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The Water Princess by Susan Verde and Peter H. Reynolds

Global Themes: Water Shortage Crisis, Empathy, Global Connections

Summary: The Water Princess is a beautiful picture book that focuses on the water shortage crisis in West Africa. The story follows a young girl named Gie Gie who has to walk every day to get water. The book is based on the childhood experience of model Georgie Badiel.

Suggested Pedagogy/Teaching Strategy: The Water Princess is an inspirational book that is excellent for Read Aloud or Shared Reading. It can help students understand the struggles that other children go through daily. It can also help children learn about other cultures and perspectives. Foundations such as Ryan's Well Foundation and the Georgie Badiel Foundation can be highlighted and discussed. This book supports Social Studies and Science outcomes examining human rights, connections between healthy living and environments and disease prevention. The story also establishes the background for a classroom action project where students raise awareness of the challenges faced by families who struggle to find a daily water supply.

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We Are All Dots: A Big Plan for a Better World

By Giancarlo Macri & Carolina Zanotti

Published in 2018

We Are All Dots: A Big Plan for a Better World is a book that uses simple black and white drawings to illustrate important topics such as diversity, poverty, immigration and human rights. There are white dots and black dots, who are neighbours, but one set of dots are prosperous and the other set of dots are impoverished. This book has minimal text, but the message is clear: it shows children how some people are born in places that do not have access to clean water, food and the resources needed to flourish and become successful.

Global Themes: Diversity, Refugees, Immigration, Poverty, Human Rights.

Suggested Pedagogy:

This book could be used for many ages (primary or junior) in understanding several topics such as empathy, diversity, immigration, refugees or human rights, to name a few.

This book could be a starting point for:

Classroom discussions about diversity, immigration, poverty, human rights, empathy or activism (e.g., discuss the question of: What is a refugee? Why do they leave their homes?

Students can compare the differences between the lives of the black and white dots.

Students can make a list of  the resources needed to flourish and become successful and identify which group of dots are lacking such resources.

Students can research main topics, such as human rights.

Students can also do in-depth research to see the different ways people or organizations are trying to fix some of these issues (e.g., clean water, food, and lack of other resources)

Students can think critically on how they would overcome some of these main issues that have been mentioned in this book.

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The Proudest Blue by Ibtihaj Muhammad

This book follows a young girl's journey of self discovery and acceptance following issues on her first day wearing her blue hijab.

Global themes: acceptance, racism, inclusion,  multiculturalism

Teaching Possibilities:
- Cultural differences in dress/attire
- "Don't judge a book by it's cover"
- We are all equal
- Inclusion and acceptance at school

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Just Ask!

United States Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor celebrates the different abilities kids (and people of all ages) have. Using her own experience as a child who was diagnosed with diabetes, Justice Sotomayor writes about children with all sorts of challenges - and looks at the special powers those kids have as well. As the kids work together to build a community garden, asking questions of each other along the way, this book encourages listeners to do the same: When we come across someone who is different from us but we're not sure why, all we have to do is Just Ask

Global Themes:
Social Justice, Interculturalism, Self-Identity

Pedagogy:
Inquiry based learning through the four levels of inquiry that gradually release responsibility

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Maybe Something Beautiful by F. Isabell Campoy & Theresa Howell

This book, based on a true story in San Diego follows the movement of a young protagonist as she works to change her community through art.

Global Themes: Community, poverty, finding light in even the darkest of times.

Teaching strategies:
- art as a form of transformation
- even small acts can make a difference
- the art of community and coming together
- hope

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Please enable javascript to view this site.

What good can a splash of color do in a community of gray? As Mira and her neighbors discover, more than you might ever imagine! Based on the true story of the Urban Art Trail in San Diego, California, Maybe Something Beautiful reveals how art can inspire transformation-and how even the smallest artists can accomplish something big. Pick up a paintbrush and join the celebration!

Maybe Something Beautiful is the triumph of a community against the darker forces of social decay. Mira, the protagonist, decides one day to paste her drawing of a sun on one of the dark walls of an alley on her way back from school, just to bring brightness to the smiles of her neighbors. The force of that sun's attraction transformed those streets and the lives of their neighbors, forever.

