Multicultural Text Set

Theme: Accepting and Appreciating Differences

Title: Someone Just Like Me
Author: Carol A. Marron
Illustrator: Cindy Wheeler
Description: When her lifelong roommate and twin sister moves out, Carrie May feels lonely
living in the house with only her cat, Bixby, so she puts an ad in the newspaper for a new
roommate. Despite the long line of people waiting to meet her, Carrie May declines anyone who
is different than her. After many rejections, she realizes that she and Bixby have differences, yet
they get along great, so she decides to look past the small details and accept the visitors for who
they are. Three key words that represent this book are tolerant, uncritical, and open-minded.
Grade level: K-2.
Evaluation: The main character, Carrie May, is an elderly woman and is represented as an ablebodied person, instead of weak or meek like many seniors are portrayed as. The literary quality
of the book is great through its important message and its frequent use of dialogue between
characters. Although Carrie May turns down many visitors, there are no loaded words used to
describe the visitors that hint at negative stereotypes. This book promotes inclusivity because the
main character learns to not judge someone based on one characteristic and that it is okay to have
friends who are not exactly the same as you.
Recommended use: A teacher could use this book at the beginning of the year to build the
classroom community. Similar to the activity that we did on the first day of ELED 310, groups
could make charts or diagrams about their similarities and differences to learn more about one
another.

Title: Chrysanthemum
Author: Kevin Henkes
Illustrator: Kevin Henkes
Description: Prior to her first day of school, Chrysanthemum loved her name. At school, her
classmates laugh at it because it was different than names that they were familiar with. After
school, Chrysanthemums parents reassure her that it is special and just as important as anyone
elses. The mocking continues until one day when the music teacher complimented her name and
expressed her love for it. Once that happens, the students begin to appreciate Chrysanthemums
name, which restores her confidence. Three key words that represent this book are appreciation,
difference, and pride. Grade level: K-2.
Evaluation: This book has high literary quality through its complex vocabulary, plot, and
illustrations. Reading it would not result in any negative effects on a childs self-image because

the mice have a variety of colors of fur. Although the characters are not people, the mice are
personified and the illustrations do not represent stereotypes. They are not crawling around and
eating cheese, but instead walk and each has different physical aspects. It promotes inclusivity
because the class learns to accept Chrysanthemums different name and to not exclude her based
on one characteristic.
Recommended use: This would be a great book to read at the start of the school year because it
is set in the beginning of the year and it teaches a valuable lesson about accepting differences. I
also think that this would be useful when discussing the order of events in a story because it is
not difficult for the children to follow the order and the mood as the story progresses.

Title: I Wish I Were a Butterfly

Author: James Howe
Illustrator: Ed Young
Description: When the littlest cricket is told that he is ugly, he decides that he does not want to
be a cricket anymore but wants to be a butterfly. Each bug that he meets in Swampswallow Pond
explains to him that he is special, but he does not believe them until he meets Old One, the
spider. She explained that she too has been called ugly and that every creature is beautiful and
unique in their own way. This book promotes inclusiveness because it shows how the littlest
cricket felt alone when he was called ugly and how the other bugs made tried to make him feel
important. Three key words that represent this book are confidence, perspective, and kindness.
Grade level: 1-3.
Evaluation: This book has high literary quality because of its theme, illustrations, character
variety, and frequent dialogue. The bugs that the littlest cricket talks to each have their own
opinions on themselves and advice for him. The illustrations are large, detailed, and colorful.
Each page has 1-2 insects and most are drawn in their environment. The dialogue that the littlest
cricket has with each bug is individualized but does contribute towards the end result of him
seeing his own beauty.
Recommended use: I would use this book during a discussion about bullying because it shows
how much of an effect that one negative comment can have on someone, which is why it is
important to be mindful of ones words. A group activity connecting the students with characters
would go nicely with the topic of kindness. They could discuss why the frog would make such a
mean comment, how they would feel if they were the cricket, and what they wouldve said to the
cricket if they were the bugs in the pond.

Title: The Colors of Us

Author: Karen Katz
Illustrator: Karen Katz

Description: When Lena thinks of her skin as just brown, her mom tells her that there are many
shades of brown. As Lena and her mom see friends around town, her mom points out what
specific shade of brown their skin color is and Lena compares it to things around her such as
food and leaves. While she hangs out with all of her friends, Lena appreciates all of the different
skin colors around her. Three key words that represent this book are individuality, appreciation,
and positivity. Grade level: PreK-1.
Evaluation: As Lenas friends are introduced, there is no stereotyping about their culture but
instead a brief appreciation of their skin colors. The standards of success are the same for each
character; the Caucasian friend is not represented in an authority position over any other races
introduced. This story would have a positive effect on students self-image because each skin
color is described in a positive manner and is valued. There is high literary quality through the
constant connections made and the detailed illustrations. This book promotes inclusivity because
Lenas group of friends is diverse and she is proud of that.
Recommended use: I would use this book in the beginning of the year while building the
classroom community because it is a positive way to introduce the various skin colors among
students. Each child could draw a self-portrait (face only or whole body) with as much detail to
color and characteristics as possible and then write about themselves.

