Little Leaders, Visionary Women Around the World
by Vashti Harrison.
In honor of Women’s History Month I wanted to share this gem of a book that features over 50 women, each with a one page story and a beautifully illustrated portrait on the facing page. These biographies are clearly very well researched, and rich in illustrative details that not only capture each woman’s personality, but also culture and heritage. I learned A LOT through these books and am already starting to dig a bit deeper on my own to learn more about these inspiring women! It’s a great bed time read or classroom resource for daily/weekly reading. Better yet, this is just one of a series of gorgeous and impressive books about women from around the world. They are a must have for anyone who is or knows a girl – I guess that’s almost everyone!
Harrison’s board book versions featuring women include Think Big Little One (International) and Dream Big Little One, which focuses on African American women. These shorter board books are perfect for story time, and younger children ages 2-5. You can also find accompanying activities such as coloring and activity pages at the publishers website.
Questions for Kids: Why do you think we celebrate women’s history month? Is there anyone whose story inspired you to learn more about the person or they types of she did in her life? Do you know a woman you think should be included in the book? What kind of vision or dream do you have for how you can do something special in the world?
The Perfectly Perfect Wish by Lisa Mantchev and Illustrated by Jessica Courtney-Tickle
This book is the perfectly perfect way to introduce the idea that sometimes it is by bringing joy to others that we are able to find joy within ourselves. In this story, a young girl discovers a wish in the grass and is trying to think of a perfectly perfect wish. She only has one so she wants to be thoughtful. As she consults with friends and discovers the wishes they have (a hope for a house, the return of a father on military service, and a puppy) she begins to realize that she already has a lot of these, and the wishes she has for herself are things that maybe she can work towards, such as winning a horse race and becoming a little bit stronger. In the end, she wishes for all her friends wishes to come true.
I chose this book for the month of March because it fits with themes of several holidays, including Purim, Lent, and the Bahai Month of Fasting. The story of Purim involves a king granting Esther a wish, and Esther using this wish to save people whose lives are in danger. If you’re looking for Purim specific books, a great resource is PJLibrary, which sends free Jewish heritage children’s books to people across the country.
Lent is a 40 day fast which is practiced by many Catholic Christians and invites us to detach from something we crave or long for. Similarly, many Bahais fast from food and water for 19 days (from sunrise to sunset) to practice detachment as well. As with this magical book, these holidays remind people to think about how joy and other wonderful things can grow when we give things up for the sake of something greater than ourselves.
Questions for Kids: If you could wish for something what would you wish for? Have you ever asked any friends, classmates, teachers or family friends if they had any wishes? Is there something you can do to help a friend’s wish come true? Have you ever had to give up or let go of something you like? How did it feel? Why did you do it? How did it feel at the beginning? How did it feel later? Can you think of a time when you shared something of yours with someone else? or maybe gave it away? What was it? How do you think the other person felt? How did you feel?
Fiona’s Luck by Teresa Bateman and Illustrated by Kelly Murphy
In this lovely folktale we see how, once again, magic is on the side of those who try to share the luck. With beautiful illustrations and delightfully crafted sentences, this charming Irish story about spreading luck in Ireland after a time of difficulty, will bring a smile to the faces of little ones. A king who doesn’t believe there is luck enough to go around, decides to capture all of Ireland’s luck and keep it locked up in a chest next to his throne. Fiona, a clever young lady, believes there IS enough luck and wants it all to roam freely across the land. She decides to use her intelligence to figure out how to enter the realm of the leprechauns where all the luck has been hidden. There, she meets the king and goes through a series of tests that eventually lead to her bringing luck back to all of Ireland.
Questions for Kids: Have you ever felt like there wasn’t enough of something to go around? What did you do about it? Can you think of a time you decided to share what you have? How did it feel? How does it feel when someone shares something special with you? Is there anything special that you would like to try and share with someone else you know? Fiona uses her wit and courage to help bring luck and joy to the people around her. Can you think of something inside of you that you can also share with people around you to make them feel like goodness is on their side? (Ex: Courage, Patience, Joy, Hope, Humor)
Festival of Colors by Kabir Sehgal and Surishtha Sehgal
Illustrated by Vashti Harrison
Get ready to burst into smiles with this vibrant, celebratory book about the Hindu holiday of Holi. The festival of Spring, also known as the festival of colors, celebrates a new season and is also centered around the theme of rekindling all that is good in the world. Chintu and Mintu, the main characters gather flowers of various colors, out in the garden, inviting readers to learn about how different flowers (such as marigolds) are used to create different colored powders to play with and celebrate. This super fun (and informative book) is sure to delight little readers and is also simple and short enough to use in a story time.
Questions for Kids: What kinds of flowers are used to make what kinds of colors in this story? What are some ways you can add some color and brightness to the world around you? If you have a special holiday or celebration, what are some ways you can share this celebration with your neighbors or your friends?
Kiki & Jax, by Marie Kondo and co-written/illustrated by Salina Yoon
This adorable book about a hoarding squirrel and her super neat friend, Jax, the owl had me giggling in recognition of my own squirreling patterns, and also had me thanking the universe for the owl friends in my life. In this story we see how a messy space can sometimes make life, and friendship a little bit harder. Kiki has challenges with keeping things organized and as a result is often not able to play with her friend, Jax, because she’s unable to find her things. Jax, for example, comes by several times, hoping to go swimming or play with a ball, but because Kiki can’t find what she needs, she often says no. Jax gets sad and wonders if Kiki doesn’t want to be friends any more. Eventually, Kiki comes over to his place, they have a great time, and together decide to go back and get her place organized. A really sweet (and practical!) story to inspire you and your little ones to tidy up!
Questions for Kids: Do you ever have trouble finding things in your room or in your house? How does it make you feel when you can’t find what you’re looking for? What are some things you can do to make it easier to find your favorite things? Is there anyone who can help you?
If You Plant A Seed, by Kadir Nelson
You’ll fall in love with Spring and all the possibilities it brings with this tender tale of a bunny and mouse as they walk us through their adventures of planting different seeds. It starts off with the basics – if you plant a tomato seed, for example, and care for it, with time, you’ll get a tomato. Simple enough, right? But then, it takes on a whole new level when some birds come along and the bunny and mouse decide to plant a seed of selfishness…which “in a very short time” grows “into a heap of trouble.” The animal friends soon realize that if they plant seeds of kindness, these will also “grow and grow” resulting in something really wonderful. An absolute treasure to have and read, this book encourages us to think about what kinds of seeds we want to plant and grow both in our gardens outside, as well as the gardens of life. Thank you Kadir Nelson for all the gorgeous seeds of beauty and kindness you plant and grow in our world!
Questions for Kids: Have you ever planted seeds? What kinds of seeds did you plant, and where? Is there a window in the place you live or where you go to school? What kinds of seeds would you like to plant and take care of? What does a plant need to grow? How can we take care of our plants in a way that will help them grow in a healthy way? What does kindness look like? What are some ways you can plant a seed of kindness in your home or in your neighborhood? How do we care for these seeds of kindness in a way that will help them grow? Interested in learning more about gardening and plants? Ask a teacher or librarian about a local community garden and how you can get involved! DC residents can check out the children’s programs at the Arboretum!
Infinite Gems 