliance to keep practice lawful and effective:

The SEND Code of Practice for early years settings This publication guides early years providers through the SEND Code of Practice and provides key steps to identifying and supporting children with SEND

Ready Steady SENCO This publication provides guidance on the essential qualities to being an early years Senco

Guide to the Equality Act and Good Practice This publication provides guidance on the Equality Act and good practice in the provision of services for disabled children, adults users and staff

Member settings can download free mini guides on the SEND Code of Practice and Working with children with SEND from our members area

Members can access free Cache endorsed training via our online platform EduCare.

Member settings can contact our dedicated helpline for support and advice on SEND and inclusion issues (Mon- Wed, 9am to 5pm 07845260879)

Non-member settings or member settings requiring addtional support and advice can use our consultancy service. For more information click on this link SEND and inclusion consultancy

Other useful documents
SEND Code of Practice 0 to 25 SEND guide for early years settings SEND guide for parents and carers
Useful organisations
Autism Research Centre Council for Disabled Children Family Fund Independent Parental Special Education Advice (IPSEA) National Autistic Society National Deaf Children's Society Portage Association Royal Society for Blind Children Special Needs Jungle The Communication Trust
Behaviour issues and SEND

Positive behaviour in young children is located within the context of their development of personal, social and emotional skills.

Settling into a new environment such as an early years setting is an emotional transition for young children especially as they learn to develop and master the complex skills needed to communicate, negotiate, and socialise with their peers. Skills such as turn taking and sharing often instigate minor conflicts between children as they struggle to deal with powerful emotions and feelings.

In early years settings a dedicated key person is responsible for individual children's needs who will know a child's level of development, their personal characteristics and specific family circumstances. This knowledge ensures children's individual needs are understood and supported and issues with behaviour are quickly picked up on. During minor disputes, a child's key person can help them reflect and regulate their actions and in most instances young children start to learn how to resolve minor disputes themselves. However, some incidents are influenced by other factors such as the child feeling ill or tired and changes in the family such as a new baby. Because of the key person's relationship with the child and the family these issues can be discussed and with relevant support the behaviour is usually short lived.

Sometimes a child continues to exhibit challenging behaviour despite intervention from their key person and family. In these instances more investigation is needed to rule out more serious issues such as an underlying special educational need/disability or a safeguarding issue. These situations are usually managed by the setting's SENCO or manager who can apply relevant interventions to seek further help to stop the behaviour escalating and causing further harm.

The Alliance has a range of resources which can support settings who want to learn about managing and addressing behaviour issues:

Behaviour Matters This publication guides early years setting on how to identify and support children's behaviour in early years settings

The Alliance You Tube channel presents a on identifying and addressing behaviour issues in the early years

Member settings can download a mini guide on Promoting Positive Behaviour from our members area

Member settings can also access free Cache-endorsed training on identifying and addressing behaviour via our online learning partner EduCare

Member settings can email the Alliance for support and advice on behaviour issues Nicola.Gibson@eyalliance.org.uk.

Early years settings can access our consultancy services for personalised support and advice behaviour consultancy and SEND and inclusion consultancy

If you are a parent or a member setting and require advice on inclusion issues please call our dedicated helpline on 07845260879 (Wed- Fri, 9am - 5pm)

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Special educational needs and disability (SEND)

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Covid-19 a dvice for parent, carers and practitioners caring for children with SEND Government advises that all children including those with SEND should return to education from September 2020. They strongly emphasise that the benefits of getting children with SEND back into education will outweigh any risk.

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Picturebooks to promote diversity and equality

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Picturebooks to promote diversity and equality

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Rudine Sims Bishop (1990), a children's literature scholar, stated that books can sometimes be windows where different views of the world can be seen by the reader, whether these may be real or imagined. She also wrote that these windows can sometimes become mirrors in the right lighting conditions, where books and stories offer us a reflection of our own lives and experiences. Readers often seek their mirrors in books and stories; this goes for children too. Here are 10 picturebooks to celebrate and promote diversity and equality in the Early Years:

Susan Laughs by Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross – Susan may be in a wheelchair, but she is no different from any other child.

