Tag Archives: Peer Acceptance

Elem. – A Head Full of Birds

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Garibal, Alexandra. A Head Full of Birds. Illustrated by Sibylle Delacroix. Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2022. 978-0-802-85596-1. Unpaged. $17.99. Grades K-2.

A Head Full of Birds is a simple picture book about Noah and Nanette who are in school together. Nanette is different, and the other students in her school make fun of her for it. One day Noah gets punished and has to sit next to Nanette in class. After school he sees her putting little paper boats into the gutter and he thinks to himself how pretty that looks, but he doesn’t really interact with Nanette. One day it’s raining at recess and Noah brings Nanette back under shelter so she doesn’t get soaked while his friends point and make fun of her. That causes Noah to spend some time with Nanette and get to know her a little more. By the end of the book, Noah sees Nanette in a different way, and he becomes friends with her. The illustrations in this book are beautiful and make the reader want to take some time with them as they read through this book.

THOUGHTS: Overall, this is a sweet story about friendship and accepting people who are different. The only downside is the reader never sees Noah tell his friends to stop picking on Nanette, so that is something that you might want to address with the students if using this book for a read aloud.

Picture Book          Mary McEndree, Lehigh Valley Regional Charter Academy

Elem. – Wildflower

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Brown, Melanie. Wildflower. Greystone Kids, 2022. 978-1-77164-906-3. Unpaged. $17.95. PreK-2.

When Daisy blooms in the garden, she is immediately insulted by the other flowers for being a weed. She is told that she isn’t as beautiful as Rose or as tasty as Sage. Her flowers can’t make tea like Chamomile’s. Just as she begins to droop completely in shame, she meets other plants who have amazing qualities, even though they also are called weeds. For instance, Blackberry Vine makes delicious berries, and Sweet Pea smells amazing. Daisy soon realizes there is a place for everyone in the garden, no matter what they are called. Gorgeous, simplified illustrations highlight Daisy’s emotions throughout the story and provide readers with convincing representations of actual plants.

THOUGHTS: This is an adorable story with a subtle message about inclusion, self-respect, and accepting others for who they are. I also love that it incorporates educational information, including back matter about plants and weeds. Give this to fans of The Rainbow Fish (1992) or to gardening enthusiasts.

Picture Book          Julie Ritter, PSLA Member

Elem. – We Laugh Alike/Juntos Nos Reimos

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Bernier-Grand, Carmen. We Laugh Alike/Juntos Nos Reimos. Illustrated by Alyssa Bermudez. Charlesbridge, 2021. 978-1-623-54096-8 p. 32. $17.99. Grades K-3. 

Three kids are playing at the park when three new kids arrive to play too. These new friends are unable to communicate in English, but they sure know how to have fun! We Laugh Alike/ Juntos no reimos by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand is a bilingual picture book that solidifies human connection through the eyes of young children. Even though one group of students speak English and the other speaks Spanish, the children can express their feelings and communicate through play. By watching each other, both groups learn that they are more alike than different. The children discover new words, adventure, and make new friends. The story is clever with English and Spanish dialogue, and the illustrations by Alyssa Bermudez are colorful and vibrant. 

THOUGHTS: Carmen T. Bernier-Grand is a three-time Pura Belpre Honor award winner and an author of numerous children’s books. The story is interesting because the English and Spanish dialogue do not precisely match word for word. Instead, the children express their thoughts in each of their native languages within their context. The attractive illustrations draw the readers into the story, and I believe ELL (English Language Learners) students would enjoy this picture book about friendship and acceptance very much. 

Picture Book          Marie Mengel, Reading SD