This toolkit is designed to encourage families, caregivers, and educators to have open, accurate and constructive conversations about race, racial differences, racial inequity and racism, with their children/students, in an age-appropriate way. The main objectives are to:
- Provide users with resources to encourage and facilitate discussions about race/racism
- Increase children’s exposure to racially (and ethnically) diverse stories and characters
- Promote positive and accurate learning experiences about human differences and similarities
What's in this Kit?
Books and Activities
Our curated booklist for babies and toddlers features Canadian authors from a variety of diverse backgrounds. Books are also available as stand-alone reads through the catalogue.
Toys, Games and Activities (Manipulatives)
Find a variety of games and toys geared to babies and toddlers. Use the books and scarves included in the kit to expose your baby or toddler to diversity.
Peek-a-You!
by Andrea Davis
Peek-a-you has a wonderful cadence that encourages the reader to keep turning the pages. The beautiful brown smiling faces of the children with their loving adults, cuddling and playing peek-a-boo are relatable to all families. Parents will connect with the endnote shared by the author and her illustrator husband, that suggests that we should hold our precious little ones as they “will grow up in the blink of an eye!”. The joys of cuddling with your babies is a gift to be treasured by all parents.
Borrow Peek-a-You
Kiss by Kiss: A Counting Book For Families
Ocêtôwina : peyak ôskân ohcih - akitâh-masinahikan [Plains Cree & English]
by Richard Van Camp
Kiss by Kiss is ‘presented’ in English and Plains Cree. It is a counting board book that celebrates the joys of loving your children, along with beautiful and impactful images depicting a variety of families and relationships. Throughout this book, your child will observe a variety of families and individuals from many cultures, backgrounds and with a variety of skin colours. These observations and interactions with the pages will help normalize skin colour, and provide a better foundation for discussions about race and racial identity in the future.
Borrow Kiss By Kiss
All Kinds Of People
by Shelley Rotner & Sheila M. Kelly
The book All Kinds of People is an illustrative text showing the different kinds of people in the world. They come in a spectrum of skin shades, and every shade is to be celebrated. While reading this text with a baby or toddler, point out facial features, hair colors, and “shades” of skin color. (“This boy has brown eyes and curly hair.” or “Her skin looks like the color of sand at the beach”). With slightly older children, you can begin to ask open ended questions to see what children are noticing about race in their world. You may be surprised about what they have picked up on already!
Borrow All Kinds Of People
My Heart Fills With Happiness = Nijiikendam
by Monique Gray Smith; translated into Anishinaabemowin by Angela Mesic and Margaret Noodin
This beautifully written board book supports the wellness of Indigenous children and families, and encourages young children everywhere to reflect on what makes them happy. What fills your heart with happiness?
Borrow My Heart Fills With Happiness = Nijiikendam
Bee-bim Bop!
by Linda Sue Park
Bee-bim Bop is a favourite Korean dish which translates to ‘mix-mix rice’ in English. The story highlights the importance of food and food preparation in most cultures. Your family may enjoy other traditional dishes such as paella, fajitas or pho but the process of sharing cultural recipes and food through generations is the same for all of our families.
Borrow Bee-Bim Bop
Beyond the Books
Suggested Actions for Parents and Caregivers
The following suggestions can help you continue to have conversations about race with your child that support awareness, celebrate racial differences and practice anti-racism:
- Read books and watch movies and videos that depict people of colour in positive ways and show diverse groups of children playing together.
- Include toys and other manipulatives that are racially diverse in your child’s toy collection.
- Expose your child to people of varying races very early on, both to develop positive attitudes about different skin colors and to address their curiosity.
- Use storytime as an opportunity to ask questions and find out what your growing child might already think about race. Encourage them to ask questions, as you explore answers together.
- Be intentional and proactive! Acknowledge and celebrate people’s racial differences every day. If your toddler asks about someone’s skin colour, use this as an opportunity to acknowledge that people do indeed look different, but point out things we all have in common.