Multicultural Text Set: Diverse Family Structures & Unique Experiences

Nia Knight
1. With My Brother Eileen Roe and Robert Casilla
With My Brother introduces a family structure with a close sibling relationship.
Many times when a family is faced with adversity, the children are what keep the family
going strong. The book is written in both English and Spanish. The story is about a little
boy who looks up to his older brother. Everything about him seems so much cooler and
better because he is older. He wants to be like him when he grows up. Sometimes he sits
on his lap while he reads to him, but as the story goes on he gets older he cant sit on his
lap anymore but he continues to look up to him. (Bilingual, Role Model, Hispanic/Grades
PreK-1)
I really liked this book because it was bilingual. If I have an ELL student in my
class, I want them to be able to grow in English but also stay attached to their Spanish
roots. Bilingual books will be present in my library no matter the dynamic of the class.
The book contains a Latino family living in the suburbs and I really like this fact because
it doesnt have a minority in a city or ghetto living off of a one-job salary. The family is
clearly well off and has all members living together under the same roof.
The students would write a story about a day you had with your older sibling or
we can discuss what a role model is and share. They can then write a letter to their role
model thanking them for all that they do.
Standards of Learning:
-Family K.5 The student will identify members of his or her own family
-Family K.6 The student will develop an awareness of positive ways in which family
members show love, affection, respect, and appreciation for each other
2. My Monster Mama Loves Me So by Laura Leuck and Mark Buehner
My Monster Mama Loves Me So is an expressive picture book about the love a
monster mama has for her son. It starts off with the son saying he loves his mom and he
is going to tell the reader why. She helps him get ready and helps him when hes sick.
She helps him at the park and cheers him on at games. The characters being monsters
shows that anyone can connect to this relationship between the mom and the son. There is
not one race that is being represented in the book, so no one will feel underrepresented or
overrepresented. (Single Mom, Monster, Love/GradesK-3)
This is a book that can be taken in many ways. I love the emphasis on the mother
and son relationship because many family structures consist of single parents. The mother
doesnt just tuck him and bed and make him dinner; she cheers him on at sporting events
and helps him when he is scared. Things that may typically be done by a dad are taken
care of by her, which is great for a student that has everything done by one parent to hear.
I also love the captivating pictures and hidden images on each page. It gives something
else for the students to look for during a read aloud and allows them to see monsters in a
light other than something scary and frightening.
I would have my students draw a monster as an activity including traits and things

that you would want your mom or dad to have.

Standards of Learning:
-Family Life K.7 The student will realize that physical affection can be an expression of
friendship, celebration, or of a loving family
-English K.8 The student will expand vocabulary
3. The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant and Stephen Gammell
I loved this story! The Relatives Came is about a huge extended family that comes
together every summer and creates long-lasting memories. It tells of the long journey that
was taken all the way from Virginia to get to their cousins home. They greet and hug,
they eat, they play and they all sleep together. They hardly thought about their home
because they were busy being with their family. (Extended family, Travel,
Virginia/Grades K-2)
Although this book is based on a rural white family experience, its great in the
sense that it shows how big families are and reminds students of the times theyve had
with their extended family. It gives examples of how different you may look from your
extended family, which is very common recently. It is possible for students to be a
completely different color than their cousins, so the book emphasis the possible
differences present among families.
The students can create a family tree or write about and draw pictures from
visiting family over the summer or a time they have done that in the past.
Standards of Learning:
-Family Life K.7 The student will realize that physical affection can be an expression of
friendship, celebration, or of a loving family.
-Family Life K.4 Student will recognize that everyone is a member of a family and that
families come in many forms
-Family Life K.5: The student will identify members of his or her own family
-Family Life K.6: The student will develop an awareness of positive ways in which
family members show love, affection, respect, and appreciation for each other
-English K.8: The student will expand vocabulary
4. Gracias The Thanksgiving Turkey by Joe Cowley and Joe Cepeda
Gracias The Thanksgiving Turkey is the story of a young boy named Miguel who
lives with his grandparents and aunt while his dad travels the country as a truck driver.
Thanksgiving is coming up and his dad sent him a present, a turkey names Gracias. The
boy becomes very attached to the turkey and takes him in as a loved pet. He learns about
turkeys and built Gracias a house. As Thanksgiving came closer, many people wanted to
eat Gracias but Miguel prayed that he would be safe. In the end, he gives the turkey to the
zoo so he can be kept safe instead of eating him like his father intended. (Turkey,
Grandparents, Bilingual/Grades K-3)
I loved this book. It contained a unique family structure that has become more
common as the years pass of a child living with his or her grandparents. It is another

