This week we celebrate Ally Week at Dalton – a celebration of all types of families and the people who make the choice to be an ally to those who need support. We were very lucky to welcome Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson for our House 91 to read aloud from their bestselling picture book, And Tango Makes Three – the incredible true story of two male penguins in the Central Park Zoo who adopt a lone egg and become fathers to a baby penguin chick.
The children ADORED the story and were very vociferous in their desire to announce that they too are allies. In honor of Ally Week, we will be reading several books aloud to our classes which celebrates people who challenge gender normativity, books which celebrate all types of families and books which feature a moment where someone becomes an Ally.
- The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch
- Stella Brings the Family by Miriam B. Schiffer
- Crow Boy by Taro Yashima
- The White Swan Express by Jean Okimoto
- The Case for Loving by Selina Alko
Below is a book list of new books (and a few classics) to consider reading for Ally Week:
Red: A Crayons Story by Michael Hall
- Red has a bright red label, but he is, in fact, blue. His teacher tries to help him be red (let’s draw strawberries!), … and the scissors try to help him be red by snipping his label so that he has room to breathe. But Red is miserable. He just can’t be red, no matter how hard he tries! Finally, a brand-new friend offers a brand-new perspective, and Red discovers what readers have known all along. He’s blue! This funny, heartwarming, colorful picture book about finding the courage to be true to your inner self can be read on multiple levels, and it offers something for everyone!
My Princess Boy by Cheryl Kilodavis
- Dyson loves pink, sparkly things. Sometimes he wears dresses. Sometimes he wears jeans. He likes to wear his princess tiara, even when climbing trees. He’s a Princess Boy. Inspired by the author’s son, and by her own initial struggles to understand, this is a heart-warming book about unconditional love and one remarkable family. It is also a call for tolerance and an end to bullying and judgments. The world is a brighter place when we accept everyone for who they are.
I am Jazz by Jessica Herthel & Jazz Jennings
- From the time she was two years old, Jazz knew that she had a girl’s brain in a boy’s body. She loved pink and~dressing up as a mermaid~and didn’t feel like herself in boys’ clothing. This confused her family, until they took her to~a doctor~who said that Jazz was transgender and that she was born that way. Jazz’s story is based on her real-life experience and she tells it in a simple, clear way that will be appreciated by picture book readers,~their parents, and teachers.
This Day in June by Gayle E. Pitman
- In a wildly whimsical, validating, and exuberant reflection of the LGBT community, this title welcomes readers to experience a pride celebration and share in a day when we are all united. Also included is a reading guide chock-full of facts about LGBT history and culture, as well as a ‘Note to Parents and Caregivers’ with information on how to talk to children about sexual orientation and gender identity in age-appropriate ways.
Stella Brings the Family by Miriam B. Schiffer
- It’s time to celebrate Mother’s Day in Stella’s class. Everyone has a female parent coming, including Howie, who has two mothers. But Stella is the only kid in her class with two fathers. And while her school is clearly progressive and multicultural, her peers are nonetheless perplexed (even Howie asks, “But who reads you bedtime stories like my mothers do for me?”). When Stella realizes that several people-in addition to her fathers-play maternal roles in her life, the problem is solved, although it does add quite a few folks to the guest list… The writing is warmhearted but sharply observed… this story seems as light as a soufflé, but actually offers plenty of food for thought.
10,000 Dresses by Marcus Ewert
- Every night, Bailey dreams about magical dresses: dresses made of crystals and rainbows, dresses made of flowers, dresses made of windows. . . . Unfortunately, when Bailey’s awake, no one wants to hear about these beautiful dreams. Quite the contrary. “You’re a BOY!” Mother and Father tell Bailey. “You shouldn’t be thinking about dresses at all.” Then Bailey meets Laurel, an older girl who is touched and inspired by Bailey’s imagination and courage. In friendship, the two of them begin making dresses together. And Bailey’s dreams come true!
Made by Raffi by Craig Pomranz
- Raffi is a shy boy who doesnít like noisy games and is often teased at school. But when he gets the idea of making a scarf for his dadís birthday, he is full of enthusiasm even though the other children think it is girly to knit. Then the day draws near for the school pageant, and there is one big problem: no costume for the prince. And that is when Raffi has his most brilliant idea of all – to make a prince’s cape. On the day of the pageant, Raffi’s cape is the star of the show.
Goblinheart by Bret Axel
- Using “fairy” and “goblin” in lieu of female and male, the author has created a timely allegorical fairy tale. A youngster named Julep, who lives in a forest tribe, insists on growing up to be a goblin rather than a fairy. The tribe learns to accept that Julep is a goblin at heart, eventually coming around to support the physical transition that must be made for Julep to live as a goblin.
Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress by Christine Baldacchino
- Morris is a little boy who loves using his imagination. But most of all, Morris loves wearing the tangerine dress in his classroom’s dress-up center. The children in Morris’s class don’t understand. Dresses, they say, are for girls. And Morris certainly isn’t welcome in the spaceship some of his classmates are building. Astronauts, they say, don’t wear dresses. One day when Morris feels all alone and sick from their taunts, his mother lets him stay home from school. Morris dreams of a fantastic space adventure with his cat, Moo. Inspired by his dream, Morris paints the incredible scene he saw and brings it with him to school. He builds his own spaceship, hangs his painting on the front of it and takes two of his classmates on an outer space adventure.
My Family, Your Family by Lisa Bullard
- Diversity is a crucial issue, and this series effectively highlights the differences among various ethnic groups, religions, and types of households and shows readers that though different beliefs and customs exist, all are equally worthy of respect. The books are told from the first-person perspectives of young protagonists who interact with people in their communities, which will help kids relate directly to the subject matter. The cheerful, appealing illustrations complement the text, which is clear and straightforward yet also nuanced and culturally sensitive…the series emphasizes that it’s best not to ignore differences but to learn more about them.
The Case for Loving: the Fight for Interracial Marriage by Selina Alko
- For most children these days it would come as a great shock to know that before 1967, they could not marry a person of a race different from their own. That was the year that the Supreme Court issued its decision in Loving v. Virginia. This is the story of one brave family: Mildred Loving, Richard Perry Loving, and their three children. It is the story of how Mildred and Richard fell in love, and got married in Washington, D.C. But when they moved back to their hometown in Virginia, they were arrested (in dramatic fashion) for violating that state’s laws against interracial marriage. The Lovings refused to allow their children to get the message that their parents’ love was wrong and so they fought the unfair law, taking their case all the way to the Supreme Court – and won!
*Classic Recommendations
Lafcadio: the Lion Who Shot Back by Shel Silverstein
- Shel Silverstein’s first children’s book, Lafcadio, the Lion Who Shot Backóa whimsical tale of self-discovery and marshmallows…Is a famous, successful, and admired lion a happy lion? Or is he a lion at all? First published in 1963, this book had rave reviews from the New York Times, Time magazine, and Publishers Weekly, as well as a starred review from Kirkus. Now celebrating its fiftieth anniversary.
The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf
- Ferdinand is the world’s most peaceful–and–beloved little bull. While all of the other bulls snort, leap, and butt their heads, Ferdinand is content to just sit and smell the flowers under his favorite cork tree. Leaf’s simple storytelling paired with Lawson’s pen-and-ink drawings make The Story of Ferdinand a true classic.
