A collection of books for primary school children which encourage the celebration of difference and diversity.
Colour Me Happy
“When I am sunny, colour me yellow. When I am funny, colour me pink…”. Small children will fall in love with the adorable kitten character as they turn the pages of this colourful, glittery book. As well as featuring a host of vibrant colours, the humorous illustrations explore a range of emotions with which young readers will be familiar. To top it all off, there's even a beautiful sparkly rainbow finale!
Age Range: Key Stage 1
Published by Children's Books ISBN: 1405009098
Cock-a-moo-moo
Poor Cockerel has forgotten how to crow - and all the animals are teasing him. But when the fox come sniffing around, Cockerel becomes a hero.
Age Range: Early Years/Key Stage 1
Published by Macmillan Children's Books ISBN: 0333947533
Friends
“Once I was lost in the wood, in the wood, and you found me”. This melodic text perfectly tells the story of finding and keeping a friend. Glorious pictures show the small moments which loom large in a child’s life, so creating a delicate and exquisite book for all ages.
Age Range: Early Years/Key Stage 1
Published by Hodder Children's Books ISBN: 034065600X
Mister Seahorse
A stunning new picture book from Eric Carle about Mister Seahorse and other 'male mothers', with special acetate pages that hide fish behind rocks and reeds. As he floats through the sea, Mister Seahorse meets a Mr Stickleback, Mr Tilapia, Mr Kurtus and many other fish fathers caring for their eggs and babies in the most surprising ways.
Age Range: Early Years/Key Stage 1
Published by Puffin ISBN: 0140569898
Orange Pear Apple Bear
The utter simplicity of this beautiful picture book is breathtaking. By rearranging just four words, Emily Gravett creates a series of playful images which are a sheer joy - and intensely satisfying. The loose energy of the pencil and watercolour pictures will be irresistible to adults and children alike.
Age Range: Early Years/Key Stage 1
Published by Children's Books ISBN: 1405090227
Red Rockets and Rainbow Jelly
Sue and Nick are best friends who like lots of different things in lots of different colours. Here they show us some of their favourite things from purple hair and all things blue to red cars and red dogs. The artwork is stunning with each artist contributing alternate pages in their own inimitable style. And with its deceptively simple text, this bright and bold book is perfect for children learning to read.
Age Range: Early Years/Key Stage 1
Published by Puffin ISBN: 0140567852
The Other Ark
A fabulously fun new twist on Noah's Ark by master storyteller, Lynley Dodd! The rain is fast approaching and Noah wants to set sail. There are still lots of animals queuing to get on to the Ark but it's absolutely jam packed. Noah has to ask his friend, Sam Jam Balu to take the other Ark and all the rest of the animals. So he valiantly starts gathering hip-hopping hippos, mad kangaroosters and flying flapdoodles - not to mention the dithering dingbats and sabre-tooth mice! But no sooner has San Jam Balu finished his task than the Other Ark is well and truly grounded!
Age Range: Early Years/Key Stage 1
Published by Puffin ISBN: 0141500182
This is Our House
George says the cardboard house is his and his alone. It isn't for girls, small people, twins, people with glasses, or people who like tunnels. But when he leaves the cardboard house for a little while, he comes back to find that there are some people inside who don't think it is for people who have red hair - like George. This is a topical and perceptive book that shows that it is much more fun to share.
Age Range: Early Years
Published by Walker Books Ltd ISBN: 1406305642
Together
Have you noticed how being with your best friend makes your day that little bit brighter? Mousse and Nut love playing together - but can they really be friends when they're so different? Of course they can! This delightful story goes to show, it's the 'being together' and the friendship that counts. This book presents a heart-lifting story with two incredibly adorable new characters from Jane Simmons.
Age Range: Key Stage 1
Published by Orchard ISBN: 1846162882
Tyrannosaurus Drip
Everyone knows that tyrannosauruses are big and scary, so when a placid duckbill dinosaur's egg ends up in the wrong nest confusion is sure to ensue! When the baby dinosaur hatches out, he's so out of place that his grisly big sisters call him Tyrannosaurus Drip. Poor little Drip: all he wants is a quiet life munching on water weed…
Age Range: Early Years
Published by Children's Books ISBN: 0230015506
Welcome to Lizard Lounge
Lizard thinks that all lizards are the same, until he arrives at Lizard Lounge and meets some new reptile friends with different names and qualities: Gecko, Iguana, Gila Monster, Salamander and Komodo Dragon. What kind of lizard am I, he wonders, and what makes me different? His new friends help him to find out... A fresh and funny look at individuality, featuring a collection of charming and crazy characters.
Age Range: Key Stage 1
Published by Milet Publishing Ltd ISBN: 1840593903
Who Are You, Stripy Horse?
