All Are Welcome

Even my little local library bought this. As every library and school should. Lovely theme and images. Text sometimes doesn't quite work:

"We will learn from each other. Special talents we'll uncover. There's a big world to discover."

I don't like the middle line in that example. We can learn a lot more about each other than special talents. But the first and third line are a perfect pair.

“Follow a group of children through a day in their school, where everyone is welcome with open arms no matter their race, religion, or background.” – from the book’s jacket

In this bestselling picture book, Penfold and Kaufman celebrate kindness, inclusivity, and diversity throughout a day in school. The families in this classroom/neighborhood come from all ethnicities and religious backgrounds, including Sikh, noted with dastar (head scarf), and Islamic, noted with jelbab (body covering) and hijab (head covering). They even included LGBTQ households! The end of the book has a 4-page spread of a family and student potluck that is wonderful.

As a picture book, the text is on point – appropriately simple, direct, and kind. This show more is my favorite passage.
“In our classroom safe and sound.
Fears are lost and hope is found.
Raise your hand, we’ll go around.
All are welcome here.”

Kaufman, the illustrator of this book and a friend of mine, inspired me to read this book and several others. Though the book was released in 2018 before the 2020 Black Lives Matter riots and the exponentially growing attacks on Asians, this book is an essential tool in any household with young children to teach them about inclusivity, representation, and acceptance. Through the art, the reader will learn that people, their culture, their foods, just like rainbows, come in all different colors. And it’s a magnificent thing to celebrate and embrace. show less

In my opinion this is a very good children’s book to represent diversity and inclusion. I like how the language is very clear and uses repetition. For example, “Time for lunch-what a spread! A dozen different kinds of bread. Pass it around till everyone’s fed.” The words spread, bread, and fed rhyme at the end of each sentence. Repetiton enhances a children’s book making it more fun to read. The illustrations also enhance the story to a great extent, there are images of flags from around the world, showing different children of color, and shows happy, smiling children. The illustrations add to the positive mood of this welcoming book. The message of the story is to include everyone no matter of their race, religion, or background.

A powerful read celebrating diversity, inclusion and kindness. Beautiful, bright illustrations depict a classroom of children during a school day where they are all accepted. This book shares a kind message important for children to be aware of, teaching them that no matter where you come from or what makes you “different” from others, there is always a place for you.

I was curious to know why this book was listed in the Scholastic banned list. Upon finishing the book, I think the book has nothing controversial. Oh wait, there is a scene where kids in a cafeteria are sharing different kinds of bread from their cultural backgrounds. One character is holding a popular Mexican sweet bread called a Concha (they are very tasty). I am wondering if the book got added to the ban list because of germs. I suppose that could be a valid reason.

Otherwise, the book doesn't have anything censurable in my opinion. Characters show a map where their families emigrated from, children go to school in wheelchair access ramps, other children hug their parents goodnight. Nothing that would strike me as covert brainwashing. show more Ok, yes, there is one page in the book where two kids are brought to school by what seems like 2 parents of the same gender. But the drawings are done in such a way, that you would really have to focus and go looking for it to spot it. I doubt the target audience for this book would notice.

The ebook formatting is good without major issues. I think my sole complaint about the book was some of the prose in 1 or 2 pages was hard to read grammatically speaking. Which stroke me as odd since this is a trad book that would have been revised by several editors before publication. For this reason, I give the book 4 stars. Otherwise, I believe the book gives children a positive message. show less

Pages filled with simple, rhyming text and vibrant, diverse illustrations., The story takes the reader through a school day where every child regardless of background, skin color, family dynamic, religion or social status are welcomed with open arms. Such an amazing book to promote diversity and inclusion.

Summary: This book is about diversity by showing young children from all different backgrounds coming together in a welcoming school environment. The story depicts a day filled with learning, playing, and sharing cultures. The story highlights the importance of inclusion, kindness, and embracing differences, proving to young readers that they belong and are valued no matter who they are or where they come from.
Comments: This book is an essential tool for building a classroom culture that values diversity and inclusion. Its vibrant illustrations and repetitive, reassuring text are perfect for young children, helping them feel secure and celebrated. Sharing this book in the classroom creates an opportunity to talk about different family show more structures, traditions, and cultures, reinforcing the idea that everyone belongs. It’s ideal for the start of the school year or whenever a reminder about kindness and acceptance is needed. I think that all children could positively benefit from this message, and I would defiantly add this cute story into my future classroom. show less