This is a true story of transformation, based on the work of two exceptional people committed to art and social justice. Rafael and Candice López turned the alleys of the East Village in San Diego into art canvases, and the darkness of their neighborhood into a world of possible hope and beauty.

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Order the book

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Please enable javascript to view this site. What good can a splash of color do in a community of gray? As Mira and her neighbors discover, more than you might ever imagine! Based on the true story of the Urban Art Trail in San Diego, California, Maybe Something Beautiful reveals how art can inspire transformation-and how even the smallest artists can accomplish something big.

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Sulwe by Lupita Nyong'o

This story by Kenyan-Mexican actress Lupita Nyong'o is about the colorism that black people of darker tones face even in their own communities.

The global themes identified in this book relate to colorism, identity, bullying, inner beauty and self-esteem.

To help learners truly integrate the message of this book, I would suggest facilitating a cultural x-ray activity where learners would write their visible characteristics on the outside and their values/important things on the inside.

This could be followed by a cultural text activity as well to encourage learners to think about a time they may have said something that wasn't nice to someone and how that person may have felt.

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I Really Want To See You, Grandma, by Taro Gomi is a story of a grandmother and granddaughter, Yumi, that in their love and determination, repeatedly miss out on seeing each other because they were both out trying to visit each other. They explore many different transportation methods and when they finally reunite they agree on a local meeting place.

In this story the universal characteristics of love and determination are placed in the context of Japan, and Yumi’s way of life, but the main themes are ones that can be reflected in the lives of children from all cultures. To explore this topic, teachers could ask students to reflect on a person they love very much, and would travel all around the country to see, and ask what they would do when faced with obstacles to be able to see their loved one.

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The Day My Father Became a Bush

By Joke Van Leeuwen

Global Themes: War and Refugee Status, Immigration, Humanity, Resilience

Teaching Suggestion: This book can be used as a starting point for talking about and researching war and refugees. Because Toda (the little girl) has to leave her home country after her dad goes to war, cultural differences can also be explored.

- CBL could be leveraged in working with charities that help refugees or work with immigrants

- Conversations or activities around cultural and etiquette differences between two countries of a student’s choice could be explored

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Dia's Story Cloth by Dia Cha

Global Themes: Refugee, Immigration, Multiculturalism

Summary: Dia's Story Cloth follows the story of the Hmong people and their journey to find freedom and a place to call home. Dia's Story Cloth re-tells the authors story and how her family came to North America. Born and raised in Loas, Dia was forced to flee with her family to Thailand where she lived in a refugee camp before coming to North America. As such, this story is told through the usage of story cloths and is shared among the Hmong community.

This is a great book to discuss topics such as immigration and refugees with the class. I'd recommend it for the primary and junior grades.

Teaching suggestion:
- Discuss with the class what does "home" look like
- Discuss with the class what a refugee is and why they have to leave their homes
- Students can also draw pictures of places they feel free in and explain why they feel that way.

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That's Not Fair! / ¡No Es Justo!: Emma Tenayuca's Struggle for Justice/La lucha de Emma

by Carmen Tafolla

Global Themes: Equity, Poverty, Advocacy, Civil Rights, Hunger, Education, Labor Rights

Teaching Suggestions:
This book can be a prompt for students to begin to discuss inequalities between people in their own communities and globally. This book would be good for intermediate students to begin to evaluate human rights, differences in global experiences and the role of advocacy to make changes.

Lesson Ideas:

- Students can compare/ contrast their personal experiences with those of characters in the books

-Students can research the history of ideas and themes found in the book

-Class discussions around themes of the book

-Students can begin to research human rights and identify inequalities worldwide.

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The Red Tree by Shaun Tan (Australian author/illustrator)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrmMFFpKxgw&ab_channel=ellsiekay

Global Themes: Mental Health and Wellbeing: Anxiety and Depression

Teaching Suggestion:
This is a suggested book within BC's EASE (Everyday Anxiety Strategies for Educators) Program.  Concepts are targeted for intermediate grade levels and could easily extend into high school.  It follows  a girl who is experiencing feelings of hopelessness, depicting her journey through incredible artwork, ending with a beautiful illustration of a symbol of hope and happiness--the red tree.  Tan's intricate illustrations offer much for students to analyze and interpret, while also exploring and navigating the concepts of anxiety and depression.

