Held every year on the 21st of May, the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development celebrates not only the richness of the world’s cultures, but also the essential role of intercultural dialogue for achieving peace and sustainable development. Diversity goes hand in hand with innovation, creativity, has proven to enrich creative thinking, promotes innovation and helps with problem solving.
Please find below 5 children’s books for diversity, in all its forms, along with us making a little wish for our children’s children: we hope this will become so obvious, you won't need a special day to celebrate it all!
- Giraffes Can't Dance, by Giles Andreae, Greek Publisher Patakis, Reading Age: 5+
Giraffes Can't Dance is a touching tale of Gerald the giraffe, who wants nothing more than to dance. With crooked knees and thin legs, it's harder for a giraffe than you would think. Gerald is finally able to dance to his own tune when he gets some encouraging words from an unlikely friend.With light-footed rhymes and high-stepping illustrations, this tale is gentle inspiration for every child with dreams of greatness
2. Be more Bernard, by Kate Hindley, Simon Philip, publisher Simon & Schuster Children's UK ~ Greek publisher Dioptra, Reading Age: 5+
“When the other bunnies bounced, I bounced. When they hopped, I hopped. When they slept, I did too. Like them, I dreamed. But MY dreams weren't the same. They were less . . . rabbity.” Bernard has decided that he's not going to be like all the other bunnies any more. He's not going to twitch his nose and prick his ears. And while others might dream of carrots, Bernard's dreams are altogether more ...disco! He starts small, but when he finally gets to groove with grace and jive with joy at Bertie and Brenda's Bunny Ball, Bernard shows the world that being yourself is the very best thing a bunny can be.”
4. Worm loves worm, by JJ Austrian, illustrated by Mike Curato, Greek publisher Kleidarithmos, Reading Age: 5+
One of Time Out's “LGBTQ+ books for kids to read during Pride Month,” this irresistible picture book is a celebration of love in all its splendid forms from debut author J. J. Austrian and the acclaimed author-illustrator of Little Elliot, Big City, Mike Curato. You are cordially invited to celebrate the wedding of a worm...and a worm. When a worm meets a special worm and they fall in love, you know what happens next: They get married! But their friends want to know—who will wear the dress? And who will wear the tux? The answer is: It doesn't matter. Because worm loves worm.
5. Jack and Jim, by Kitty Crowther, Greek Publisher Martis Kids, Reading age 4+
One fine day Jack, a blackbird, leaves the forest to see the rest of the world and meets Jim, a white seagull. The two become friends, but the rest of the gulls in the seaside village are unfriendly and suspicious of the stranger. A gentle, allusive tale, now-turned-into-a-classic, by Kitty Crowther, might be a parable about race, immigration, friendship or romance, and that rich ambiguity is its strongest suit.
5. Woolf: half wolf, half sheep, all heart, by Alex and Patrick Latimer, Greek publisher Fourfouri, Reading Age 3+
A wolf and a sheep fall in love. They have a son that they call Woolf - he's half wolf, half woolly sheep! This is Woolf's story. It's not easy being different - not quite fitting in with one group or another. When Woolf tries to impress the wolves, he finds it fun for a while, but they're a bit too wild. When he tries to follow the sheep, he finds it all a bit, well, boring. Can Woolf find his own way in life and make his own friends that like him for who he is, not who he's trying to be?
tag:Wonder Wall