Picture Book Series
Disclaimer: The Nora Project no longer uses the term "#OwnVoices" to describe books where the author's lived experience is reflected in their work through its characters, events, themes, and more. To learn more about this decision and background, please reference the statement released by We Need Diverse Books here.
The Nora Project’s mission to build inclusive classrooms and to promote friendship, empathy, and inclusion takes many forms. Curricula, training and workshops, and creating partnerships with others who share our same focus all contribute to our drive to make the world better. The core of our work revolves around children, and one of the staples that we go to are books that help highlight the various themes and topics of our programs. Today, we’re sharing several series that we have found to be representative of our overarching goal of building more inclusive schools and communities – and worth the read!
The media company a kids company about offers a nice selection of media, including kids’ books, podcasts, and classes that cover a wide range of topics. A number of books resonate with TNP themes.
A kids book about DISABILITIES, written by Kristen Napper, is an #OwnVoices book that provides an introduction to disability in clear, concise language. It can be used to spark more in-depth discussions on questioning and consent and the changes to our world that can result in more inclusive spaces and communities.
In a kids book about EMPATHY, author Daron K. Roberts provides an explanation of empathy and how it is different from sympathy. He presents four steps that anyone can follow to show empathy – a great tool for both children and adults!
Two books that complement each other and address other important TNP themes are a kids book about IDENTITY by Taboo, and a kids book about diversity by Charnaie Gordon. The authors provide rich descriptions of what makes up a person's identity, and how diversity is the kaleidoscope of identities that should be embraced and celebrated in this beautiful world.
The Able Fables is a series of books written by Dr. Nicole Julia that focuses on stories about characters with disabilities. The stories promote inclusion and feature animal characters with a variety of disabilities. At the back of each book are two sections that highlight children with disabilities - Gary’s Fantastic Friends (two children are introduced in this section, with accompanying pictures), and Gary’s Wall of Fame, featuring snapshots of young children with disabilities.
In Gary’s Gigantic Dream, a giraffe describes his dream to own the perfect wheelchair that will allow him to go where he chooses and do as he pleases. The wheelchair is the tool that enables Gary to join in with his friends.
Lia’s Kind Mind features a young lion with a facial birthmark who tells about her love of gymnastics - all except the beam that is! She is terrified, but with the support of her friends and a growth mindset, she conquers that fear and performs a new skill on the beam.
Louie’s Together Playground is the third book in the series. Gary’s friend, Louie, is a llama who has dwarfism. He loves to build things, all kinds of things. The thing he likes to build the most is friendships! He recognizes that his playground is not accessible, so all of his friends can’t gather there to play together. He sets off on a mission with his friends to create an inclusive playground.
In the series Ben’s Adventures, author Elizabeth Gerlach writes stories featuring her son Ben, a little boy with cerebral palsy. The focus of her books is to showcase all the similarities that young children share. Her books aim to foster acceptance and inclusion while delighting children with stories of fun adventures.
In Ben’s Adventures: A Day at the Beach, readers are introduced to Ben, a young boy who loves playing at the beach and dreaming big dreams. He just happens to use a wheelchair, but there is so much more to Ben than his mobility aid!
Ben’s Adventures: Under the Big Top! takes readers on a magical journey through a circus. Ben imagines all he and his classmates can do as they explore the activities typically found “under the big top.”
Picture books are such a great way to introduce important topics such as inclusion and empathy, and book series have the ability to extend those topics with deep discussions as children become connected to the themes and characters.
Team TNP is always looking for materials to add to our Kindness Library! Let us know what you think about these books, and tag us on social media (Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram) with additional book recommendations.
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