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Wangari's Trees Of Peace

A True Story from Africa

By: Jeanette Winter

Global Themes: Climate change and climate change action

Teaching Suggestion:  This story would work well in many grade levels in understanding climate change as a global issue. It could even be used as in high school classrooms, where climate change is taught in grade 10 science. I find students can have a hard time understanding issues that impact the entire world as they often focus on the impact in their own community or country. The story also highlights the importance of small changes making a big difference. After reading the story, students could brainstorm ways in which they can make a small change towards improving climate change like Wanagri.

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Girlcott by Florenz Webbe Maxwell (set in Bermuda)

Global Themes: Coming of age story dealing with racism, segregation, and activism.

Teaching Suggestions: This novel would work well in a middle school English or Social Studies classroom. Students could make connections to their own experiences with the global themes while also learning about how other countries faced/continue to face discrimination and segregation. Students could research major protest movements around the world and explore what these movements may have had in common, what changes the organizers hoped to achieve, and how successful their demonstrations were in achieving change. This would also tie in well with learning about Dr. Martin Luther King, Gandhi and other freedom fighters. Links to today's young activists could also be made: Malala, Greta Thunberg and Canadian Autumn Peltier.

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Title: Our Class is a Family

Global Theme: Inclusion & Diversity

Summary: This story is about how teachers do much more than teach academics, it is how teachers play an important role for their students to build community and create a home away from how where students feel safe, welcomed, and included. This book helps teach students that this classroom is a place where it is safe to be whoever they want to be. As students are reading they will understand that it is okay to make mistakes and be kind to others.

Suggested Pedagogy/Teaching Suggestion: During these unprecedented times, teachers and students are being shuffled around from in person learning to virtual learning. It is important to create this message as an educator to ensure that your students are aware that their class is their family even through the distance they are experiencing. I would use this book at the beginning of the school year from kindergarten to grade 3. This book is a great way to begin the conversation with your class to brainstorm what a family looks like and feels like. If you are teaching in a Catholic school I would suggest relating this back to the religion curriculum focusing on love and family relationships. You can have the students create different images of how they feel in your classroom and what might a classroom family look like.

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Malala's Magic Pencil

Global Themes: Equality, Peace, Taking Action

Teaching Suggestion: As a read aloud, this book is great for discussing with students what it means to take action. Students could write about what they would do, on a large scale, if they had a magic pencil of their own - what would they erase? What would they draw? Students could then discuss how taking action on a much smaller scale can also make a difference, and come up with collaborative plans to decide one way they could take action to make a positive change in their school or community.

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Stories from Herodotus by Lorna Oakes

Global Themes: Tourism, Diversity, Identity, Intercultural Understandings

Suggested Classroom Pedagogy
- Explore actions and consequences of social change events portrayed in the literature. (e.g. why characters chose the actions they did)
- Promote inquiry by prompting students for reasons for unexplained events in stories / events
- Promote identity and global education by having students reflect on their own personal habits and rituals and how they may affect their perceptions on the world.
- Discuss potential cultural implications and meanings for ceremonies and events described
- Reflect on existing culture and the implications and meanings of our own rituals, ceremonies, and events as if we are 2500 years in the future

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herodotus; history of ancient greece; sparta; classics; children's book; father of history; athens

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juvenile nonfiction / adventure & adventurers

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juvenile nonfiction / social science / folklore & mythology

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juvenile nonfiction/social science - folklore & mythology

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juvenile nonfiction / adventure & adventurers

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juvenile nonfiction / social science / folklore & mythology

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juvenile nonfiction/social science - folklore & mythology

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Stories from Herodotus [Oakes, Lorna] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Stories from Herodotus

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Katie in London by James Mayhew
Global Theme: Cultural knolwege, Art, and Tourism

When Katie and her brother embark on a spontaneous journey with their grandmother they are not aware of the amazing landmarks and artistic architecture of London’s iconic buildings. They are taken by shock whilst visiting numerous tourist places and in particular, during the visit to Trafalgar square. They are taken on a fairytale tour by the massive stone structured lion on an eventful journey.

