ISO ethnically diverse children's books about our faith

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anilorak13ska

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I’m in search of children’s books about our Catholic faith that have illustrations depicting kids of various ethnic backgrounds. After yesterday’s visit to a Catholic bookstore and the purchase of another little book for my preschooler, it occurred to me that all but one of the children’s Catholic books I have feature European-ancestry illustrations. A search on Amazon hasn’t yielded great results either. Thanks for any suggestions of books in English or Spanish! 🙂
 
anilorak13ska said:
I’m in search of children’s books about our Catholic faith that have illustrations depicting kids of various ethnic backgrounds. After yesterday’s visit to a Catholic bookstore and the purchase of another little book for my preschooler, it occurred to me that all but one of the children’s Catholic books I have feature European-ancestry illustrations. A search on Amazon hasn’t yielded great results either. Thanks for any suggestions of books in English or Spanish! 🙂
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The “Today…” books from Dianne Ahern feature children and families of different ethnic backgrounds.

I’m posting the links to amazon because they have the “look inside” preview, but most Catholic bookstores carry these books or can order them for you.

amazon.com/Today-Made-My-First-Communion/dp/0967943760/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1499357395&sr=8-8&keywords=dianne+ahern

amazon.com/Today-Made-My-First-Reconciliation/dp/0967943736/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1499357395&sr=8-10&keywords=dianne+ahern

amazon.com/Today-Someone-Love-Passed-Away/dp/0967943744/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1499357572&sr=8-11&keywords=dianne+ahern
 
How about some children’s books about diverse saints like St. Martin de Porres and St. Kateri Tekakwitha? Often those also have pictures of the saints as children.
 
Why should this matter? What’s so wrong about white people? If it was all black people, would you also be upset?
 
It the same reason why I don’t want to pray in Latin. It’s not my norm.
It’s fine. I doubt the OP is a racist. There would be far fewer race problems in our world if children realized early on that there are people that look very different yet are exactly the same in the eyes of God. 🙂
 
thephilosopher6 said:
Why should this matter? What’s so wrong about white people? If it was all black people, would you also be upset?
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Maybe the OP isn’t white. Maybe he or she is raising a child that isn’t white, or teaching an ethnically diverse classroom. I’m a teacher and I always try to find books and videos that feature racially diverse characters or actors. There’s nothing wrong with being white. There’s issues with depicting the world as being exclusively white. It’s beneficial for children to see books and videos with varied ethnicities, where historically accurate.
 
In my community, there is a book store that specializes in children’s books that feature black characters, history, or experience. Maybe there’s one near you? Also, libraries are generally good places to look over books without having to buy them. Then if you find some that will work, you can purchase them. That’s how I’d go about it.
 
It’s not exactly instructional, but there’s a really cute picture book of the song, “He’s Got the WHole World in His Hands” that features a black child. There’s a newer book called, “When God Made You” that features a black child. I think it’s kind of a Christian version of “One the Day You Were Born”. It’s preschool level and pretty basic.
 
I found several interesting books when I looked up “Mexican Catholic Children’s Book” on Amazon. I don’t speak Spanish, but you might have better look if you searched in Spanish.
 
thephilosopher6 said:
Why should this matter? What’s so wrong about white people? If it was all black people, would you also be upset?
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Because research indicates that children need to see themselves represented in the items that surround them - books included - to form a healthy racial identity. I understand that as an undoubtedly White person, this wouldn’t matter to you. But trust me, it matters to people of color. And what better way to drive the point home that we are ALL God’s children than by actually showing this in the illustrations?

And who said anything about me being upset? I’m merely pointing out a deficiency in what I’ve found so far. And to answer your question, if all of my children’s books featured only one race of any kind, I’d be posing this same question because I want my children to be exposed to the idea that there are many different people in the world, and that the world does not revolve around White culture.

Plus, on a practical level, I want my children to internalize the Catholic faith, and they cannot do that - as multiracial individuals - if none of the religious content they are exposed to would allow them to identify with any of the people being portrayed.
 
Allegra said:
In my community, there is a book store that specializes in children’s books that feature black characters, history, or experience. Maybe there’s one near you? Also, libraries are generally good places to look over books without having to buy them. Then if you find some that will work, you can purchase them. That’s how I’d go about it.
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Good idea, though I haven’t come across many Catholic children’s books at my library.
 
pianistclare said:
It the same reason why I don’t want to pray in Latin. It’s not my norm.
It’s fine. I doubt the OP is a racist. There would be far fewer race problems in our world if children realized early on that there are people that look very different yet are exactly the same in the eyes of God. 🙂
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Indeed. 👍
 
 
Allegra said:
Maybe the OP isn’t white. Maybe he or she is raising a child that isn’t white, or teaching an ethnically diverse classroom. I’m a teacher and I always try to find books and videos that feature racially diverse characters or actors. There’s nothing wrong with being white. There’s issues with depicting the world as being exclusively white. It’s beneficial for children to see books and videos with varied ethnicities, where historically accurate.
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It shouldn’t matter what ethnicity the characters are. If you want children to see past race, then stop putting so much emphasis on things like “diversity” and just go with whatever you have. If race doesn’t matter, then things like this shouldn’t even be a problem.
 
thephilosopher6 said:
It shouldn’t matter what ethnicity the characters are. If you want children to see past race, then stop putting so much emphasis on things like “diversity” and just go with whatever you have. If race doesn’t matter, then things like this shouldn’t even be a problem.
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I don’t want my child to “see past race”. Race isn’t a problem; it’s not something that needs to be looked past like one would look past certain annoying habits or character flaws.

I want him/her to see and appreciate all different cultures and experiences instead of brushing aside differences in perspective, lifestyle, outlook, etc as irrelevant. Even within the US, black Americans, white Americans, Latino Americans, and immigrants and their descendents regardless of color live very different realities. It’s insulting to say those realities don’t matter. Listen to other people’s stories and be confident in telling your own.
 
thephilosopher6 said:
It shouldn’t matter what ethnicity the characters are. If you want children to see past race, then stop putting so much emphasis on things like “diversity” and just go with whatever you have. If race doesn’t matter, then things like this shouldn’t even be a problem.
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Are you serious? Of course a person’s race matters! It’s part of their identity! It effect their family, their history, and their culture. You honestly can’t put yourself into the shoes of someone who isn’t white, and how it must feel if every book they read in school is only about white kids? People of other races have a story to tell as well. Their color isn’t something that should be treated as a deviation from “normal” that must be “seen past” as if every black child is hiding a “normal” child inside if we just look hard enough. Diversity is a good thing and every child benefits from it.
 
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