Learn More about the Book
"Include Everyone: My Kind of Family" is a children's book that makes the young reader the main character in the story, involving him or her fully in the action of the plot and making the key concepts taught by the book far more personal.
The pages of "Include Everyone: My Kind of Family" will take your child on a trip to the park along with a caregiver who can be customized to look like a parent, a babysitter, a grandparent or any other caregiver. At the park, a group of children from diverse backgrounds is anxious to play, but there is a problem that needs to be solved.
Not all of the children visiting the park have the same abilities, but everyone wants to be included in the fun. Your child will get the chance to explore how everyone can have fun together regardless of whether they can walk, speak or hear like everyone else. In the end, your child receives a powerful reminder of the power of kindness and learns the powerful concept that personal appearances and abilities don't have to stand in the way of having fun with each other.
"Include Everyone: My Kind of Family" concludes with a series of thought-provoking questions on the importance of accepting others and treating people with kindness. These messages are crucial for children of all ages and can help kids learn to speak out against bullying and exclusion in the classroom and beyond. To help you continue to reinforce the messages of the book, a list of related resources is provided in the front of the book.
With 38 colorful pages and an easy-to-read, yet entertaining story, "Include Everyone: My Kind of Family" is ideal for children of all ages. The child main character and caregiver can be colored and customized to resemble your child and a loved one or trusted adult. Blanks are provided to add names and pronouns that will make the story uniquely about your child. The book can be presented to your child in a number of ways based on his or her age and reading level as follows:
For babies to age 2: Fill in the blanks and color the characters yourself to begin sharing the story with your infant or toddler and introduce the important concept of kindness at an early age. You can also leave the coloring for your little one to complete when he or she is old enough.
For ages 3 to 5: Do the writing for your child based on his or her instructions. Complete the coloring as a team, discussing how to make the characters look like your child and the caregiver. One fun way to share the experience is for you to color the child character and for the child to make the caregiver look like you. After reading, talk through the discussion questions. Use short, concise answers that your child can easily understand.
For ages 6 to 8: Allow your child to handle the writing and coloring independently. Then, read the story together or have your child read it to you. Discuss the answers to the questions and use them as a springboard into talks about bullying prevention.
