Children’s Books – Sharing Values
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Community
Inclusion and Equality
Adoption
Responsibility
Caring and Compassion
Courage
Honesty and Integrity
Creativity and Diversity
Peace and Nonviolence
Self Reflection
Award Winners
The African American Experience
Mental Health
Community
Welcoming Babies, by Margy Burns Knight
Publisher: Tilbury House, Gardiner, Maine, 1994. There are as many ways to welcome babies to the world as there are cultures. We sing, kiss, bless, name, announce, celebrate, give gifts, and honor the births of our youngest ones with dignity and joy. Warm, gentle pictures enhance the simple text of this story which brings together many ways of welcoming.
Grandpa’s Town, by Takaaki Nomura.
Publisher: Kane/Miller Book Publishers, Brooklyn, New York, 1991. Told in both Japanese and English, this story of a young Japanese boy, worried that his grandfather is lonely, accompanies him to the public bath. Their walk through the town is an expedition filled with meeting friends, visiting, and sharing the best of Grandpa’s community. All The Colors of the Earth, by Sheila Hamanaka. Publisher: Morrow Junior Books, New York, 1994. Back to Top
Inclusion and Equality
Mama Zooms by Jane Cowen-Fletcher.
Publisher: Scholastic, N.Y. 1993 Mama’s wheelchair becomes a race car, ship at sea & starship in her child’s imagination.
My Buddy by Audrey Osofsky.
Publisher: Henry Hold & Co., N.Y. 1992 Buddy is “the best dog a boy could have”. The first-person narrative shows the desire of differently abled child to be independent and treated like everyone else.
The Streets are Free, by Kurusa.
Publisher: Annick Press Ltd., New York, 1995. Based on the true story of the children of a barrio in Caracas, Venezuela, who wanted a place to play, the story depicts how the children met, decided how to approach “City Hall”, and what they did when confronted with discouragement. It is a story of building community and speaking out.
The Day Gogo Went to Vote: South Africa, April, 1994, by Elinor Batezat Sisulu.
Publisher: Little,Brown and Company, 1996.
The Table Where Rich People Sit, by Byrd Baylor.
Publisher: Atheneum Books, New York,1994.
Two Mrs. Gibsons, by Toyomi Igus.
Publisher: Children’s Book Press, San Francisco, California, 1996.
All The Colors We Are: The Story of How We Get Our Skin Color, by Katie Kissinger.
Publisher: Redleaf Press, St. Paul, Minnesota,1994. This is a wonderful book to spark an interest in and respect for differing skin colors. An excellent recipe is included for mixing of dry tempera paints for skin color. Back to Top
Adoption
I Love you Like Crazy Cakes by R. Lewis & J. Dyer.
Publisher Little Brown & Co. N.Y. 2000 A celebration of love and joy a baby brings into the world.
Over the Moon by K. Katz.
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co., N.Y. Back to Top
Responsibility
Henry Climbs a Mountain, by D. B. Johnson.
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, Co. 2003 This book takes its inspiration from Walden and “Civil Disobedience,” in which Thoreau describes a night spent in jail. Here Henry the bear, confined to a cell after refusing to pay taxes to a state that allows slavery, begins a fanciful adventure with his crayon and his imagination.
Stone Soup by Jon Muth.
Publisher: Scholastic, N. Y. (2003) Three monks encounter a village where everyone has locked their windows & darkened their home, their hearts having grown hard. The monks cleverly entice the villagers to make stone soup, and in the process they discover how much they have to give.
The Story of Ruby Bridges, by Robert Coles.
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc., New York, 1995. For months, six year old Ruby Bridges must confront the hostility of segregationists when she becomes the first African-American girl to integrate an elementary school in New Orleans in 1960. Robert Coles presents a moving portrayal that captures a young girl’s amazing courage and faith.
Very Last First Time, by Jan Andrews.
Publisher: Atheneum, New York, 1985.
Working Cotton, by Sherley Anne Williams.
Publisher: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, New York,1992. Back to Top
Caring and Compassion
Hey, Little Ant, by Phillip and Hannah Hoose.
Publisher: Tricycle Press, Berkley, CA, 1998. “If you were me, and I were you, what would you want me to do?” This is the question the ant asks the kid as the shoe is about to come down upon the ant! Questions of power and perspective-taking are delivered in a delightful story.
Kimi and the Watermelon, by Miriam Smith.
Publisher: Puffin Books, New York, 1983.
On Mother’s Lap, by Ann Herbert Scott.
Publisher: Clarion Books, New York, 1972.
Storm in the Night, by Mary Stolz.
Publisher: Harper Trophy, 1988.
Tell Me A Story, Mama, by Angela Johnson.
Publisher: Orchard Books, New York, 1989.
The Relatives Came, by Cynthia Rylant.
Publisher: Aladdin Books, New York, 1993.
25 Multicultural Children’s Books Teaching Kindness and Empathy, by Colours of Us.
A roundup of titles curated by Colours of Us.
Courage
Granddaddy’s Gift, by Margaree King Mitchell.
The story of Grandpa’s courage in registering to vote gave his granddaughter pride in her family years later.
Ben’s Trumpet, by Rachel Isadora.
Publisher: Mulberry Books, New York, 1979.
Follow The Drinking Gourd, by Jeanette Winter.
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1988.
Smoky Night, by Eve Bunting.
Publisher: Harcourt Brace & Company, New York, 1994
18 Multicultural Children’s Books About Fear and Courage, by Colours of Us.
A roundup of titles curated by Colours of Us.
