Here are two by a husband-wife team that might help us to dispel gender stereotypes.
Harrison Dwight
Ballerina and Knight
by Rachael MacFarlane, illustrated by Spencer Laudiero
Harrison
Knight tells his own story with rhyming couplets. He can dance and be a knight;
he can laugh and cry and show other emotions. A great way to show both boys and
girls that everyone has feelings and everyone can express those feelings. I
will definitely share this book when we talk about gender roles in children’s
books!
Eleanor Wyatt Princess and Pirate by Rachael MacFarlane,
illustrated by Spencer Laudiero
For
all the little princesses who want to be pirates and super heroes and cowboys
and monsters as well. Using solid, rhythmic language, MacFarlane gives good
role models for playing many roles in a girl’s life and for doing what you want
to do when you want to do it.
Amy
is Famous by
Barbara Bottner, illustrated by Yuyi Chen
Amy
does well in school and is somewhat idolized at home, so she thinks she is
star. When Cecile moves into the neighborhood, she stands out as a star as
well. Amy thinks, “There can’t be two famous people in one tiny classroom!” And
thus the feud starts. Luckily Amy’s mom helps her work through her jealousy and
invites Cecile over to play. Surprise: Happy ending!
No matter what the season, we can always learn from the animals around us. Here are a few books about animals that teach us some lessons that will help in school.
Summer by Cao Wenxuan, illustrated by Yu
Rong
A
tale of heat and quarrelling animals who find a solution. As summer moves into
fall, you can look back at the hottest days and look forward to the cooler days
of fall.
If Animals Went to School by Ann Whitford
Paul, Pictures by David Walker
What
would it be like to have a classroom full of animals from around the world? Paul
and Walker use their imaginations to think about this and create a diverse
school with a calm teacher who purrs her way through the day. When your classroom
gets a little too wild, maybe you’d like to check out this imaginary classroom.
And finally, an old tale retold as well as a new tale with an important lesson.
Fearsome Giant, Fearless Child by Paul Fleischman,
illustrated by Julie Paschkis
Continuing
in the tradition of Glass Slipper, Golden Sandal, Fleischman and Paschkis have
teamed up once more to tell a tale that is a conglomeration of several tales
told around the world. Each page includes an addition to the tale that comes
from a different tradition. Fleischman cleverly makes the disparate parts work
together for a new story and Paschkis continues the tradition of making the
borders of each page convey the essence of the country that is being represented.
Me, Myselfie and I: A Cautionary Tale by Jamie Lee Curtis
and Laura Cornell
When mom is given a smart phone for her birthday AND she is
taught how to take selfies, it is a very bad idea! Mom goes crazy, taking
selfies day and night and checking social media to see how many likes she has.
Her daughters work hard to convince her that she has gone selfie crazy and
needs to give it a break. The text and illustrations give us the feel of
several other books by Curtis and Cornell, bringing us into the familiar world
of silly and meaningful all rolled into one.
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