Look Up! by Jung Jin-Ho – A girl has only a bird’s eye view of the world from her balcony. Realising the problem, a boy lies flat on the pavement. Then others do the same.

My Name is Not Refugee by Kate Milner – A young boy discusses the journey he is about to embark on with his mother.

Hands Up! by Breanna McDaniel, illustrated by Shane W Evans– A black girl raises her arms for many reasons throughout her life, from greeting the sun as a baby to taking part in a protest march as an adult.

Deep in the Sahara by Kelly Cunane, illustrated by Hoda Hadadi – Growing up in Mauritania, Lalla learns about the importance of the malafa, the cloth Mauritanian women wear to cover their heads and clothes, both in public and in prayer.

And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, illustrated by Henry Cole – Two male penguins fall in love and start a family by taking turns sitting on an abandoned egg until it hatches.

Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love – Julian wants to dress up like the spectacularly dressed women on the subway. But what will his grandma think about the mess he makes – and how Julian sees himself?

Not All Princesses Dress in Pink by Jane Yolen and Heidi EY Stemple and illustrated by Anne-Sophie – Proof that princesses can jump in puddles, climb trees, play sports and use power tools!

It’s Okay to be Different by Todd Parr – Delivers important messages of acceptance and confidence through bold colours and silly scenes: it’s okay to dance by yourself, be a different colour, and eat macaroni in the bath.

The Pirates Next Door by Jonny Duddle – When a family of pirates move to a seaside town, neighbours are aghast and soon spreading rumours, while the family next door wishes their daughter would play with ‘normal’ girls and boys.

(McCormack, 2020)
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/features/article/picturebooks-part-6-mirrors-and-windows

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We are all beautifully different - so it is important for children to see themselves and others portrayed positively on the pages of picturebooks. By Andy McCormack

Emily Drabble, head of children's books promotion and prizes at BookTrust and former co-editor of The Guardian's children's book section, describes diverse picturebooks as 'books by and about all kinds of people, as the UK and the world are full of all kinds of people. So that means boys, girls, all different colours, all different races and religions, all different sexualities and all different disabilities and anything else you can think of - so our books don't leave anyone out.'

In 1990, children's literature scholar Rudine Sims Bishop wrote that 'books are sometimes windows, offering views of the world that may be real or imagined, familiar or strange. These windows are also sliding glass doors, and readers have only to walk through in imagination to become part of whatever world has been created or recreated by the author. When lighting conditions are just right, however, a window can also be a mirror. Literature transforms human experience and reflects it back to us, and in that reflection we can see our own lives and experiences as part of the larger human experience. Reading, then, becomes a means of self-affirmation, and readers often seek their mirrors in books.'

The 2018 'Reflecting Realities' survey conducted by the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE), however, found that of the 11,011 children's books published in the UK that year, only 4 per cent featured a non-white hero.

As the proportion of children from ethnic minority backgrounds enrolled in UK schools stands at 33.1 per cent, it is clear that there is a significant gap between the lives and experiences of our children and the stories and characters reflected back at them at storytime.

Donna Ferguson pointed out in a 2018 study for The Observer that male characters are twice as likely to speak as their female counterparts in picturebooks: early years educators can do well to challenge this bias by ensuring the availability of high-quality texts with strong female characters, especially as children return again and again to beloved stories and the themes and messages, both implicit and explicit, that they embody.

DIVERSITY IN THE EARLY YEARS
Early years researchers Iram Siraj-Blatchford and Priscilla Clarke describe the importance of children 'learn[ing] to be tolerant, [to] challenge unfair generalisations [and to] learn inclusiveness and positive regard for diversity' in the early years. The role of the early years practitioner is especially important, as 'the process by which all children develop their self-esteem and identity rests heavily upon the type of interactions and relationships people form with young children'.

An early years environment that values and celebrates diversity is one in which children learn respect and tolerance, two of the fundamental British values which all schools and settings have a duty to 'actively promote' under Government guidance. As Andrea Turner of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years (PACEY) points out, 'it is our job to help children to appreciate and respect their own culture and the culture of others...