Suggested Classroom Pedagogy:
- Ensure children are engaged in a stimulating environment
through reading, narration, and imagination of events.
- ask children to recognize different tourist landmarks, and
form groups for collaborative activity such as make a poster or a themed
picture of their likeness from the book.

-        Make children write their own desire to visit a certain landmark i.e Buckingham palace and how they would like to interact with the royal members of the family.

-        Discuss the importance iconic building from a historical perspective and give them a synopsis behind the architectures of London’s city

-        Ask children to identity shapes of the buildings and their wish to visit the most desired place in London

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The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig
illustrations by: Patrice Barton
Global theme: kindness, inclusion, diversity, SEL

Brian is a quiet boy who doesn't demand a lot of attention. He gets excluded from birthday parties, and games played at recess. Brian's simple act of kindness towards  Justin, a new boy who enjoys  Bulgogi for lunch, helps to turn his world around.

Suggested Classroom Pedagogy

Discuss the big ideas in the book: being left out or ignored, having no friends, being chosen last (or not at all) for a team, etc.

In small groups, identify and list ways to make sure people are not left out; post these in the classroom. Refer to them when necessary.

Write in a journal: Is there someone in your class who is often left out? Why is this so? Have you ever felt left out? Explain whether this is a form of bullying.

tell about the nice things your grandma or caregiver does for you? How does it make you feel?

Analyze how the illustrator depicts Brian. How would the book be different without any illustrations? Would it be as effective? Write down your ideas and compare them with a partner’s.

What is Bagogi?

Where is Korea on a world map?

www.quebecreadingconnection.ca

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Let's Play!: Poems about Sports Around the World

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Let's Play!: Poems about Sports Around the World

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Global themes: Cultural celebrations, identity, diversity

Summary: Let's Play! is a compilation of simple poems that celebrate different sports and activities from around the globe. The book illustrates adults and children from many different countries playing their national sports.

Suggested classroom pedagogy: I wanted to find a book that I could connect to PE lessons. Working in a school teaching the IB curriculum, the PE department must connect to the classrooms lines of inquiry, which include exploring cultural identity and diversity. This book could be used to connect class activities to PE activities. Let's Play could be the hook at the start of the unit, then students could interview their parents and grandparents to learn their favourite childhood games. Then they could teach the class these games to their peers during PHE. I tried a similar activity this year, and students taught me traditional games from Pakistan (Ounch Neech), Indonesia (Semut, Orang, Gajah) , Ghana (Pilolo), and Indigenous games (Tantanka). The experiential nature of games gives students an authentic lived cultural experience. This book is an excellent lead into a transdisciplinary global education connection.

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Featuring a variety of leisure activities from around the globe, these lively poems familiarize children with sports like cricket, soccer, American football, baseball, basketball, running, relay race, tobogganing, skating, swimming, diving, netball, pole vault, shot put, kung fu, judo, boxing, tennis, table tennis, kite flying, hockey, surfing, riding, and horse racing, as well as games such as skipping, swinging, computer games, Scrabble, chess, and Snakes and Ladders. Vibrant illustrations portray children and adults of many different cultures enjoying pastimes from around the world.

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let's play!: poems about sports and games from around the world

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juvenile nonfiction / sports & recreation / general

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juvenile nonfiction/sports & recreation - general

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juvenile nonfiction / sports & recreation / general

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juvenile nonfiction/sports & recreation - general

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Let's Play!: Poems About Sports and Games from Around the World

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Let's Play!: Poems About Sports and Games from Around the World [Chatterjee, Debjani, D'Arcy, Brian, Adl, Shirin] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Let's Play!: Poems About Sports and Games from Around the World

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Global themes: Identity and Inclusion

Maya is a new girl in her classroom and her community. She makes effort to be friends with Chloe and her friends, but Maya’s friendship is turned away. The book helps children understand that kindness can be as simple as accepting others and consider their identity as a friend.

Suggested classroom pedagogy:

The picture book can be used at the beginning of the school year to help children build acceptance and nurtures in the classroom family. Classroom engagement activities can include having the children imagine and discuss a different ending of the story to encourage kindness and make our world a better place.

