This book talks about how everyone is part of a story and points out other things about each person (their favorite color, their family, their favorite food) and talks about how race is just part of every person's story.
2-5 years old
Informational
Fort Steilacoom ECE shelves

Description: This book provides a starting point for discussing race and encourages open conversations about diversity and acceptance.
Age Group: 4-8 years

I really enjoyed this book and thought it would be a good book to read aloud in an elementary classroom, any time of the school year. Talks about how race is a part of our stories. Addresses false stories er know such as racism, sexism, classism, etc. Could be used to have children talk about their own stories and heritage in a project. ( )

"Acomforting direct address asks readers to think of themselves as stories, and to consider the elements of their stories: families, favorite foods, hobbies, etc.—“Oh. There’s something else that is part of my story. It’s part of yours, too. That’s what race we are.” Simply and confidently, the narrative encourages readers to reject the false stories—“I’m better than you because . . . ”—and to focus on the stories that lie beneath the skin. Possibly the most effective exercise engages the reader directly by asking her to feel the bones under her skin, a multimedia demonstration of sorts of our universal kinship. The offering treads much of the same ground as bell hooks’s Skin Again (2004), but its clear statement of its agenda much more successfully speaks to a child’s concrete understanding of the world. Barbour’s jewel-toned paintings provide a counterpoint with an appropriately kaleidoscopic array of many-hued children moving fluidly against brilliant backdrops. It’s an effort that could easily founder under its own earnestness, but the lighthearted, avuncular tone and vivid art combine to make a surprisingly effective package. (Picture book/nonfiction. 5-10)" www.kirkusreviews.com

A great elementary age introduction to race, racism, and current relevant topics. The artwork is gorgeous and brimming with color and blend with the text in order to extend them. The readers are shown a perspective that allows them to understand a common identity everyone shares. Lester discusses race in a succinct and easy to digest manner. ( )