'This means that for children to truly learn the importance of tolerance, they need to be given lots of opportunities to practise tolerance and to challenge stereotypes. For example, through sharing stories that reflect and value the diversity of children's experiences and providing resources and activities that challenge gender, cultural and racial stereotyping.'

Researchers Lindsey Cameron and Adam Rutland evidenced in a 2006 study how reading stories that show characters with disabilities develops greater acceptance and reduces prejudice in child readers.

The revised EYFS
In its consultation document on the revised EYFS, the Government maintains that 'by listening and talking about stories, rhymes and poems, and non-fiction books, children develop knowledge of themselves and the world in which they live', and that 'listening to a broad selection of stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems will foster their understanding of our culturally, socially and ecologically diverse world'.

In addition to bolstering their development in communication and language, literacy, personal, social and emotional development, appreciation for expressive arts and design, and their experiences in understanding the world, the picturebook offers children in the early years another important lesson in the power of respect for diversity and collaboration.

As children's literature researcher Emma Joy Reay points out in her review and interview with the author of a beautifully illustrated picturebook which places inclusion at its heart (Hands Up!by Breanna McDaniel), 'the picturebook format itself testifies to the power of collaborative conversations - the author and the illustrator have each brought something key to the creation of the text'.

Not only is the relationship between author and illustrator brought to the fore by picturebooks, but the conversation generated between practitioners and children can celebrate the value and diversity of personal responses and reflection on a shared text.

ORGANISATIONS
Various organisations and projects seek to increase diversity and awareness of its importance in the worlds of picturebooks:

Seven Stories, the UK's National Centre for Children's Books, set up an independent panel of experts to select a reading list as part of its Diverse Voices programme (see box, page 52).

In response to its Reflecting Realities project, the CLPE partnered with Letterbox Library, 'a children's bookseller celebrating equality and diversity', to create a reading list.

The BookTrust Represents project promotes children's authors and illustrators of colour, and includes a picturebook selection.

The American organisation We Need Diverse Books compiles links to sites that recommend diverse titles, as does Mirrors, Windows, Doors.

CHALLENGING STEREOTYPES
While you may need to expand your library to ensure greater representation of characters, authors and illustrators from diverse cultural backgrounds, you may be able to start inclusive conversations about stereotypes and diversity using books you already have in your setting.

Gender Can you challenge gender stereotypes you might encounter in which girls are illustrated in pink, and boys in blue? I've included Not Every Princess Dresses In Pink and Julian is a Mermaid in my diversity picks as a reminder that recognition of children's diverse interests is as important as remembering their heritage and home culture (see box, page 53).

Social class is an important differentiator in our children's backgrounds, and I recommend Kate Milner's It's a No Money Day as a sensitive and insightful book which tackles the experiences of families struggling with poverty. Despite working hard, a mother and daughter find themselves without money and have to head to the food bank. Mum feels ashamed, but her daughter can still see the good in her day.

Home life Highly recommended, too, is The Great Big Book of Families by Mary Hoffman and Ros Asquith, which celebrates diversity in its widest sense and reflects the families (single, mixed sex, single sex, blended and adoptive) and home cultures of children not used to seeing themselves in picturebooks.

Disability The Great Big Book of Familiesalso includes subtly inclusive images such as wheelchairs, walkers and leg braces, embedding difference in a great big tapestry of images in which there is no normal and no strange.

I spoke to Anna Purkiss, a researcher in representation of disability in children's literature. She said, 'Although representations of disabled characters in children's literature are increasing, they are still relatively scarce in comparison to non-disabled characters, which highlights the need for children with disabilities to see themselves reflected in the books that they read.

'By recognising characters like themselves in the pages of a book, they may see that their lived experiences matter, are valued and are shared to differing extents with others: they are part of a community rather than on their own.'

Anna's emphasis on the importance of community is especially resonant with respect to storytime. It might be the only time of day that a whole class or group comes together, and seeing it as an opportunity to celebrate our whole shared classroom society in all of its wonderful difference is an exciting and inclusive practice in which we can all participate.

