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Ideas | Blog
We frequently encounter interesting IDEA resources worth sharing. Visit regularly for a fun and occasionally quirky set of notes.
What To Read
by Kelli Palmer
We are often asked to recommend reading for individuals and organizations interested in advancing their understanding of the inclusion, diversity, and equity space. In recent months, inquires have been inspired by the national dialogue on race, and centered around the disparate experience of Black people in the United States. Colleagues from Allison Partners interviewed us and summarized our recommendations in their blog. Click the Allison Partners logo to check it out or reference the quick list provided below.
Overcoming Bias by Tiffany Jana and Matthew Freeman
Subtle Acts of Exclusion: How to Understand, Identify, and Stop Microaggressions by Tiffany Jana and Michael Baran
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
White Fragility by Robin J. DiAngelo
Wee Read
by Kelli Palmer
Oh, how I love children’s books! When studying to become an elementary school teacher, I took a course on Children’s Literature. It was my favorite undergraduate course. The semester flew by because I spent many evenings wrapped in the comfort of a familiar story or enchanted by new literary discoveries. In graduate school, I learned the power of the written word as a therapeutic tool. I became a devotee of bibliotherapy and its efficacy across the lifespan. Now, I am a mother of four with three under the age of seven. Since learning that a child would soon join our home, I have been on a mission to find books that reflected our values, their image, and the likenesses of people that represent the rich texture of our global community. This mission has evolved into avocation. I have read each book in our children’s library and post reviews on social media for the benefit of friends and family. On occasion I will share a few recommendations here, for there is a child in all of us.
If I Had a Dinosaur
By Alex Barrow and Gabby Dawnay
A little chocolate girl with curly dark hair talks with us about her desire to have a big pet. She dreams of having a pet dinosaur and all the things that they could do together. From the start, the reader is engaged as images are provided instead of words, so that the listener can help complete sentences. Between the illustrations that include children of various complexions and hair textures, the authors layer in complex concepts. The reader learns about relative scale, proportion, and nutrition.
I love that a chocolate main character is portrayed in a book that discusses a global topic. I love that a girl wants a pet dinosaur. I love that the chocolate main character is shown having a chocolate family. I love that the dinosaur on the cover of the book is textured to entice the tactile among us. I love this little book!
This award-winning book was brought to us by a friend from London. I have never seen it in a store in the USA…but there is always the internet.
Mixed: A Colorful Story
By Arree Chung
When colors and cultures mix there can be challenges and opportunities. Getting to know each other is one way to move past the challenges so that the opportunities can be explored. When colors and cultures mix the result can be something new that brings joy to everyone. This is a beautiful story about colors, culture, and the power of diversity to fuel community evolution. Readers learn about primary and secondary colors while gaining surface exposure to the complexity of cross-cultural relations.
A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo
By Marlon Bundo with Jill Twiss
When John Oliver of Last Week Tonight learned that Mike Pence’s bunny was to be featured in a book, he decided to make an alternative version. In Oliver’s book, Marlon Bundo is a lonely, white, bowtie wearing bunny living at the Vice President’s residence. On a “very special day” he met a fluffy, brown, spectacles wearing bunny named Wesley. The two so enjoyed hopping around together that they decided to get married. Pence makes an appearance as a contrarian Stink Bug.
Our children were pleased that the bunnies married, and that the stink bug was no longer “In Charge” and “Important”. And most of all, they were happy to know that it is ok to be different. “Stink bugs are temporary. Love is Forever.”
100% of Last Week Tonight's proceeds from the sale of the book will be donated to The Trevor Project and AIDS United.