Nonfiction Photojournals about Familes

Another piece of homework required for my recent class was a text set of books we might use to present a topic to students.  I wanted to do something startlingly different and picked non-traditional families with a focus on same sex, single dad, foster and multi-generational families.
I found three fantastic books that should be a part of anyone's collection:

1. My Family by Sheila Kinkade with photographs by Elaine Little (2006)  This book is a project by SHAKTI for Children dedicated to teaching children to value diversity. Presenting families from around the globe with all we have in common; eating, living, learning and growing together as one human family.  This book makes the point that we are all one.  Told through beautiful photographs and easy text this is a great book to explore with students and their families.

2. Families by Susan Kuklin (2006) This book highlights 15 families of various diverse backgrounds and how their family is special.  Several culturally mixed families are included and in their interviews,which are always the children, Osamu says  " We're a fun-loving, culturally mixed up family.  Mixed is more fun," after he and his brother have relayed how much they enjoy being a part of both cultures of Japanese and American.  In an another interview Eloise ends hers by saying "We both love each other. That's the most important thing in the whole, entire world."  Eloise was adopted from China by a single mom and feels 100 % American.  Each story makes you feel a little more connected and realize that Eloise is right-families are made up of love and that is the most important ingredient.

3. Our Grandparent's; A Global Album by Maya Ajmera, Sheila Kinkade and Cynthia Pon with a foreword by Archbishop Desmond Tutu. (2010)  This book shares the special relationship of grandparents in all cultures.  The special bond is explored and emphasizes what you can learn from this relationship.  Grandparents hold the key to where your family has been and how your parent was as a child.  This book is pure celebration of the joy between grandparents and grandbabies.

My mom was just here while I recovered from minor surgery and I'm happy to say she took great care in celebrating with her two grandchildren by cooking with them and getting them to help around the house.  Stuff they won't do for me, she had them up and moving!  Go Grandma!!  Celebrate your family!