Ten picturebooks to celebrate diversity

Susan Laughs by Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross - Susan may be in a wheelchair, but she is no different from any other child.

Look Up!by Jung Jin-Ho - A girl has only a bird's eye view of the world from her balcony. Realising the problem, a boy lies flat on the pavement. Then others do the same.

My Name is Not Refugee by Kate Milner - A young boy discusses the journey he is about to embark on with his mother.

Hands Up! by Breanna McDaniel, illustrated by Shane W Evans- A black girl raises her arms for many reasons throughout her life, from greeting the sun as a baby to taking part in a protest march as an adult.

Deep in the Sahara by Kelly Cunane, illustrated by Hoda Hadadi - Growing up in Mauritania, Lalla learns about the importance of the malafa, the cloth Mauritanian women wear to cover their heads and clothes, both in public and in prayer.

And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, illustrated by Henry Cole - Two male penguins fall in love and start a family by taking turns sitting on an abandoned egg until it hatches.

Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love - Julian wants to dress up like the spectacularly dressed women on the subway. But what will his grandma think about the mess he makes - and how Julian sees himself?

Not All Princesses Dress in Pink by Jane Yolen and Heidi EY Stemple and illustrated by Anne-Sophie - Proof that princesses can jump in puddles, climb trees, play sports and use power tools!

It's Okay to be Different by Todd Parr - Delivers important messages of acceptance and confidence through bold colours and silly scenes: it's okay to dance by yourself, be a different colour, and eat macaroni in the bath.

The Pirates Next Door by Jonny Duddle - When a family of pirates move to a seaside town, neighbours are aghast and soon spreading rumours, while the family next door wishes their daughter would play with 'normal' girls and boys.

The Guardian's top ten
The Guardian's Top Ten Culturally Diverse Picturebooks is curated by Eileen Browne and Letterbox Library

Handa's Surprise by Eileen Browne - Handaleaves her village with a basket of fruit, but how many will still be there when she reaches her friend's house?

So Much by Trish Brown, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury - An uncle, auntie, cousins and grandparents all arrive eager to hug and kiss the baby.

The Silence Seeker by Ben Morley, illustrated by Carl Pearce - When Joe's mum says their new neighbours are asylum seekers, Joe hears 'silence seekers' and decides to help their son find a quiet place in the noisy city.

Leon and Bob by Simon James - When Leon asks his new neighbour to go to the park with him, his imaginary best friend Bob suddenly disappears.

Lulu reads to Zeki by Anna McQuinn and Rosalind Beardshaw - Whatever the problem, Lulu's solution is to read to her new baby brother, Zaki.

The Animal Boogie by Fred Penner, illustrated by Debbie Harter - A rhyming text, a musical score and an easy-to-learn dance routine.

Freddie and the Fairy by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Karen George - Will a hard-of-hearing fairy be able to grant Freddie's wish for a pet, particularly when he tends to mumble?

Fussy Freya by Katharine Quarmby and Piet Grosler - One day, Freya says no to dahl and then to all her favourite foods, but her grandparents have a solution.

My Sister is an Alien by Rachel Bright - Space-mad Alfie is convinced his new sister is an alien and sets about returning her to the moon.

Tucking in - Just Like Me! by Jess Stockham - Babies will love lifting the flaps in this board book to find out all about themselves, and their tastes.

MORE INFORMATION
Lists of recommended books that celebrate diversity can be found at:
Andy McCormack is an Early Years Teacher studying for his PhD at the Centre for Research in Children's Literature, University of Cambridge
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Picturebooks, part 6 - Mirrors and windows

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We are all beautifully different - so it is important for children to see themselves and others portrayed positively on the pages of picturebooks. By Andy McCormack Emily Drabble, head of children's books promotion and prizes at BookTrust and former co-editor of The Guardian's children's book section, describes diverse picturebooks as 'books by and about all kinds of people, as the UK and the world are full of all kinds of people.