As I read the news and interact with people these days, I'm struck by the growing lack of respect for people who are different or who have different interests. I don't know how we got to this point, but I know that we need more resources that teach children the important values of respect, appreciation, tolerance, and kindness.
Both parents and educators need materials and activities that nurture our children's ability to communicate, debate (without anger), and to accept that it's okay for others to believe differently than we do.
Normally, I don't promote books that haven't been published yet. But I was very delighted when I found out my friend, Mariana Llanos, is publishing a new book on this very topic. So I'm more than happy to share it with you!
Here is the description of the book:
Eunice and Kate are best friends, but can their friendship weather a storm? The girls live with their moms next door to each other in the heart of the city and have a lot in common— even though they have different dreams for the future: Kate wants to be an astronaut and Eunice wants to be a ballet dancer. But when they draw portraits of each other in art class, things get mixed up. Eunice draws Kate as a ballet dancer and Kate draws Eunice as an astronaut, and they both get more than a little annoyed. Can their friendship survive? With a little help from their moms, the girls come to learn the value of respecting each other’s different dreams. Eunice and Kate is a heartfelt new book by Mariana Llanos, illustrated by Elena Napoli, about how honoring our differences can strengthen our bonds.
It will be available Feb 11, 2020.
