Celebrating Diverse Families

What defines a family? How many people are in a family and what do those people look like? The answer to those questions vary largely in our diverse society. Children from families that do not mirror the traditional conception of a family are often excluded from normative family representations in children’s books. However, there are books that challenge the idea that only one kind of family is normal and we at Tandem love those books!

Black, White, Just Right!

Author: Marguerite W. Davol
Illustrator: Irene Trivas

This story follows a biracial child who has a black mother and a white father. As we follow the young girl through her day with her parents she compares her family’s physical features as well as their interests. Then she compares her own physical features and interests and concludes that she is “just right” as she has some of both of her parents’ characteristics. The characters are realistic and diverse and oppose racial stereotypes. Black, White, Just Right! is a great book to start racial literacy with biracial children and children of all races.

Tandem Tip: This is an excellent book to use as a spring board to pose identity questions to children. As the character is exploring her own identity and interests, ask kids if they have the same interests or features. Use the pages to open a conversation about race, identity and most importantly acceptance and beauty of diversity.

Daddy, Papa, and Me

By Leslea Newman
Illustrated by Carol Thompson

This cute infant/toddler book takes us through a typical day in a family that has two fathers and one toddler son. The family plays dress up, goes to the park, paints, plays guitar, throws a ball around and has a lot of fun together. In the end, daddy and papa are quite tired from a full day of activities and they both fall asleep on the couch. An ending, any parent or caregiver can relate to. This sweet story represents gay fathers in an endearing way.

Tandem Tip: Daddy, Papa and Me is the perfect book to build vocabulary with toddlers. As we follow the family through their day many common vocabulary words are pictured. While reading this book with a child you can point to pictures and ask, “What is this?”. If the child responds easily continue the conversation, “Is it a big or a small ball? What color is the ball? Do you like to play ball? Who do you play ball with?” It is also fun to act out each activity with the child to make sharing the story very active and engaging.

On Mother’s Lap

Author: Ann Herbert Scott
Illustrated by Glo Coalson

Some families are big and some are small. In this charming story, young Michael’s favorite place to be is on his Mother’s Lap and we see that his single mother has more than enough love for Michael. Like many children Michael loves to rock back and forth on his mother’s lap and he wants all his favorite toys, his puppy and his reindeer blanket to join too. On Mother’s Lap shines a light on a simple but important bonding ritual between mother and son.

Tandem Tip: This book is great to connect movements to words. This book has a lot of repetition of “back and forth, back and forth” which book sharers can act out. Repetition of simple phrases and words are also great for children as they learn to speak. While reading On Mother’s Lap encourage children to sing and act out “back and forth, back and forth”.