Pen Pals

In Pen Pals, written by Michael Rose Ramirez, Ann and Ray write letters to each other about what they are doing during each season throughout the year. This was a really creative way to tell a story through letters. It is not a deliberately multicultural book however, since it represents two different cultures, diversity is embodied within the storyline. This book can be used when teaching about different seasons of the year as well as climate in different places around the world. Just as in the book, during the same time of year, two different places can endure completely different weather conditions.

Kitten's First Full Moon

This picture book was written by Kevin Henkes and is a winner of The Caldecott Medal. Kitten’s initial interpretation of the moon is that it was a little bowl of milk in the sky, and she wanted it. She unluckily attempts to reach the “bowl of milk” but at the end gets lucky when she reached an actual bowl of milk that was waiting just for her. I thought this was a beautifully illustrated tale of persistence and diligence. It is written well in a language that young children understand and relate to. The book can be used with a science lesson about the moon. Furthermore, the book is really easy to visualize and can be read-aloud to children with special needs who need support with visualization.