Running Shoes

In honor of International Women's Day, I Running Shoes by Frederic Lipp. It is about a young girl named Sophy who secretly yearns to go to school to learn to read and write. However, she and her mother live in a poor Cambodian village where the closest school is 8 kilometers (about 5 miles) away over difficult rocky road and she has only sandals to protect her feet. When she is given a pair of running shoes she is determined she can use them to get her education. She starts out before dawn and runs the entire way. Only boys attend the one-room school-house, and at first she is ridiculed. Yet, the teacher allows her to stay and eventually she earns the respect of her fellow pupils. By the end of the year Sophy has learned to read and write and dreams of becoming a teacher so she can teach the children in her village.

The plot is very minimalist. There's not much more detail in the book, than in my summary. It was brief enough that both my children were able to follow along with ease, although I imagine the larger message was lost on my three year old. The illustrations by Jason Gaillard are replete with beautiful detail, bringing the rural Cambodian village to life. Both my children and I ended the story thirsting for more. The fictional Sophy had become real to us and I half-way wished the author had written a chapter book so that we delve even deeper into her world. However, the book is a perfect length for young children and also does a marvelous job of depicting the very real challenges that girls like Sophy face all over the world in a way that's age-appropriate and ultimately hopeful.

Afterward I asked my six year old why he thinks that only boys were allowed to go to Sophy's school. He thought it was because they wanted to be mean. I explained how an education gives people more opportunities for jobs and a future, but that in many parts of the world people feel that only men should get those opportunities while women should stay home and raise children. Then I asked him if it would be better for Sophy's village if she had not been allowed to go to school and he determined that it would be worse for them because then she could never open a school and teach the other children. I pointed out that when opportunities for women are limited, that it hurts not only the women themselves, but that their whole community suffers. Finally, I asked him to think about how even little things like a pair of shoes can change the future for an entire village and that it doesn't always require something big to make a difference.

Don't Call Me Special: A First Look At Disability

Don't Call me Special: A First Look at Disability by Pat Thomas explains what both physical and mental disabilities are and how disabilities may require people to use adaptive equipment or find different ways to do things in a way that is easy for young children to understand. It also cautions against making assumptions about what people with disabilities can or cannot do and teaches that children with disabilities can often find ways to participate in sports and most other activities. The book points out that everyone has some things they do well and other areas they struggle in and that people with disabilities are the same way. Someone in a wheelchair may still excel at shooting hoops or in art or any number of areas. Kids are instructed not to label people with disabilities as 'special' because they feel it sets them apart and they would rather be treated like anyone else. Basically, it teaches kids that people with disabilities are people first and foremost.

Even though the book was very clear in teaching that people with disabilities are able to participate in sports and other activities, my children still had a hard time grasping this. After reading it I asked my oldest if he thought whether someone in a wheelchair would be able to play basketball or soccer. To my surprise, he still answered no. To help him visualize it, I showed him the following videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZNuwOy8z-E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmolw95_v6w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Vxjh6KJi8E

Yes, I made my children watch a beer commercial. It actually sparked a great conversation. I pointed out that since all of the players but one could walk, that they had made a very important choice. They could have chosen to leave their friend in the wheelchair out because he was different and they didn't want to change the way they play, but instead they thought of a solution where everyone could play together. My boys decided that if they were the person in the wheelchair, they would be really want to be included. Overall, I'd say that this book is a good start to the conversation, but I think that the videos really helped to reinforce the concepts. I'd recommend using both together.

And Tango Makes Three

Since Valentines Days was this weekend, I felt it appropriate to read a love story of sorts. And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell is an adorable tale about two male penguins, Roy and Silo, who fall in love and build their nest together. They are just like all the other penguin couples except for the fact that they cannot lay eggs and have children. At first, they try unsuccessfully to hatch a rock in their nest, but then the zookeeper gives them a real egg. The egg hatches and Roy and Silo become caring fathers for their baby, Tango. Best of all, this is actually a true about a family of penguins in the Central Park Zoo. I understand that Roy, Silo, and Tango are all still alive and well (although unfortunately Roy and Silo have since split up).

