“The things that make me different are the things that make me me.” — Piglet (A.A. Milne). Books have a magical power to transport ...

KidLit Picks December Round-Up - Diversity

Wednesday, January 10, 2018 BookBairn 5 Comments


“The things that make me different are the things that make me me.” — Piglet (A.A. Milne).

Books have a magical power to transport the reader into any world at any given point in time. We can sit at home and become completely immersed in somebody else's life. Best of all, books help to expand our understanding of different people and cultures as well as ourselves.

When we read a story as a child, it becomes a part of our own identity. Reading a diverse range of books exposes children to an array of characters with different perspectives. This helps give children a heart for everyone, thus assisting in developing empathy.

This month, the @kidlitpicks book club is featuring books about embracing our differences, a theme chosen and introduced by @booksandbabycinos. It is our hope to create a collection of books that celebrate the diversity of people around the world so that all children might see themselves reflected in stories as well as read about people they’ve never met.



Perfectly Norman, by Tom Percival"Norman’s wings represent any difference our children may have. The yellow coat he hides them under embodies the many emotions that accompany a fear of being accepted. What we learn from Norman's story is that we’re not made from cookie cutters, we’re not meant to be exactly alike. Difference is beautiful and perfectly perfect.” — Summer from @readingisourthing


This Is NOT a Valentine, by ​​Carter Higgins and Lucy Ruth Cummins
“Maybe the sweetest, least saccharine, most touching book about love that ever existed." — Mel from @spiky_penelope


The Lion Inside, by Rachel Bright and‎ Jim Field
“This book has long been a favourite in our house –– beautiful and inspiring verses, illustrations that jump off the page and a great message to take away with you makes it picture book perfection for me.” — Claire from @alittlebookhabit


How to Say I Love You in Five Languages, by Kenard Pak
"This simple but meaningful book embraces love around the world! Leah from @astoryaday


Odd Dog Out, by Rob Biddulph
“This is a brilliant ‘coming of age’, learning to accept oneself story for the tiniest tots.” —  Kim from @bookbairn


Most People, by Michael Leannah and Jennifer Morris
“With a thoughtful author's note, we can't recommend this book enough.” — Miranda from @bookbloom


Lots, by Marc Martin
“It caught my eye and I haven't been able to take my eyes off it ever since.” — De from @books_and_babycinos


Under The Love Umbrella, by Davina Bell and Allison CosployFor children and parents to see their families represented and celebrated in stories is a vital.” — De from @books_and_babycinos



Home and Away, by John Marsden
“The global refugee crisis and the acceptance of a diverse population is highlighted in this powerful and incredibly moving story of a typical (wait for it!) Australian family forced to flee as refugees when war ravages our country.”  Rossa from @curiouslittlepeople


Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal, by Paul Fleischman and Julie Paschkis
"It was after reading Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal by Paul Fleischman and Julie Paschkis, that I realized how worldwide and culturally rich this tale actually is. " — Wendy from @homegrownreader



What a great selection of books from the @kidlitpicks team! If you want to find some more books about embracing your little ones uniqueness check out our blog post 'I am Unique'.


In January, the @kidlitpicks team are focussing on 'New Beginnings' theme and I'm excited to see what everyone chooses!

“This is the beginning of anything you want.” —Author Unknown.



Every New Year is synonymous with a new beginning, we set resolutions and goals for the year ahead which sometimes leads to challenging transitions in our children’s lives. Perhaps this will be the year your child starts a new school, welcomes a new sibling or relocates to a new home. No matter the new challenge in your child’s life, picture books are a great way to inspire, motivate and encourage children with the challenges of new beginnings.

This month, the #kidlitpicks theme is New Beginnings and we are excited to share some great picture books that explore the concepts of transitions or fresh starts. We hope that you will join us by tagging your recommendations with #kidlitpicks_newbeginnings

In our team email it was signed off with this lovely quote and I really wanted to share that with you too:


"The New Year lies ahead, with books to be read and adventures to be led. May you find fulfilment and joy, all year long!" 

Happy reading,
Mummy and the bairns xx

5 comments:

  1. Nicely said! I love the way reading and immersion in the story of someone else’s life changes your view of the world. It’s magic

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  2. Great selection of books on a great topic.

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    1. Thanks! I'm looking forward to getting some of these!

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