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Title: I Live in Tokyo, written and illustrated by Mari Takabayashi

Global Themes: Art, Cultural Celebrations, Identity, Traditions, Home

Summary: Mimiko is a 7-year old girl living in Tokyo and this book follows her life, month by month as she shows you the beauty of her home. Readers are introduced to her favourite foods, her traditional kimono, the festivals she celebrates, and how she travels in the city using the bullet train. The author, Mari Takabayashi is a Japanese-American writer who was born in Tokyo, Japan and now lives in New York.

Teaching Suggestion: This book is ideal to read in a pre-K to grade 1 classroom. While reading the book students can point out similarities and differences between their lives and Mimiko's life. After the story is over, student's can complete a "I live in ..." sheet where they make a list of 5 things that they love about their home/city. For students who have lived in different cities or countries, they can talk about both cities or one or the other. Afterwards, students can share with classmates their favourite things from the "I live in...". This can prompt a discussion about how there are many comforts and familiar things about our hometown/city/country, but when we go to someone else's hometown/city/country we get to experience their comforts and traditions as well.

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Book Title: 'Sold' by Patricia Mccormick

Global Themes: Social justice, human trafficking (global industry) awareness, access to education, rise of technology and youth vulnerability

Summary: This fiction book is based around real life events by which a young girl from Nepal is coerced into  human trafficking in India. The book sheds awareness on the global issue and includes a variety of young characters from various parts of the world who have all been victimized through entering the sex trafficking trade. Exploring books such as this are increasingly important as high school aged individuals  are one of the most vulnerable and trafficked audiences and therefore there is a need for students to explore this global issue.

Suggested Pedagogy/Teaching Strategy: This is a fantastic novel to include in teaching social justice education to grade 9 and above high school students. This book can aid teachers in exploring social justice issues and introduce students to the issue before creating advocacy projects that go beyond surface level impact. This is a great tool that can supplement students advocacy projects as a major theme within the book is providing victims with their own voices and thus allows students to see the need to connect with victims/victim organizations when it comes to social justice issues.

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This Child, Every Child: A Book About the World’s Children

by David J. Smith

Global Themes: Children's Rights, Equity, Quality Education

This book is a wonderful way for teachers to introduce students to the challenges and struggles faced by many children around the world. Readers will meet children of all ages, nationalities and religions and discover differences and similarities in the way children live.

Suggested Pedagogy/Teaching
Introduction Activity:

Give students a blank piece of paper. Ask students to draw some of their favorite activities. Allow students to share their work once they’ve completed the drawings. Next, ask students to imagine a world where they are not allowed (or do not have the right) to go to school. Share with students the fact that in some parts of the world children are banned from attending school, riding bicycles, wearing brightly colored clothes and laughing loudly. Ask students to revisit their drawings. What would they have to “X out” from the picture if they weren’t allowed to attend school?

Some essential questions that can be used for discussion:

What if you weren’t allowed to go to school?

Should all children have the right to an education?

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Razia's Ray of Hope: One Girl's Dream of an Education by Elizabeth Suneby

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Razia's Ray of Hope: One Girl's Dream of an Education by Elizabeth Suneby

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Global Themes: Access to education, Women and children's rights, Service learning, Global education

Summary: Inspired by the true story of Razia Jan, this inspiring story is about a young girl who hopes to attend a new school being built for girls. In her small village in Afghanistan, girls were typically not allowed to attend school, leaving them unable to read or write. Razia works hard to convince father and brother to allow her to register for the new school, as this would provide opportunity for their family and community.  The end of this book also includes resource pages - one all about the real life of Razia Jan, and the other, a glossary of Dari terms to help students understand more about this culture.

Suggested Pedagogy:
Appropriate for ages 8-12, this book also has social studies connections as students explore global connections, social issues, and people, places, and environments. In a grade 5 social studies class, students can first be prompted to jot down what a typical day looks like for them (e.g. wake up, have breakfast, get ready for school, go to school, come home to do homework and play games, etc.). This will spark initial discussion on what we have access to here in our community - housing, food, education. After a read-aloud of Razia's Ray of Hope, the class can have a discussion and write on a Jamboard their responses to the following questions: What do you think life would be like without ever being able to go to school? How might this affect your family, your future 'dream job', and your community? The class can then look into some ways that they can help women and children around the world who do not have access to education (e.g. donating to the Raza's Ray of Hope foundation, raising awareness through social media, donating educational supplies and resources, etc.). This activity will promote empathy, social change, and an awareness of global education.

