Diversity Text Set

Diversity Text Set Meghan Rayhill, Lynn Dail, Liz Parks And Tango Makes Three APA Citation​: J. Richardson & P. Parnell. (2005). ​And Tango makes three​. Location: Simon & Schuster. Summary: This is a true story that takes place at a zoo in New York City. It tells the stories of animal families, including penguins who fall in love. Every year, penguins find a mate and form couples. Two male penguins, Roy and Silo, became a couple. They acted like the other couples by building a nest of stones; however, they realized they couldn’t lay an egg. The zookeeper found an egg that needed to be taken care of and gave it to Roy and Silo. The egg hatched, so Roy and Silo became fathers. They named their chick, Tango and raised her together. The message this book presents is that anyone can be in love and that not all families have a mother and father figure. This book could be used to teach children about non-traditional families. An activity that could be led after reading this book is having the children draw a picture of their families, and then hang them in a central location, so everyone can see how every family is unique in its own way. Key Words: Zoo, Family, Penguin Grade Level: Pre-K- 2 Julián is a Mermaid APA Citation​: Love, J. (2018). ​Julian is a mermaid​. Summary: This story is about a young boy who loves mermaids. He tells his abuela that he is a mermaid, and when he takes a bath, he dresses himself up as one. Then his abuela gives him a beautiful beaded necklace and takes him to a convention with a ton of mermaids. Julian joins them and feels accepted. The story contains several Spanish words, and half of the story is told through colorful pictures. This book honors Hispanic culture by using Spanish words such as abuela, vámonos, and mijo. This aspect of the book might make children who are English language learners feel comfortable after hearing familiar words from the language they speak at home. This book teaches the reader about self-expression. The message this book presents is that anyone can express themselves in any way they want to, even if it means in a way that is sometimes seen as non-traditional to society. An activity that could be led after reading this book is having the children create self portraits and encouraging students to express themselves. Key Words: Mermaid, Abuela, Mijo Grade Level: Pre-K- 3

Daddy, Papa, and Me APA Citation: ​Newman, L. (2009). ​Daddy, Papa, and me.​ ​Crown Publishing Group Summary: The story is about a small child and her two fathers. The story briefly describes different things the child does with her fathers in a rhyming fashion. The book promotes a loving relationship between a child and their two fathers. I think that this book would be best used in a preschool classroom on a unit about families. It could be read on mothers or fathers day as a means of showing young children that there are different families that children should start to understand. It could be read during a unit where the teachers talk about how some people have two moms, some people have two dads, and some people have a mom and a dad, or just one

parent and so on. The story could also be used in a lesson where children who are beginning to read can be given the book to read by themselves, and then either write a sentence about what they thought about the book. They could also be given a project where they have to draw pictures of what happened in the book in the order that it happened. Key Words: Papa, Play, Family Grade Level: P-K Home At Last APA Citation:​ Williams, V., B. (2016). ​Home At Last.​ Greenwillow Books Summary: The story showcases a young child named Lester. It is explained in the book that Lester’s family has died in a car accident, and he lived with his grandmother until she died. He lives in a children’s center until two people Daddy Albert, and Daddy Lester come and adopt Lester. The story shows how Lester goes from being very frightened of his new house to how he becomes more comfortable with his role in his new house. Lester is first very afraid that someone will come in the night to kidnap him so he keeps his action figures in a blue suitcase by the bed. He also spends a lot of the nights going into his new fathers room and hoping that he can curl up in their bed with them. Daddy Albert gets mad that Lester keeps doing this and yells at Lester which makes him cry. After this the Daddies agree that he can crawl up in their bed on Sunday mornings and the family dogs also starts spending the night in Lesters room. Lester becomes more comfortable Wincka, the family dog, lets Lester use her as a pillow. Lester relaxes with his new family, learns about his new extended family and spends a lot of time with them. The book promotes a supportive adoptive family, and how a child can adapt and become comfortable in a new environment. A lesson with this book could be taught during a family unit like the other books, or during an LGBT unit. The teacher could ask the students to write about their special family traditions like what Lester and his fathers had on Sundays. The teacher could ask the children to draw or paint a picture of what their family looks like, and ask them what it means to be a family. Key Words: Family, Adoption, loneliness Grade Level: Pre K- 3 Oliver Button is a Sissy APA Citation: ​DePaola, T. (1979). ​Oliver Button is a sissy.​ New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. Summary: The main character is a young boy named Oliver Button. Oliver likes to dance, sing, read and paint rather than play sports, like most of his boy classmates. His classmates and even his father call him a sissy and make fun of him for choosing to pursue his dance talents over sports. Oliver’s peers at school write “Oliver Button is a sissy” on the wall. After performing a dance routine in a talent show, Oliver is nervous the bullying at school will continue, only to find that his peers crossed out “sissy” on the wall and wrote “star” over it. This story teaches readers to be more accepting of others and not to bully others for not following traditional gender roles. Oliver is a character most boys who also do not follow traditional gender roles could possibly relate to. The message of inclusiveness/accepting others for who they are and what their passions are is straightforward and powerful for all readers. However, the title may be

inappropriate, as it states an offensive term that can be picked up and used for bullying. The book is recommended for grades PK-2, and all students at this age would be able to understand the lesson and relate to Oliver and/or his classmates. After reading the book, the teacher could lead a discussion or activity where students can share what their talents are or something they are passionate about/enjoy doing. Students could also write/draw notes to a partner/peer that describes something positive about the other student (Student A would write: “Student B is a good reader”) similarly to how Oliver’s classmates wrote “Oliver Button is a star”. Key Words: Talent, Star, Routine Grade Level: PK-2 Sewing the Rainbow: The Story of Gilbert Baker and the Rainbow Flag APA Citation: ​Pitman, G. E. (2018). ​Sewing the rainbow: The story of Gilbert Baker and the rainbow flag.​ Magination Press. Summary: This story is about Gilbert Baker, an American gay rights activist and artist, as a young boy from Kansas. Gilbert grew up making art and sewing with his grandma. He dreamed of one day leaving his dull town in Kansas. He finally moved to San Francisco where he participated in the gay rights movement and creates the gay rights flag that is as colorful as he is. This story teaches children to follow their dreams and passions and be proud of how they are as individuals. Gilbert Baker is a prime example of a person who stands up against social injustices towards the LGBTQ community. An activity that could be done after reading this book could be to have students create their own flags that they feel expresses who they are/what they’re passionate about. Key Words: Pride, Rights, Passion Grade Level: PK-3