Multicultural Children’s Book CollectionBY: NICHOLAS B. BUNTON

InTASC Standards

Standard #2 The teacher uses understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures and communities to ensure inclusive learning environment that enable each learner to meet high standards

Standard #4 The teacher understands the central concepts and use of differing perspectives to engage learners in critical thinking, and collaborative problem solving related to authentic local and global issues

Tar Beach

Title: Tar Beach

Author: Faith Ringgold

Publication Date: December 3, 1996

Publisher: Dragonfly Books

Genre:History

Unit Theme: Black History

Book Summary: Illus. in full color. "Ringgold recounts the dream adventure of eight-year-old Cassie Louise Lightfoot, who flies above her apartment-building rooftop, the 'tar beach' of the title, looking down on 1939 Harlem. Part autobiographical, part fictional, this allegorical tale sparkles with symbolic and historical references central to African-American culture. The spectacular artwork resonates with color and texture. Children will delight in the universal dream of mastering one's world by flying over it. A practical and stunningly beautiful book."--(starred) Horn Book. 

Activity: To add black history in the classroom, during Black History Month talk about African American men and women who have made contribution to society as well as education. Use Author Faith Ringgold as an example. Ringgold is a well known author was an art teacher long before she became a professional artist. She is best known for her 'painted story quilts,' some of which hang in the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City. Tar Beach, Ringgold's first book for children, won the Coretta Scott King Award for illustration and was named a Caldecott Honor Book. Ringgold is now a professor of art at the University of California at San Diego

Multicultural Relation: Tar Beach tells a story of an African American girl who lives in Harlem, New York. She has a dream to one day make it out of Harlem to become someone great. This book is over seventeen years old and still has an encouraging message for youth of all ethnicities. The message is simply this. No matter where you grew up or how much money your family has, if you dream it, you can achieve it.

The Kids' Multicultural Cookbook: Food and Fun Around the World Title: The Kids' Multicultural Cookbook: Food and Fun Around the World

Author: Deanna F. Cook

Publication Date: 2008

Publisher: Ideals Publications

Genre: Social Studies

Unit Theme: Social Studies

Activity: To introduce students to other cultures around the world. Choose at least three countries to learn more about. (China, Africa, Mexico). Find out what each country’s major crop is. Make a grocery list with your students to buy all ingredients for each dish you will make. Have students participate as much as possible in preparing each dish . Finally sample each dish you and your students prepared.

Multicultural Relation: Living in a country that is so richly cultural, we see often see people of many different backgrounds and heritages. It is important for students to know more about the countries around them. This activity will allow students to engage in cultural learning through internet research and books from the school library.

The Root of My Family Tree

Title: The Root of My Family Tree

Author: Nikki Alling

Publication Date: February 7, 2012

Publisher: Amazon.com

Genre: History

Unit Theme: Geography

Book Summary: The Roots of My Family Tree, is a celebration book for children, families and educators to use as an enjoyable springboard for conversations about family heritage. Bright, colorful, full illustrations, written in rhyme

Activity: In this activity students will reflect on their own families arrival to the United States. They will gather as

much information as possible. By filling in their family tree with as many generations as possible. Next they will plot

the names and birthplaces of those family members on a world map.

Multicultural Relation: This activity is a multicultural activity because students will learn first hand that everyone in

the world has originated in another country. They will learn about their family’s arrival to the United States and their

rich ancestry.

Once Upon A Vegetable

Title: Once Upon A Vegetable

Author:  P’nina Seplowitz

Publication Date: August 16, 2012

Publisher: Trafford 

Genre: Health

Unit Theme: Health

Activity: Read Once Upon A Vegetable aloud to students. After reading the book. Talk about healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables students like to eat and foods they see at school, at home, or at the grocery store. Then talk about fruits and vegetables students may not see on a regular basis or my not have even tried before. For instance kiwi, Zucchini, Cantaloupe. After talking about those foods. Bring those foods in to the classroom for students to try. Ask them how it tastes and would they to eat those foods more. Also talk with students the important of healthy eating and where these foods a largely grown.