Title: The Invisible Boy

Author: Trudy Ludwig
Illustrator: Patrice Barton
Description: Brian is overlooked and ignored by his teacher and his classmates so he sits by
himself and draws pictures using his imagination. When the new student, Justin, arrives, all of
the students laugh at him during lunch except Brian. Brian writes Justin a note to make him feel
better and in return, Justin compliments Brians drawing. When they have to pick groups, Brian
is nervous because he is never chosen, but Justin makes sure to include him. With Justins help,
Brian becomes accepted in the classroom. Three key words that represent this book are kindness,
compassion, and appreciation. Grade level: K-2.
Evaluation: There is high literary quality within this book through the message and illustrations.
The standards of success in this story are the same for each character, whether it be Brian, who is
Caucasian, or Justin, who is Korean. The relationships between characters from different cultures
are positive. The white students do not have any power over the minority students, such as
Justin, as he is able to solve his own problems and those involving Brian. The dialogue is
effective in that it is typed within the print and written in word bubbles in the illustrations.
Although the classmates are not the focus of the story, the illustrations do include students from
different ethnic groups and they do not all look the same. This book promotes inclusivity by
explaining how Brian felt when he was invisible and how he felt when Justin involved him in
activities and he was seen by his peers.

Recommended use: I would use this book in the beginning of the year to encourage students to
involve everyone in their activities, even those who are quieter. It would also benefit the quiet
students because they would feel represented and appreciated. A neat writing activity could be a
prompt such as If I were Justin, I would be nice to Brian by or If I were Justin, I would
include Brian by so that the students can put themselves in the characters shoes and
determine how they would respond.

Title: Friska: The Sheep That Was Too Small

Author: Rob Lewis
Illustrator: Rob Lewis
Description: Friska is laughed at by the other sheep because of how small she is. She tries many
ways to appear larger, but nothing seems to work. One night, a wolf chased the flock of sheep
around the field, but did not see Friska hiding because of her size. Before he could attack the
flock, Friska snuck behind him and bit his tail so the wolf ran away. From then on, Friska
became a member of the flock and was not mocked again. Three key words that represent this
story are value, bravery, and pride. Grade level: K-2
Evaluation: The literary quality of this book is great through the detailed illustrations and the
sentence length. Being the hero of the story, Friska faces the issue and solves the problem on her
own. This book promotes inclusiveness because Friska was singled out in the beginning and had
trouble fitting in, but by the end, the flock of sheep appreciated her and saw the value in her size
so they welcomed her in their group.
Recommended use: I would use this book to teach students about individual strengths and
appreciating differences. Groups could each be assigned a characteristic, such as fast or tall, and
then discuss what strengths that quality provides. Relating back to the story, Friskas strength is
that she is small enough to hide from predators. The groups could share what they came up with
or it could be written on a poster so that classmates who identify with the various characteristics
will feel valuable and understand strengths that they may have.

Title: Edward the Emu

Author: Sheena Knowles
Illustrator: Rod Clement
Description: Edward is bored of being an emu, so he visits other animals at the zoo who he
hears people are excited to see. In each exhibit, he acts just like that specific animal whether it be
growling with the lion or balancing with the seal. He visits other exhibits until he hears a visitor
say that the emu is their favorite thing to see at the zoo, so he heads back to his cage because he

is excited to be appreciated for being himself. Three key words that represent this story are pride,
value, and confidence. Grade level: K-2.
Evaluation: The high literary quality of this book can be seen through its detailed illustrations,
rhyming lines, repetitive transitions, and frequent use of dialogue. Rhyme makes a story much
more fun to read and is easier for children to keep up with. The repetitive transitions make it
clear that whenever Edward hears a visitors comment about their favorite thing at the zoo, he
will be moving to another animal exhibit. This book promotes the acceptance of ones value
while appreciating others values too.
Recommended use: I would read this book at the beginning of the school year so that the
students know that it is important to be themselves and that they do not need to conform to what
others are doing. At the same time, they should be open to learning about others differences.
Similar to the zoo mentioned in the book, a teacher could turn her class into a zoo by randomly
grouping students into animals. On a piece of paper, each group can write down a few things
about their animal and why they like being that animal. One at a time, a student from each
animal will rotate to another animals area and learn about it. This way, students can discuss their
own groups characteristics and experience what it is like to learn about others without losing
their own identity.

