With all the negative discourse going in the world right now (particularly right now), I’ve been on the lookout for positive things that make me and my children feel better. I try to take some time each day to find the good in the world: reading about random acts of kindness, watching videos of parents giving pep talks to their kids, and reading books that teach empathy with my girls. So I was really excited when just recently I received a copy of The Barefoot Book of Children to review.
If, like me, you’re already a fan of Barefoot Books, then you’ll absolutely love their latest written by Tessa Strickland and Kate DePalma and Illustrated by David Dean. I’ve adored the collection of books from Barefoot Books ever since I discovered them in 2006 while searching for multicultural books I could share with my biracial daughters.
If you’re not aware of this independent publishing company that celebrates diversity, inclusion, and creativity, then this book just may be the perfect introduction.
The book begins with, “Every morning, millions of children open their eyes and start another day. We are all somewhere. Where are you?” Colorful illustrations go on to show children of all races and religions, and from every imaginable region, with their families doing everyday things.
Each page focuses on ordinary parts of a child’s everyday life: where they live, what their families look like, how they play, how they pray, and what they learn. It encourages children to see how, despite our own uniqueness (and we do want to celebrate that individuality and uniqueness), we are also all very much alike.
The book is a combination of picture book and world culture global encyclopedia, making it perfect for younger children and bigger kids too. Even my 9-year-old loves the maps, the language lessons, and the lists of games that are played around the world.
Call me a sappy child of the ’70s, but by the time I was done reading this book, I was singing, “I’d like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony.”
The Barefoot Book of Children is available at our affiliate Amazon or at Barefoot Books.
