Children’s books have a long tradition of highlighting diversity and demystifying cultural differences for young readers. Here are a few noteworthy examples that Kirkus Indie reviewed:
Ándale Puss: Where to Next?, a 2019 picture book by Warren Handley, illustrated by Erin Gibbs, celebrates difference in its tale of the titular, English-speaking cat, who travels by boat, plane, bike, and train to Russia, where she eagerly learns about its culture—discovering books by Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky, eating borscht, and encountering matryoshka dolls. She also hears many Russian words, rendered in Cyrillic text with pronunciation keys. The starred Kirkus review points out: “Endnotes describe how the author learned that a smile can bridge linguistic and culture gaps and help travelers make friends—a moral that the cat’s escapades wholeheartedly and effectively represent.”
In the 2019 illustrated children’s book Zazu Dreams by Cara Judea Alhadeff, illustrated by Micaela Amateau Amato, a youngster of Sephardi, Mizrahi, and African American descent goes on a journey through time to visit his ancestors and learn “history that we never hear about in school.” He also learns about science and ecology as he visits sites in the Caribbean and the Middle East. “The author is effective in showing the breadth, depth, and appeal of Jewish and Arab history, language, and culture,” says Kirkus’ reviewer.
The Poetry Friday Anthology for Celebrations (2015), compiled by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong, offers a wide-ranging set of poems for kids, in English and Spanish, about holidays and cultural events worldwide. Kirkus’ reviewer calls it “bubbly and educational,” noting that it “looks beyond the United States to educate students about festivals throughout the world…such as Nepal’s Dashain and Japan’s Obon. It also celebrates diversity at home, with poems observing holidays such as Gay Pride Day, Arab American Heritage Month, and National Blended Family Day.”
David Rapp is the senior Indie editor.
