Are Your Stars Like My Stars?
Leslie Helakoski

This lovely book is the perfect way to introduce diversity to young children. The narrator wonders “Do you see what I see?” and the beautiful collage-style illustrations show one color at a time, each in two settings. For example, one child sees blue in the sky and water at the shore, while another group of children play soccer on a street lined with blue buildings. Two children see white stars, while another child hugs a white llama. There’s no preaching here but gentle, poetic text and illustrations from cultures around the world.

My Singing Nana
Pat Mora

Billy and his grandma are very close and do lots of things together. Their family is preparing for their family summer show. Billy is concerned when he notices that Nana is forgetting things. A conversation with his mom helps him understand grandma’s forgetfulness and realize that he and his grandma are amigos, no matter what happens.

On the day of the family show, Billy and Nana team up to help make the show a big success.

My Singing Nana includes an Author’s Note with helpful suggestions on how to explain memory loss to children.

In a Jar
Deborah Marcero

Llewellyn and his friend Evelyn collect things in jars. They collect ordinary things like rocks and feathers and fantastic things like the wonders of winter and rainbows. When Evelyn moves away, the friends send each other jars of wonders.

In a Jar is very child friendly and beautifully illustrated. It’s a reminder to all of us to notice and collect memories of the wonders that surround us.