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Something Beautiful by Sharon Denis Wyeth

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Something Beautiful by Sharon Denis Wyeth

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This books shares the story of a young girl who tries to find what is beautiful in her life. The story depicts the young girl having a hard time finding what is beautiful in her life, since all she sees is people experiencing homelessness, graffiti throughout her neighbourhood, and litter around her building. Throughout the story the reader is introduced to issues of race, poverty, power, and beauty.

Suggested Pedagogy/Teaching suggestions:

This book can be used in grades 2 or 3 to have student think about social issues that may be happening to others around their community or in another country. using this as a read aloud can prompt a writing piece. A literacy lesson with this book can look something like this:

1. Before reading the book, have students make a prediction of what will happen in the story.
2. Have students interview 3-5 classmates on what they think is beautiful in their life.
3. Have students write about what they think is beautiful in their life
4. Add an illustration to the writing.
5. Share with classmates.

I think this is a great book that will get students thinking!

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The legends and folklore of Icelandic culture help produce incredible storytellers. This children's book by Lára Garðarsdóttir shares the journey of two polar bears that are forced to flee their home, which touches upon the global themes of citizenship, interconnectedness, and identity.

The understanding of what it means to be a refugee can fit with many curricular outcomes, including in grade 1: "Listen to and acknowledge experiences and feelings shared by others." After reading the book with the class, I would recommend students share their ideas/feelings about what it means to be on both sides on the tale - the bears looking for a new home, and the bears welcoming them.
How do you feel when you visit a new place?
How would treat a new friend?
Follow-up by creating a display board with each group of bears and the corresponding thoughts, then look for similarities between the two sides to help build common ground and further connections.

Be well,
Jason

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All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold & Suzanne Kaufman

Global Themes: Diversity and Inclusion

This book is about how school can be a place for children to feel safe, loved, and appreciated. No matter differences amongst students, everyone is welcomed with open arms. This book emphasizes how students from all backgrounds can learn from and celebrate each other’s traditions.

Suggested Pedagogy/Teaching Suggestion:

You can read this book at the beginning of a school year to establish a foundation for a safe and welcoming classroom environment. This text can serve as an important book to celebrate diversity and embrace inclusion. The notion is that as individuals open the doors of their school, they know that they are accepted and appreciated regardless of their differences.

Suggested Age Group: Pre-School and Elementary Classrooms

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Global themes: Identity, displacement, loneliness and love

Summary: Through breathtaking illustrations, the readers follows the main character on his lifeboat-journey to an island where, eventually, a girl in a lifeboat shows up and stays.

Suggested Pedagogy:
Appropriate for ages 10 until high school,  the book can be used to develop literacy skills such as metaphors, symbolism and the ways text and art co-create understanding through emotion.

Classroom engagement activities can center around Global Education themes such as people, places & environments, what makes a home a home, resilience & being alone, the role of memories/mementos as "bagage" and how that mixes in with romantic attachment.

Students can explore their own stories of displacement /placement (personal or familial) and link them to these broader themes. Students are invited to map it out and then, chose a form (written, oral, visual) to express and share their stories with others (bonus pedagogical points if it is through the Global Oneness Project... yes, for those who have noticed, I am totally smitten by this initiative, ahaha!)

It would also be particularly interesting to note how everyone experiences "displacement" and build "belonging". Connecting with a classroom in another country and mutually sharing student stories would certainly blurr the Nation-state border lines we have created for ourselves. This would help students see how we often wrongfully construct people from another country as a unified and homogenous group -- thus reinforcing the idea of Global Citizenship. It would also helps understand "Belonging" as something we build for ourselves following displacement (and perhaps displacement is where some individuals can construct belonging-- which ends displacement).

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Design Rationale

This heart-felt story of a boy seeking refuge required a sensitive design approach. The textss whisper-like transparency suggests it could drift away at any moment, and its careful placement throughout allows the evocative text and illustrations to unite. Early cover concepts explored decorative embellishments, yet the storytellingss strength lies in its simplicity and ease. The striking cover needed only a simple hand-drawn title with a hint of apple leaf to capture the imagination. The image wasnst wide enough to stretch over the entire cover, so a mirroring technique was used, tying in with the reflection motif featured throughout the book.