Book Summary: Oscar; a wealthy man from a small village; has a chef who prepares the fanciest meats and the sweetest desserts one could imagine. But; they do not satisfy him. He yearns to find a new food that satiates and excites him. Oscar decides to hold a contest in his village to find that one special food. He soon learns that the most simple fruits and vegetables growing in the orchards and fields right in his own village are not only healthy but taste good too. Oscar then discovers that each fruit and vegetable provides its own unique benefit. This story is entertaining and educational; while conveying many important lessons about nature's gifts.

Multicultural Relation: Many foods that Americans consume are imported from different states as well as different countries. For instance bananas mostly imported from Latin America. It is important students to know where foods they eat come from.

All The Colours Of The Earth

Title: All The Colours Of The Earth

Author:

Publication Date: September 1, 2005

Publisher: Lincoln, Frances Limited

Genre:

Unit Theme: We’re All Different

Activity: Emphasize to children the beauty of our physical and personality differences. Then supply them with paper plates, paste, magic markers and yarn of assorted colors. Children will use these materials to create portraits of other children in the group. Let each child spend some time studying the eye, hair and skin color of another child in the group. Then have children shade their paper plate portraits with the appropriate skin color, draw their eyes with the appropriate eye colors, add the appropriate yarn colors to the plates for hair, etc. Later display the diverse paper plate portraits on a wall or bulletin board under the title “Our Beautiful Group

Book Summary: All the Colors of the Earth celebrates the diversity of children everywhere. Through the use of rich, but simple text, the story helps children of every race, color, and creed.

Multicultural Relation: Every child is different and unique in their own way. As children grow older they should have a full understanding as to why everyone is not the same. This book teaches children at a level of understanding the differences of the people around them.

Whoever You Are

Title: Whoever You Are

Author: Mem Fox

Publisher: Voyager Books

Publication Date: 2006

Genre: Geography

Activity: have the students write letters to a student in another country. Have them ask questions like what is your school like What subjects do you like the most? What extra curricular activities do you participate in? ect.

Book Summary: “Little one, / whoever you are, / wherever you are, / there are little ones / just like you / all over the world.” So begins the Australian author Mem Fox’s joyful picture book Whoever You Are, a celebration of the world’s diverse cultures, both our similarities and differences. Leslie Straub’s innovative, colorful, folk art–style oil paintings of children from all corners of the globe are bordered with photographs of hand-carved, bejeweled frames—and they all reflect Fox’s message that no matter where we come from, within our hearts “Joys are the same, / and love is the same. / Pain is the same, / and blood is the same.” A gem!

Multicultural Relation: This activity will allow students to correspond with students in other country. This will

The Pilgrims First Thanksgiving

Title: The Pilgrims Fist Thanksgiving

Author: Ann McGovenn

Publication Date: October 1, 1993

Publisher: Turtleback

Genre: Social Studies

Unit Theme: Thanksgiving

Activity: When talking about thanksgiving. Read the book, The Pilgrims First Thanksgiving. This story will teach students how we come to celebrate the holiday Thanksgiving. As a Thanksgiving activity have students dress as pilgrims and act out the First Thanksgiving. There will be Indians and Pilgrims in this skit. All Students should participate in the skit.

Book Summary: The Pilgrims First Thanksgiving describes the voyage of the Mayflower, the difficulties encountered by the Pilgrims during their fist year in the New World and recounts how they celebrated their first harvest.

Multicultural Relation: The United States has a rich history. History has to be taught to the youth of the generations to come. There is no better way to teach history than to act it out. This activity will tell the story of How the United States came to be such a richly diverse country through a hands on concept.

Christmas Around The World

Title: Christmas Around The World

Author: Mary D. Lanidford

Publication Date: January 1995

Publisher: HarperCollins

Genre: Social Studies

Unit Theme: Christmas

Activity: Christmas is a time of year to spend time with family and remember the birth of Jesus Christ. Not all families celebrate this time of year the same way here in the United States and they don’t celebrate it the same way in other countries. After Reading this book on how other countries celebrate Christmas. Have students prepare a speech that they will present to the class of their families traditions during Christmas. Students can use poster boards for pictures of past Christmas celebrations to present their speech.

Book Summary: Introduces the symbols and traditions of Christmas in other countries, describes such items as the lighted star lantern, parols of the Philippines, the prune people of Germany, and the posada processions of Mexico

Multicultural Relations: Christmas is a holiday where being with Family to create memories with one another. Families around the world celebrate this time of year in their own way. This activity will allow students to see how other families around the world as well as in their classrooms celebrate this holiday.