Title: To Be a Kid
Author: Maya Ajmera and John D. Ivanko
Illustrator: N/A (Actual photos are used instead of illustrations)
Description: Each page has a few words that finish the phrase To be a kid means Endings
include going to school and running races. On each page, there are 2-3 actual photos of children
from different countries doing what it says in the print. The name of the country where the photo
was taken is beside it. Three key words that represent this book are international, variety, and
real-life. Grade level: PreK-K.
Evaluation: While the print quality is not very high because there are few words, the picture
quality is wonderful as each photo shows an example of what it means to be a kid in a specific
country. Although many ethnic groups are shown, there are no negative stereotypes represented,
especially because the photos are of actual people. The story would not offend a child whose
culture is seen in the book, so it would only benefit a childs self-image because the pictures are
realistic and not embarrassing or fake. Through the use of photos from various parts of the world,
this book promotes inclusiveness because each page sends the message that there are different
people who do things differently, but there are similarities that can be found as well.
Recommended use: I would use this book to create a similar book for my classroom library. It
would have to be a big book so that more than one picture could fit on each page. With the title
To Be a Kid, we would come up with our own endings as a class. For example, if the first page
says To be a kid means playing outside, I would ask the students (or parents) to bring in

pictures of them playing outside so that we could add it to our book. You could change the title
to To Be a Preschooler or To Be a Kindergartner and do the same activity.

Title: Rainbow Fish and the Big Blue Whale

Author: Marcus Pfister
Illustrator: Marcus Pfister
Description: Rainbow Fish and his friends spend their time eating krill around the coral reef
alone until a whale comes to enjoy krill too. He watches them and admires their scales. Soon
enough, all of the fish feel threatened by the whale because they think that he may eat all of the
krill or eat them. To teach them a lesson, the whale swims much closer to the fish and follows
them around. Tired of hiding, Rainbow Fish decides that they need to settle their differences with
the whale. While talking to one another, Rainbow Fish and the whale explain their sides and
apologize for the misunderstanding. From then on, the fish swim alongside the whale as they
search for krill. Three key words that represent this story are understanding, uncritical, and open.
Grade level: K-2.
Evaluation: This story has great literary quality though its details, illustrations, and overall
message. There are many descriptive adjectives used and the illustrations support them on each
page. Although the characters are not people, they are personified and the illustrations show each
with different physical characteristics. This book promotes inclusiveness because it shows how
the whale felt when the fish judged him before they got to know him. Once Rainbow Fish
decided to talk to the whale, he realized that the whale was not a threat at all and that they
misjudged him, so the whale joined their group and it worked out well.
Recommended use: I would use this book in the beginning of the year when building the
classroom community because of its message to not judge a book by its cover and take the time
to get to know one another. The children could share connections that they have with either the
whale or the fish and explain how they moved past the problem. Problem-solving skills could be
used if the students did a writing assignment finishing the phrase If I were the fish, when I saw
the whale, I wouldve After reading, students will know that the way the fish reacted was
unkind, so they could write about how they wouldve responded.

Title: Duck & Goose

Author: Tad Hills
Illustrator: Tad Hills
Description: When Duck and Goose spot an egg by itself, they argue over who it belongs to and
how to take care of it correctly. They think of ways to deal with the egg including putting a fence
around it to block the other one out and using signs to keep the other away. After a lot of
tumbling, Duck and Goose both sit on top of the egg with their backs to each other. On top of the

egg, they continue to argue over whose ideas are better for raising the baby. Soon, they find
commonalities in what they want to teach the baby, so they begin getting along better. Duck
teaches Goose to quack while Goose teaches Duck to honk. The blue bird reveals to them that it
is not an egg at all. In fact, it is a ball, so Duck and Goose play with it together. Three key words
that represent this book are tolerance, patience, and common ground. Grade level: K-2.
Evaluation: This story shows great literary quality in its message, vocabulary, constant
dialogue, and illustrations. The word choice is wonderful for children because there are a lot of
action verbs that children will recognize whether it is gulping or chirping. The constant dialogue
between Duck and Goose keeps the story interesting and helps children develop a sense of how
each character acts. Illustrations on each page reiterate what is read in the print and are
frequently used. For example, two pages are mainly dialogue between the two main characters,
so there is a small illustration beside each comment made. This book promotes inclusiveness
because it begins with two characters who refuse to listen to one another, but by the end, they
have gotten to know one another better and have learned from each other. This relates to
inclusivity because they learned that they had many similarities once they accepted the other.
Recommended use: I would use this book in the beginning of the school year to discuss
differences and similarities among students. I would randomly create pairs and have each pair
make a Venn diagram. One side would be about Student A and the other would be about Student
B, while the middle would be things they have in common. Once finished, they could share their
similarities and differences with the class so that other pairs could compare too.