Hispanic book that can be used to show a city living situation instead of suburban area
like the other book I mentioned. It mentioned a little of religion of blessing the turkey so
it cannot be killed and had great illustrations. The other characters such as the train
station worker and police officer were people of color. It also had the aspect of a life
where students may only communicate with the parent by mail. For example, if the
parents travel or are incarcerated, the students would only be able to mail them letters.
As a class, we can discuss the different foods we eat on Thanksgiving and show
clips of the Thanksgiving parade that was mentioned in the book. The students can then
draw their own floats or talk about if they have ever been there before.
Standards of Learning
- Family Life K.4 Student will recognize that everyone is a member of a family and that
families come in many forms
- Family Life K.6 The student will develop an awareness of positive ways in which
family members show love, affection, respect, and appreciation for each other
-Family Life 1.4 The student will develop an understanding of the importance of a family
and of different family patterns
-Family Life 1.5 The student will identify family members and their responsibilities in
contributing to the successful functioning of the family
-History and Social Science K.1: Identifying events honored by the holidays
-History and Social Sciences K.6: Student will match simple descriptions of work that
people do with the names of the jobs
5. One Hundred is a Family by Pam Munoz Ryan and Benrei Huang
This book is short and sweet but has multiple aspects that make up a good
multicultural text. The book breaks down a number of families that have different things
going on in their lives. For example, a family is expecting a child, or just moved to a
different home. Another page has a family quilting together and celebrating a Chinese
cultural tradition. The student practices counting to 100 and can identify the different
family structures and situations that are possible in everyday life. (Numbers, Family
Structure, diverse settings/Prek-3)
One Hundred is a Family hits on many family structures and cultures. The
pictures have people of all different shapes, sizes, and colors. The families also have
distinct features and structures on every page. But, it would not be good for a read aloud.
It doesnt have a dense message or good discussion point for the class to expand on.
For recommended use, this book can be used a short transition book between
subjects. For example, if we are about to start math, we could start with this book and get
them counting out loud to 100.
Standards of Learning:
-English K.8: The student will expand vocabulary
-Family K.4 Student will recognize that everyone is a member of a family and that
families come in many forms
-Family 1.4 The student will develop an understanding of the importance of a family and
of different family patterns

-Math K.4: The student will count by fives and tens to 100.
6. Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell and David Catrow
Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon tells a story of a short girl with buckteeth and a horrible
singing voice. Her grandma always told her to believe in herself and use those attributes
as best she could, and the world would love her for it. She moves to a new area and is
instantly made fun of for the same things her grandma told her to be proud of. When she
was feeling down she remembered what her grandma said and became a happier person
and the bullies became friends with her. (Bullying, Grandma, Physical traits/ preK-2)
It is a good book for those that may be bullied or made fun of for certain things. It
can be taken in a cultural context if for example; a student has an accent from a foreign
country or wears unique clothes that are custom in their culture. The book is a reminder
that if you believe in yourself and are proud of who you are, nothing else matters.
For recommended use, I can open a discussion about bullying or read during bully
awareness month. It can also be used if an incident occurred in the classroom, it can get
everyone talking and discussing what is right and wrong. The class could also make
snowflakes, Ronald told her that hers was made all wrong, but hers ended up being the
most beautiful. I would use this short activity around snow time or on a delayed schedule.
Standards of Learning:
-English K.8 The student will expand vocabulary
-Family K.6 The student will develop an awareness of positive ways in which family
members show love, affection, respect, and appreciation for each other
-Family 1.4 The student will develop an understanding of the importance of a family and
of different family patterns
7. Emeralda and the Children Next Door by Jenny Nimmo and Paul Howard
Emeralda is a girly-girl who loves to wear her leopard leotard and a tutu. She is
special because she is tall and strong and loves to do weight lifting. She travels with her
family in the circus and is often made fun of by other children because she looks
different. Children are scared that she will hurt them because she is so big and scary in
their eyes. She saves the childrens baby and they are so thankful and happy that she was
strong enough to hold the tree that almost hurt the baby. (Girl, Strength, Hispanic/PreK3)
This book is a great for multicultural learning. Hispanic characters as the main
focus and her average family structure are great for a class to read about. The other
children are of different colors and the girl breaks the stereotypes that girls are weak and
do not like to play rough.
For an activity I would have them bring in or write about toys that you like to play
with to help you when you are sad and why just like Esmeralda would use her paper
animals as an outlet when the other children were making fun of her.
Standards of Learning:
-K.8 The student will expand vocabulary

