I think a lot about being welcoming, especially in regard to caring for our neighbors and teaching our children that we are all responsible for each other. Picture books are a wonderful way to teach those lessons and show concrete actions we can take. Books are windows to look into the lives of others with empathy and curiosity. I am a children’s author, but I am also a mom trying to raise caring kids and a neighbor trying to serve my community through the Little Free Pantry and Little Free Library I steward. Hosting a refugee family in my home was another way I could show compassion and fight against hate.
I love how this book exudes warmth and kindness by showing how a diverse group of neighbors of all ages and backgrounds comes together to care for a sick neighbor who usually cares for them.
This book celebrates multiculturalism, kindness, and friendship while also sharing the traditions of Shabbat. The illustrations are as warm and inviting as the message, and the Shabbat stew neighbors end up cooking!
“As warm and comforting as a bowl of cholent, this does a fine job of showing how the American mosaic can also be a satisfying whole.” — Booklist (starred review)
When Goldie Simcha doesn’t joyfully throw open her door to welcome everyone into her apartment for a meal of her famouscholent, her neighbors wonder what could be wrong. Little Lali Omar knocks on the door to 5-A, only to learn that Goldie was feeling too sick on Friday to cook, and everyone knows you can’t make cholent in a hurry, right away, chik chak! But it just isn’t Shabbat without…
I love how this sweet book shows neighbors coming together to help in even the most stressful of times.
Not only do the different neighbors—from trees to animals to people—help the house find a new “hat” (roof) during a storm, they all weather that storm together, and the house finds ways to help his neighbors too.
Kids learn that they can get through tough times with the help of friends. The warm illustrations also convey the range of emotions experienced in the book and show that it is OK to have all those feelings. I also love that the author’s motivation for writing this story was her experience of leaning on friends and family during her cancer treatment.
An uplifting picture book debut about community and hope after a damaging storm.
One windy day, House's hat blows clean off his head!
His friends are happy to help, but nothing they try seems quite right. Then the wind gets even stronger and thunder rumbles, making House wonder how he can keep his family safe and if he'll ever feel quite like himself again.
But just in time, more neighbors come to pitch in. And they have a plan for a new hat that fits him perfectly.
Sweetly illustrated and studded with humor, this tale of community is perfect for…
Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!
On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…
I love how this children’s book does not shy away from addressing acts of hate and bigotry, and how scary and sad that can be for kids.
The author writes in a sensitive and age-appropriate way, ultimately crafting a story of hope, resilience, and community coming together.
Beautiful collage illustrations from Selina Alko show a diverse group of neighbors from all backgrounds working to not only repair a vandalized synagogue, but make a young Jewish girl feel safe and proud of her heritage. I think this is a great introduction to the harm of antisemitism and the power everyone has to fight it.
A girl's community joins hands to fight intolerance in this richly illustrated picture book that sings with hope for young readers.
Leila loves going to Hebrew school and hearing stories of mighty kings and quick-witted queens. Being Jewish is a part of her story, and learning Hebrew connects her to her ancestors. L'dor V'dor! From one generation to the next!
But when Leila's synagogue gets vandalized, she isn't sure what she wants. Something that used to make her feel special now just makes her feel different.
Then Leila's classmates and community come together to repair the synagogue. This compassionate gesture…
I love that this book is based on the true story of the creation of the Urban Art Trail in San Diego, California.
Bright and beautiful illustrations by Theresa Howell show how young Mira inspires her neighbors to add color, hope, and joy to their gray neighborhood. Little artists will love seeing that they can make change and create something beautiful.
In this exuberant picture book about transformation through art, Mira lives in a gray urban community until a muralist arrives and, along with his paints and brushes, brings color, joy, and hope to the neighborhood.
What good can a splash of color do in a community of gray? As Mira and her neighbors discover, more than you might ever imagine!
Based on the true story of the Urban Art Trail in San Diego, California, Maybe Something Beautiful reveals how art can inspire transformation-and how even the smallest artists can accomplish something big. Pick up a paintbrush and join the celebration!…
Venice, 1612. A notorious courtesan and the scholarly daughter of the chief rabbi meet and form an unlikely friendship when their portraits are to be painted for a “Gallery of Beauties”.
Dangerous passions are stirred by the portraits, and one by one, the beautiful subjects of the paintings are poisoned.…
I love that this book clearly communicates the message that each person is part of something bigger than themselves: a community.
But I also love that the author acknowledges that the feelings we have as individuals matter too. The better we feel inside, the better we are able to care for others, including friends, family, and our communities.
Kids will love the warm and friendly illustrations by Peter H. Reynolds, and adults will appreciate the important social-emotional learning this book fosters.
1
author picked
I Am We
as one of their favorite books, and they share
why you should read it.
This book is for kids age
4,
5,
6, and
7.
What is this book about?
Cultivate connection and kindness in I Am We, a companion to the New York Times bestsellers I Am Human and I Am Love
We are part of something bigger than ourselves, and when we each turn our goodness and compassion outward, we can create, learn, and love.
Sometimes we may wonder, how does caring for ourselves help anyone else? But then we realize that the better we feel inside, the more we can be there for others-our friends, families, and communities.
From the New York Times bestselling team behind the I Am series comes a celebration of caring for ourselves…
Based on the author’s real-life experience of opening her family’s home to a refugee family from Iraq, Just Say Welcome shows how strangers can become friends through shared experiences. Throughout the course of a week, the Jewish-American family and the Iraqi-Muslim family find they have much more in common than not. They enjoy food and activities together while also experiencing kindness from other community members who bring over meals and clothing to share. By the end of their stay, the Iraqi family feels at home in their new community, and a new friendship is formed.
Just Say Welcome promotes inclusivity, friendship, and discovering what people from different cultures have in common, all in a sweet but simple story.
A runaway finds sisterhood, love, and danger in a mountain town.
On the run from her abusive husband, Kyra Smith hits the road. Destination unknown. With a dog she rescued in tow, she lands in the peaceful California mountain town of Gold Creek and is immediately befriended by an openhearted…
To create innovative, collaborative, and high-performing organizations, we need a new leadership model.
Speaker, consultant, and former Silicon Valley executive Minette Norman is committed to inspiring leaders by sharing some of the most important things she learned over the decades she spent in the corporate world, such as: every human…