My children both enjoyed hearing this story. It is well-written with an interesting plot and not overtly preachy. I used the book to springboard into a brief discussion about human families as well. My three year old was able to understand that while he has one mommy and one daddy that Tango has two daddies instead. We also talked about how some human families also have two daddies or two mommies. With my six-year-old we were able to take things a step farther. We talked about whether Roy, Silo, and Tango are still a family even though Tango's egg was laid by another penguin and what makes a 'real' family. I highly recommend this story as a means to introduce young children to the concept of nontraditional families.

Your Body Belongs to You

I grew up in a household where I was frequently told that everything I had, including my very self, was actually the property of my parents. I am vehemently opposed to this line of thinking. It's extremely degrading to children to be constantly referred to as property, and actually predisposes them to abuse. Children need to know that they have rights, that their boundaries can and should be respected, and that they are the owners of their bodies. Given that, this week's book appealed to me simply by reading the title, Your Body Belongs to You by Cornelia Maude Spelman. The book starts out with a note to parents explaining that when we force any unwanted touch, even affectionate touching like hugs, kisses, tickling, etc, it sends the message to children that they do not have the right to set boundaries or have their bodies respected. The story itself is written extremely simply. It's well suited to a preschool audience, but I wouldn't recommend it for kids over the age of five. It teaches that many touches are good and that others are not. Kids are told that their private parts are where their bathing suits cover and that no one should touch their private parts except for doctors or people helping them in the bathroom. They are also told that it's okay to refuse even good touches by saying, "No, not right now please," and to tell a grown-up if someone touches them in a way they don't like. I do wish that the book took the concept a step further and talked to kids about the importance of respecting other people's boundaries too (a much needed lesson for this age group), but perhaps that would be too much information for really young kids.

I read this book to my 3 year old and afterward asked him what parts of his body are his private parts. I asked him whether anyone else is allowed to touch his private parts and emphasized no, not even mommy or daddy, not grandma or grandpa, or his teachers at school. I asked him what he will do if anyone tries to touch his private parts and he was able to remember that he needs to tell mommy and daddy. Then we played a short game where I would ask him for hugs and he got to decide whether to accept or to say, "No, not right now please." I have never forced affection onto my children to start with, but delighted in being able to tell me no and see his boundaries clearly respected. I did not read it to my 6 year old as I feel it's too simple for his level. He would likely find it babyish and I think that older kids benefit from more specific information anyway. However, I do feel my preschooler benefited from this story and would recommend it for this age group.

Everyone Prays: Celebrating Faith Around the World

Everyone Prays: Celebrating Faith Around the World by Alexis York Lumbard is a book that illustrates the diversity that exists in various world religions. It does not really get into any specific beliefs or practices (beyond prayer), but it was written in a way that even my three-year-old was able to follow along and learn. Through colorful illustrations, children are shown that there are many different faiths and many different ways to pray. I liked that the book included several lesser known religions such as Sikhs and American Indians as well as the major ones. I also appreciated that the book did a decent job of highlighting some basic similarities between religions while also acknowledging the diversity that exists. It's very clear that while all religions pray, they do not all pray the same way. At the end, there are a couple of pages that offer more details about the various religions and illustrations. It's good information, but I feel it would have been more useful if it had been incorporated into a footnote on each page. I also wish there had been more of a balance between modern and traditional dress in the illustrations. The fact is that most Muslims, Buddhists, American Indians, etc. my children are likely to encounter will probably not look like the people in the illustrations, and I feel that's important for children to understand.

Still, I think this is a good start for introducing young children to world religion. It's not so much information that it overwhelms them, but it gives them a basic overview of religious diversity. After reading, I asked my children what religions that people we know are part of. My kindergartener was aware that many of the people we know are Mormons (though he didn't know the name for it) and also identified some Christian friends. He was surprised when I told him that one of his friends from preschool last year was Muslim. We talked about ways we can be respectful of other people's beliefs, such as when we are guests in their home and they want to bless the meal. I wouldn't recommend it for kids older than 7 or 8, but it's a good resource for younger kids.