In the tick-tock quiet, a shaft of moonlight tickles the nose of something sleeping. It's a stuffed, stripy horse. He twitches. Then an enormous dusty sneeze echoes round the room. He's awake. So begins this charming story, all about a forgotten toy who can't remember his name. He is befriended by Muriel (a hummingbird who flutters off the pattern on a lamp), Hermann (a daft draught excluder), and Roly and Pitch (penguin-shaped salt and pepper shakers), and embarks on an adventure to meet Ming, a wise and ancient Chinese vase cat, who is the only person in the shop who might be able to tell him who he is. Thrills, spills, and some seriously silly situations await him on his adventure.
Age Range: Early Years/Key Stage 1
Published by Egmont Books Ltd ISBN: 140522729X
Belinda’s Boquet
Belinda's Bouquet by Leslea Newman is a story of how a young girl named Belinda is teased for having gained weight. She and Daniel, both about ten years old, discover with the help of one of Daniel's mothers and a garden cared for by his other mother that people, like flowers, are different.
Age Range: Key Stage 2
Published by Alyson Publications Inc ISBN-10: 1555831540
It’s Okay To Be Different
Todd Parr combines rainbow colours, simple drawings and reassuring statements in this optimistic book. An illustration of two women ("It's okay to have different Moms") and two men ("It's okay to have different Dads") handles diverse families sensitively this could cover either same-sex families or stepfamilies and also on the opposite page, a kangaroo with a dog in its pouch ("It's okay to be adopted"). Suitable for all ages.
Age Range: Key Stage 1
Published by Little Brown and Company ISBN: 0316666033
Priscilla and the Pink Planet
Reminiscent of Dr. Seuss and Hilary Knight, here is a clever read-aloud about a little girl who lives on a planet where everything is pink. Priscilla dreams of seeing the world in other colors and ends up teaching the Great Queen of Pink that diversity leads to true beauty. Priscilla's story is told in lyrical verse and young girls will enjoy reading her pink planet adventure aloud.
Age Range: Key Stage 1/2
Published by Little, Brown Young Readers ISBN: 0316735795
The Boy Who Cried Fabulous
Roger is "different" much to his parents' dismay, until he teaches them just how fabulous being different can be!
Age Range: Key Stage 1
Published by Tricycle Press ISBN: 1582462240
Saturday is Pattyday
Newman tells a story of how a child feels when his two mommies separate and break up the family. As in any divorce, Frankie feels upset and anxious when Patty, his "other mom," moves into her own apartment. The first time he visits her and they picnic in the park, he cries and talks about his fears. "I'm scared. I don't want to get divorced," he says. Patty hugs him and reassures him that she will always, always, always be his mom. "Only grown-ups get divorced. Not kids," she says. From now on, he will visit her every week--Saturday is Pattyday.
Age Range: Key Stage 1
Published by New Victoria Publishers ISBN-10: 0934678510
The Different Dragon
This bedtime story about bedtime stories shows how the wonderful care and curiosity of a little boy, with some help from his willing moms, can lead to magical and unexpected places. Join Noah and his cat, Diva, on this nighttime adventure and you too will leave with an unforgettable new dragon friend!
The Different Dragon is published by Two Lives Publishing, the only publisher of children's books expressly intended for kids in LGBT families (www.twolives.com). Their mission is to publish and distribute books of integrity, depicting children, families and friends in positive, loving ways in picture books and stories.
Age Range: Key Stage 1
Published by Two Lives ISBN: 0967446864
The Duke who put a Tax on Jelly Beans And Other Stories
A collection of Fairy tales including families of all different types
Age Range: Key Stage 1
Published by Alyson Books ISBN-10: 1555838472
The Family Book
There are so many different types of families, and THE FAMILY BOOK celebrates them all in a funny, silly, and reassuring way. Parr includes adopted families, step-families, one-parent families, and families with two parents of the same sex, as well as the traditional nuclear family. His quirky humor and bright, childlike illustrations will make children feel good about their families. Parents and teachers can use this book to encourage children to talk about their families and the different kinds of families that exist.
Age Range: Key Stage 1
Published by Little Brown and Company ISBN: 0316738964
The Story of Ferdinand
Ferdinand is a little bull who much prefers sitting quietly under a cork tree-- just smelling the flowers--to jumping around, snorting, and butting heads with other bulls. This cow is no coward--he simply has his pacifist priorities clear. As Ferdinand grows big and strong, his temperament remains mellow, until the day he meets with the wrong end of a bee. In a show of bovine irony, the one day Ferdinand is most definitely not sitting quietly under the cork tree (due to a frightful sting), is the selfsame day that five men come to choose the "biggest, fastest, roughest bull" for the bullfights in Madrid.
Age Range: Key Stage 1
Published by Puffin ISBN-10: 0142409529
Something Else
This is a simple story about a creature called Something Else who is excluded from his neighbour's activities because he behaves and looks different. But then when an even stranger creature tries to make friends with Something Else, he doesn't want to know, until he sees himself in the mirror.
Age Range: Key Stage 1
Published by Puffin Books ISBN: 0140549072
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