Honesty and Integrity
Something from Nothing: Adapted from a Jewish Folktale, by Phoebe Gilman.
Publisher: Scholastic Inc., New York, 1992. In this retelling of a traditional Jewish folk tale, Joseph’s baby blanket is transformed into ever smaller items as he grows until there is nothing left – but then Joseph has an idea to save the blanket forever in his memory.
Rebel, by Allan Baillie.
Publisher: Ticknor & Fields Books for Young Readers, New York, 1994.
Keepers, by Jeri Hanel Watts and Felicia Marshall.
Publisher: Lee and Low books, New York, 1997. Back to Top
Creativity and Diversity
Everybody Cooks Rice, by Norah Dooley.
Publisher: Carolrhoda, Inc./Minneapolis, 1991. A child is sent to find a younger brother at dinnertime and is introduced to a variety of cultures through encountering the many different ways rice is prepared at the different households she visited. Recipes for preparing rice from several cultures are included.
Bein’ with You This Way, by W. Nikola-Lisa.
Publisher: Lee & Low Books, Inc., New York,1994.
Daddy’s Roommate, by Michael Willhoite.
Publisher: Alyson Publications, Boston, Massachusetts, 1990.
Gathering the Sun: An Alphabet in Spanish and English, by Alma Flor Ada.
Publisher: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books, New York, 1997.
How My Family Lives in America, by Susan Kuklin.
Publisher: Bradbury Press, New York, 1992.
Ragsdale, by Artie Ann Bates.
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1995.
Somos Un Arco Iris – We Are A Rainbow, by Nancy Maria Grande Tabor.
Publisher: Charlesbridge,Watertown, Massachusetts, 1995.
Galimoto, by Karen Lynn Williams.
Publisher: Mulberry Books, New York, 1990.
Roxaboxen, by Barbara Cooney.
Publisher: Puffin Books, New York, 1991.
Women’s History Month: A Children’s Book Every Day.
A list of excellent titles from Social Justice Books.
Peace and Nonviolence
The Knight and the Dragon, by Tomie De Paola.
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, New York,1980. A knight who has never fought a dragon and an equally inexperienced dragon prepare to meet each other in battle. The ultimate result is a delightful cooperative enterprise.
Best Day of the Week, by Nancy Carlsson-Paige.
Publisher: Redleaf Press, Minneapolis, MN, 1998. This book can be used as a curriculum guide for elementary school grades for conflict resolution.
Shoes Like Miss Alice’s, by Angela Johnson.
Publisher: Orchard Books, New York, 1995.
Six Crows by Leo Lionni.
Publisher: Scholastic Inc. 1988. Crows and a farmer quarrel over a wheat field. Their conflict nearly causes the demise of the wheat until a wise owl helps them make peace.
Matthew and Tilly by Rebecca C. Jones
Publisher: Puffin Unicorn 1991. Urban setting. Best friends experience the emotional ups and downs of relationship as they quarrel and then reconcile.
The Lotus Seed by Tatsuro Kiuchi.
Publisher: Harcoart Brace & Co (1993) A beautifully illustrated book set in the time of the Vietnam war. A child’s grandmother leaves her troubled land and immigrates to the U.S. She brings a lotus seed from her homeland. She explains “It is the flower of life and hope”.
The Owl and the Woodpecker by Brian Wildsmith.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (1971) Seemingly irreconcilable differences – the owl’s need to sleep and the woodpecker’s need to work during the day leads to a conflict that involves the entire woodland community. Back to Top
Self Reflection
My Wish for Tomorrow: Words and Pictures from Children Around the World, by Jim Henson
Publisher: Tambourine Books, New York, 1995. Children’s wishes reflect the same hopes and dreams all over the world.
Dream Catcher, by Audrey Osofsky.
Publisher: Orchard Books, New York, 1992 A girl and her grandmother reflect on separation and feeling safe.
Used with permission from Thinking Together with Young Children: Weaving a Tapestry of Community by Susan Hopkins. Additional titles by S. Davisson.
Winners of the 2003 Jane Addams Children’s Book Awards
Jane Addams Children’s Book Awards annually acknowledge books published during the previous year in the US effectively addressing themes or topics promoting peace, social justice, world community, and/or equality of the sexes and all races. The books must also meet conventional standards for literacy and artistic excellence. The winner in the Picture Book category is: Patrol: An American Soldier in Vietnam, an unrhymed story-poem written by Vietnam veteran Walter Dean Myers and accompanied by collage artwork created by Ann Grifalconi. Published: HarperCollins Children’s Books, New York City. Books for Older Children, Parvana’s Journey, a novel about an Afghan refugee girl separated from her family. Author Deborah Ellis. Publisher Groundwood Books/Douglas & McIntyre, Toronto, Canada. One of two Honor Books in the Picture Book category is !Si, Se Puede! Yes, We Can! Janitor Strike in L.A. by Diana Cohn. Published by Cinco Puntos Press in El Paso, Texas. The other Honor Book picture book, The Village that Vanished, is an original story set in East Africa during the years when people were being captured by slavers. Ann Grifalconi. Published by Dial Books for Young Readers, New York City. The Same Stuff as Stars by Katherine Paterson and When My Names Was Keoko by Linda Sue Park were named Honor Books in the category of Books for Older Children. Clarion Books of New York City published both books.
The African American Experience
QuakerBooks Collection of Children’s Books on the African American Experience
These thoughtful and powerful stories are important staples of any children’s book collection.
Mental Health
Mental Health Children’s Books
This Facebook Page has a robust list of children’s titles and information for mental health.