Why We Need More Diverse Books

Little Scribbles is a passionate supporter of all things that promote diversity and equality when it comes to children. Since starting up this blog and opening our Little Scribbles Stories online shop I have come across so many wonderful books that celebrate cultures from all over the world and shout out about how we are different yet all the same. My journey into diverse books really took off when I came across Barefoot Books, for whom I am now an ambassador for. I had just had my daughter and was looking for a book about Kenya, a country that I left a little bit of my heart in a few years ago, so I could tell her all about my time there and enjoy a traditional Kenyan village tale. I found Mama Panya's Pancakes in the Barefoot Book store, ordered it straightway and my love affair with the company began. The range of multicultural and diverse books Barefoot have on offer are superb, ranging from magical tales from Nepal in 'Chandra's Magic Light' to stories from a very vibrant India in Indian Tales.  I have since gone on to develop my book store by adding a wider variety of books and storytelling accessories that celebrate diversity, introducing children to same-sex marriage, disability, different type of family and much more.

Whilst I am out and about at events and storytelling sessions in my community it is wonderful to see people so engaged with the books that I stock. I recently had one little girl so ecstatic to find a doll on my stall that looked just like her, which was both heartwarming and sad at the same time. We need diverse books in order for children to learn about different cultures and countries but equally we need them so that every child can relate to stories and images that they see on the page. I do feel proud that I can introduce diversity to children and schools through my storytelling and it is great that when somebody asks if you have a book about Nigeria as my brother has just adopted a child from there and i just happen to have one on the stall (Catch That Goat). This is why we need diverse books.

On the flip side of all the positive responses I get for my books there is still much work to be done. It is so disappointing to hear parents tell there little boy that he can't have a book because its for girls or for children to chuckle at the doll with darker skin than theirs. This is why we need diverse books.

It is also disappointing to see rows and rows of books about princesses,knights, pirates and fairies all neglecting the diversity we see around us. Children's education and reading should be varied and stretch both knowledge and imagination. It should create conversations about our place in the world and the importance of accepting others. This is why we need diverse books.

Ganesh Chaturthi: Crafting and Storytelling

29th August was a grey day here in the UK and it was extra miserable due to Big Scribbles and Little Scribbles feeling a little under the weather. To brighten up our day and add a splash of colour we thought we would join in with the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations. Ganesh Chaturthi is the Hindu festival celebrated in honour of the god Ganesha, the elephant-headed, remover of obstacles and the god of beginnings and wisdom. Clay images of Ganesh are placed at various public shrines and rare worshipped for up to 10 days. As people will still be celebrating, why not hold your own Ganesh craft afternoon. We began our session by reading a short story from Barefoot Books fantastic Indian Tales. The eight stories in this anthology, each from a different Indian state, feature educational facts and information about the cultures from which they are chosen.

To set the mood for our crafting sessions we put on our Asian Dreamland CD which is full of soothing music from across Asia. The ten tracks are accompanied by extensive liner notes in English, Spanish, French and German.

Our craft session consisted of making our very own Ganesha mask! Now, I am not the best at drawing but I think we got it to somewhat resemble a colourful Indian elephant. The thing I love about children's crafting is that the fun and the learning is all in the process of design and making with the outcome not the most important. We simply took a paper plate and cut out two semi circles on either side, leaving a trunk like shape in the middle, perfect! The semi circles acted as ears, which we stuck onto a circular piece of metallic card. With a little paint, some glitter and stick on gems meant we had lots of fun creating out very own Ganesh.

Look how cute it looks! Maybe not quite as good as traditional images but it was a great way to introduce multicultural traditions and celebrations through storytelling and crafts.

There are lots of Hindu and other India based religions throughout the year, with Divaali (or Diwali as it is more commonly known) being the next big festival in November. Plan ahead by practising your storytelling skills and checking out out Pinterest page for ideas on snacks and crafts.

May Book of the Month: Chandra's Magic Light

We are very excited to announce the arrival of May's Book of the Month, as we have been eagerly awaiting it's release for a while. Chandra's Magic Light is an enchanting tale, in the ever increasing multicultural Barefoot bookshelf and is sure to light up a smile on the whole family.

Join sisters Chandra and Deena at the market in Nepal. A man is selling lamps that are powered by the sun instead of kerosene, and Chandra knows the magic solar lamp would help her baby brother's cough. But how will they afford one? As ever, the art work commissioned by Barefoot is exquisite, with dreamy images of Nepal's countryside that makes you want to hop on a plane. This lyrical tale will be a joy to read and also acts as a great educational tool, as you teach your children about Nepal and it's surrounding areas. There is also a craft exercise at the back of the book, that will help you create your own pizza box solar oven!

We realise that we are very gushing about this book but it really is so, so lovely. We love though provoking books, that encourage an understanding of different countries and cultures and more importantly a genuine desire to learn and care about the people that inhabit different countries. We are looking forward to hearing your reviews, so please let us know what you think about Chandra's Magic Light.

Book Review: The Prince's Breakfast

A distraught king and queen take their fussy prince on a global adventure in search of foods that he will eat. The Prince's Breakfast is a vibrant tale of parents trying to overcome the problem of their child being a fussy eater. If you are a family struggling with mealtimes, you will sympathise with the king and queen, who are in search of what to do next with their son.

Like many Barefoot Books titles, The Prince's Breakfast uses engaging rhyme and vivid illustrations to allow children to have fun as well as learning a few life lessons. Having struggles with tasting certain foods and moving away from ' go to  ' foods, is a common experience for most, so having fun tales, that may reduce anxiety for parents and children is such a great tool to have. The book takes readers on a jaunt around the world, in the hope that the prince will tempted to eat foods from different cultures.

The book ends with the prince being introduced to tomato ketchup by a man in Zambia . From then on, the prince adds ketchup to all types of food and, for the king and queen, the problem is solved. I have to say that I am not 100% comfortable with the idea of adding processed ketchup to things, to help disguise flavour but it may help some families as a short term measure. What I do love about this exploration of food, is the idea of trying new things, being creative with the foods we offer our children and offering them choices ( we can't put a banquet on every time, like the king, but we can put different options out). I also love that children can learn about what foods people eat in different countries, which can lead on to discussions around origins of food, i.e meat in Africa, tea in China, spices in Mexico. Here at Little Scribbles, we love books that will inspire crafts and activities, something that this book offers in abundance.A fun, educational and encouraging approach to cooking food and eating food, for me, is what works best. Here at Little Scribbles, we love books that will inspire crafts and activities, something that this book offers in abundance. After reading the book, you and your family can have a go at at rolling your own dosas, creating around the world food quizzes, writing your own poems about food from your favourite country or simply painting your favourite meal book is not just for picky eaters, however, this is a fun and engaging story for all the family and is sure to put a smile on everyones face.