Include Everyone: My Kind of Family #BookReview

Include Everyone: My Kind of Family

There is no better lesson for a child to learn than the lesson of inclusion and kindness. Some of the most memorable, yet honest moments, are when a child is trying to understand why people look different or act different. Have you ever caught yourself hushing your child from the all-embarrassing and way-too-loud commentary about another person in public? 

As parents, we’ve probably experienced (or you will soon). But, rather than cringing at our child’s honest and quizzical view of the world, we should embrace it and teach our kids that humans come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and with a variety of abilities. 

In the book, Include Everyone: My Kind of Family, author Shannon D. Rhodes offers a refreshing approach of inclusion and kindness. The first unique element of this book is the way it allows the readers to shape their story experience by using their own name for the caregiver (Mom, Dad, Grandma, you decide based on your family dynamic). Then, she highlights the diversity that we see in our lives – ethnicity, disabilities, and lifestyle differences – through a creative and thoughtful story of a young child’s loving and compassionate eyes.

I read this book with my 7 year old who really grasped how the story’s message is to gather everyone together, despite their differences, and find a kind way to engage and interact without any stigmas and for the good of the community.

My Kind of Family is about helping children better understand their emotions, develop self-esteem, and learn good values. The illustrations are beautiful and the main characters are colorless allowing you to color in their skin and hair to match your family’s dynamic. At the end, Shannon provides discussion questions to take the lesson beyond the book and focus on bullying prevention, plus a Pinky Promise for parents and children to share. 

I highly recommend this book for parents of elementary age children. The message is exactly what we should be teaching their young minds to embrace differences and look beyond the surface for a deeper more compassionate approach to life.

Buy the Book Include Everyone: My Kind of Family for only $9.99.

How do you talk with your child about diversity?

Until Next Time,

Katie

This post is sponsored by Shannon D. Rhodes. All opinions are 100% mine.