-K.9 The student will demonstrate comprehension of fictional texts

8. Mommy, Mama, and Me by Lelsea Newman and Carol Thompson
Mommy, Mama, and Me is a short and sweet rhyming book that tells a story of a
boy and his family interact together. His family consists of two moms. On every page
there is a picture along with what action his moms can do for him. For example, mommy
packs me a snack and mama rocks me in her chair. (Same Sex, Rhyme, Mom/Grades
PreK-K)
This is a great book to use in class for diverse family structures. It shows that the
two moms have every capability to do what other parents do. It is often a misconception
that gay couples look a certain way but the characters look happy and just like any other
mom character would look in a book. The moms are the same skin color but they do look
different to supply some diversity. It wouldve been nice to see examples of same sex
couples in different races as well. I would use this book for mothers day and have the
students talk about how some people may have two moms and some may not have one at
all. Then we would write a Mothers day or special day letter to someone they care about
and want to thank for all their hard work.
Standards of Learning:
-Family K.4 Student will recognize that everyone is a member of a family and that
families come in many forms
-Family K.6 The student will develop an awareness of positive ways in which family
members show love, affection, respect, and appreciation for each other
-Family 1.4 The student will develop an understanding of the importance of a family and
of different family patterns
-Family 1.5 The student will identify family members and their responsibilities in
contributing to the successful functioning of the family
9. Last Stop on Market Street by Matt De La Pena
The Last Stop on Market Street is a Caldecott winning story. It is about a boy
named CJ and his nana taking a trip into the city after Church. Every Sunday they take
this trip and CJ wonders why he always has to go while his friends are out doing other
things. They always take the bus and meet a diverse set of people who show CJ that life
is much more than what it seems. Along the way to their destination he wonders why the
city is so dirty and his nana reminds him that being around dirt makes you a better
witness for what is beautiful. Finally, the story ends at their destination, the city soup
kitchen where they volunteer.
I absolutely love this book and will most likely choose this one for my read aloud.
The books main characters are people of color and they are an example of a family
structure where the grandmother may be the primary caregiver of the child. They use the
bus for transportation instead of a car and that point is questioned by the CJ in the book.
The book is constantly reminding children of what is important and devalues materialistic
things such as the iPod on the bus. The iPod becomes quickly overshadowed by the live
guitar music played by another rider on the bus. The man that is blind is not belittled or

written as if he is lesser than the rest. He explains that he can smell even better and closes
his eyes to feel the music. He is not introduced as a blind man either, De Pena writes him
as a man first and his capabilities second.
I will use this as a read aloud to talk about the things that we are thankful for and
maybe taken for granted. Examples of children who dont have as much or homeless can
be shown for students to see that they are blessed regardless of the situation and should
help in any way they can. If this were my actual class, I would organize a trip to the soup
kitchen so we can do exactly what CJ and his nana did at the end of the book. I may even
have them write about the things they are thankful for. Sometimes we only focus on
being thankful during Thanksgiving, but we should always known and be aware of other
situations in the world and what we are thankful for.
Standards of Learning:
-History and Social Science K.1 The student will demonstrate skills for historical
thinking, geographical analysis, economic decision making, and responsible citizenship
by comparing and contrasting people AND gathering and classifying information,
sequencing events, and separating fact from fiction to improve understanding of the
community
-English K.8 The student will expand vocabulary
-Family Life 1.4 The student will develop an understanding of the importance of a family
and of different family patterns
-Family Life K.4 Student will recognize that everyone is a member of a family and that
families come in many forms
10. Arthurs Eyes by Marc Brown
Arthurs Eyes is about Arthurs struggle to get comfortable wearing his new
glasses. He knew he needed them to see because he was getting things wrong, couldnt
see the board, and wasnt very good at sports where you have to see the goal. Once he
realized that his teacher wears them to, he got the confidence he needed to proudly wear
them at school. After he wears them, even Francine wanted to get fashionable ones to
wear in the class picture. (Glasses, Bullying, Acceptance/Grades K-3)
I love the Arthur series because they always have good topics that can easily be
text to self connections. The characters are diverse in their color and animal type. They
all are friends and are equal in their capabilities to do things within school and outside of
school. I loved the theme of glasses. In the early childhood years, it is very rare for a
student to wear glasses. When the students are young, it can be a target to get bullied or
made fun of. This book is a great way to show students why people may need glasses and
why they are nothing to be ashamed of!
For this book, I would use it as a read aloud. I would not only read it if someone
had glasses in the class, but also in the beginning of the year when we are establishing
rules for being respectful to one another. At the end we could all make our own pair of
glasses and I am thinking of getting goggles that alter your vision so students can
understand what it is like without glasses and why those with them need them.

Standards of Learning:
-K.8 The student will expand vocabulary
-K.9 The student will demonstrate comprehension of fictional texts