International Peace Day was on September 21st so, as I type this, I realize I am a tad late in calling attention to it!
Or am I?
People in cities, communities, and villages worldwide have engaged in the International Day of Peace in diverse and meaningful ways. Peace has been the topic of many conversations, articles, discussions, and initiatives as of late, and for a good reason. Striving for peace is a topic that we should not limit to only a handful of days a year—it should be a 365-days-a-year conversation.
What better place to start this conversation than with the youngest generation? Not long ago, my good friend and Multicultural Children’s Book Day Co-founder, Mia Wenjen, shared a fact with me that stuck. Her words of wisdom were that the best two ways to expose kids to new cultures, religions, traditions, and diversity, is through food and books.
With that in mind, here are some excellent diverse peace booklists that share the message of peace, hope, and mindfulness with kids.
Kidlit Picture Books with Messages of PEACE
Franticmommy.com has an excellent list of eight titles-some you may have heard of, and some you may not. But every one of these kidlit books shares a message that bears repeating-PEACE is possible.
Books About Peace to Inspire Children
Erica at What Do We Do All Day always has wonderful book recommendations for kids and this collection of titles is no different. These picture books teach children about peace through a variety of approaches. Some use poetry and metaphor, some are direct, others ask questions, and some profile peacemakers. A few books also mention war but for the most part, these are peace books, not books about the horrors of war.
Inner Peace Leads to Outer Peace/Books on Mindfulness for Kids
Family therapist and award-winning author, Deedee Cummings, once told me “We can’t be all torn up inside and expect to live a peaceful life on the outside.” Her point (a very good one at that!) is that inner peace is a very important part of achieving global peace. With that in mind, I’d love to share this excellent book list from CounselorKeri.com on helping kids find mindfulness and inner peace. Originally meant for school counselors, these mindfulness books can be used in a classroom or home setting as well.
Picture books about peace can help kids to see and appreciate that everyone is unique which promotes tolerance & understanding of different struggles. Be sure and stop by your local bookstore or public library to enjoy these books and many more like them.
Keep Calm and Read On!
Rebecca “Becky” Flansburg is an author, freelance writer, and project manager for the non-profit online children’s literacy initiative, Multicultural Children’s Book Day/ #ReadYourWorld. Join the celebration! Our 8th annual celebration will take place on January 29, 2021. For more information, visit Multicultural Children’s Book Day on the web.
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