Details

Dimensions

250 x 280 mm

No. pages

32

Special finishes

Matt lamination, wood-free endpapers

Credits

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Teacup - Australian Book Designers Association

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This heart-felt story of a boy seeking refuge required a sensitive design approach. The textss whisper-like transparency suggests it could drift away at any moment, and its careful placement throughout allows the evocative text and illustrations to unite. Early cover concepts explored decorative embellishments, yet the storytellingss strength lies in its simplicity and ease.

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Anna Jane (AJ) Ives

I chose the book “Mirror” by Jeannie Baker, that I discovered in my Children’s Literature class. This book depicts two boys, one from Australia, and one from Morocco, waking up, eating breakfast and going shopping. It is almost wordless, with a side-by-side comparison in pictures for each activity. While initially their lives seem very different, there are many connections and similarities themselves.

I would use this book to explore differences and similarities in the boy’s worlds and lives, and then springboard that into countries, cultures or experiences that the students have had. Has anyone been to another country? Does anyone have a different culture at home? Does anyone have grandparents from another country? Perhaps we can explore online a daily activity that the class chooses and compare how different countries or cultures participate in it.

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We're Different, We're the Same by Bobbi Kates

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We're Different, We're the Same by Bobbi Kates

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Amber Choi

This book uses Sesame Street characters to teach students we all have similarities and differences. It teaches a lesson about how we all look different, but we feel and share same emotions and feelings and everyone has the same needs, desires, and feelings--and this is what truly matters. Educators can use this book to introduce diversity and race for primary learners and watch Sesame Street's read aloud. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUrjb4SZnxg&ab_channel=SesameStreet)

Here are some guiding questions that we can help students to apply their understanding of the texts during class discussion and write them down on a chart paper:

What color are your eyes/hair?

Are you left handed or right handed?

What language(s) do you speak? Where were you born?

Are you a boy or a girl?

How many people live in your home? Do you live in a house or an apartment?

What is your favorite food/color/game?

Do you have a pet?

Are you tall or short?

What do you feel when _____?

What do you do when you feel _______?

I've also found a lesson plan using this literature: https://media.specialolympics.org/soi/files/resources/Schools_Youth/Jenni_SOGetIntoIt_K_2_Lessons_Update_09_16_2010.pdf

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This book is about a day in the life of children in different countries of the world. A global theme would be exploring the different ways people live in specific global cultures. This would be a great book to read during a period where student were learning about different cultures in the world. There is a resource which allows student to write a book as a class. I would perhaps try to have the students write their own book about the cultures present in our classroom. I linked the resource below, at the end of the process students are able to publish a book as a class and have peers and parents order their very own book.
https://studentreasures.com

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This book is about a pig who loves her body, recognizes and accepts her emotions, takes good care of herself, likes to try new things, and doesn’t give up if she makes mistakes. By reading the book, the global theme --- Personal Cultural Identities: Learning About Self (Martens, P., et al., 2015) could be integrated in the class.

Reference
Martens, P., et al. (2015). Building intercultural understandings through global literature. The Reading Teacher, 68(8), pp. 609–617.

Teaching Suggestions:
1. Read the story to the kids.
2. Start a discussion with the questions below:
 What did the pig like about herself? And what do you like about yourself?
 What did the pig do to take care of herself? And what do you do to look after yourself?

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Arianna Carlucci
I have also included a Cultural Relevance Rubric that was shown to me in a Supporting English Language Learners class. This tool can help students identify with the multicultural books that they read.

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Arianna Carlucci
Read-alouds such as this one can spark discussions among students about the importance of names, cultural diversity, tolerance, and self- acceptance. The Name Jar is an accessible junior level children’s book that encourages students to think about the name they identify with and prompts thinking about other cultures names, it’s diversity and meanings. Lastly the book encourages tolerance of differences which could be a global theme to be engaged within a classroom.

I believe all students deserve books in which they see themselves and the world they live in and therefore multicultural literature belongs in every classroom and library shelf.