With immigration and the status of refugees on the nation’s front burner, kids are going to have questions. There are many good children’s books that will encourage kids to wonder about what it’s like to move to a new country. Here are five picture books that are gateways to deeper questions:
Welcome by Barroux (I love this sweet and engaging book about three polar bears looking for a new home. They keep meeting animals who have “reasons” the bears can’t move to a new land. Reasons like there’s “not enough room” or, like the giraffes, pretend not to hear the polar bears at all. What is especially appealing about this book is that it can be read to young children as a story about welcoming new children to their classroom or after school activity. The book’s message is just what the title says!)
I’m New Here by Anne Sibley O’Brien (This is a really sweet book, and like Welcome, it’s perfect for very young children) O’Brien’s tells the story of three immigrant children at a new school. The kids are from Guatemala, Korea, and Somalia, and they are struggling to learn a new language, fit in with new classmates, and hold on to their traditions. Parents and teachers sometime ask me to suggest books that teach empathy. This is the book.)
The Journey by Francesca Sanna (Inspired by the author’s visit to a refugee camp in Italy, Sanna describes her book as “a collage of all those personal stories and the incredible strength of the people within them.”)
Stepping Stones: A Refugee Family’s Journey by Margriet Ruurs and Nizar Ali Badr (This is a truly unforgettable book. Badr is a stone artist, and he uses stones and pebbles to illustrate a Syrian family’s experiences as refugees. The story is told in dual language text: English and Arabic. A masterpiece.)
Teacup by Rebecca Young (The story of a young boy looking for a new place to live. He travels on a boat carrying “a book, a bottle, and a blanket. In his teacup he held some earth from where he used to play.” The oil paintings of the boy alone on the sea are incredibly powerful.)
On the topic of immigration and mixing cultures….
Every year I can count on a number of parents who will stop by the Inly Library to talk about the Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. The books are thrilling and beautiful – and problematic. As a childhood (and adult) fan of the Little House books, I understand the questions parents have about how to navigate a series that includes passages like: “White people are going to settle all this country, and we get the best land because we get here first and take our pick. Now do you understand?” Understand? Not really. But reading the books to an older child, a child able to engage in conversation, presents an opportunity to talk about stereotypes, racism, and our country’s complicated history.
In honor of the 150th anniversary of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s birth, there was a good story about the series. Here’s a link:
http://www.npr.org/2017/09/17/551604403/-little-house-on-the-prairie-author-is-150
The sweet illustration at the top of the post is by Penelope Dullaghan. She is the artist responsible for the beautiful cover of Lucky Broken Girl:
I follow Dullaghan on Instagram which is where I saw the banner picture – and a note reading “feel free to share.”
http://www.penelopedullaghan.com
Finally…here’s a cute picture Mary took in the library this week:
Happy Reading!
Sommer Reading 