Eight Children's Books to Help Your Kids Learn About Other Cultures

Reading books is an excellent way to expose your children to new cultures or deepen their understanding of the ones they already know about. With recent social shifts paving the way for improved cultural diversity in our every day lives, a number of authors and publishers have happily stepped up to the plate and started putting out compelling, meaningful children's books designed to improve cultural awareness.

Those who are interested in a more immersive learning experience for their little ones may even want to consider reading books in the language (or languages) their children are learning. While this can prove difficult, particularly if you aren't bilingual yourself, the benefits of reading a language you're trying to learn are well-known. If your language skills are shaky, consider leaving out board books for little ones to gain exposure to the written language and letting older kids head off on their own with age-appropriate chapter books.

We know that figuring out what's best for your kids can be tough; that's why we've taken the initiative to round up the best children's books to help your kids learn about other cultures. Whether the messages are overt or not, each of these books carries a special meaning designed to build kids' understandings of cultures outside their own. 

Eight Children's Books to Help Your Kids Learn About Other Cultures

Global Babies, Global Baby Girls, and Global Baby Boys by the Global Fund for Children

1 - 3 years

Too literal? We don't think so! Learning at this age is all about sight; so what better way to start teaching your little one about cultures around the world than by showing them pictures of children who look just like them, only different? These three books all give our tots the opportunity to meet other babies from around the world. Whether it's a little girl in Guatemala or a young boy in Bhutan, your baby will be making friends with kiddos thousands of miles away. 

I Love My Mommy Because... by Laurel Porter Gaylord

1 - 3 years

While not explicitly a cultural undertaking, I Love My Mommy Because... is a fantastic book to introduce to toddlers and little ones. You may not be reading aloud about life in other countries, but you will be teaching your kiddo about empathy and the fact that we all communicate the same things a little differently. This book is a great chance to introduce the concept that not everybody's life or language looks like yours-- and that's okay!

Ramadan Moon by Na'ima B. Robert

4 - 7 years

Ramadan Moon offers children a peek into the festival of Ramadan and the way it's celebrated around the globe. This thoughtful, slow-paced book helps explain to children how faith and religion play into the lives of other kids regardless of where they are or where they come from. Lyrical, inspiring, and full of gorgeous illustrations, this book manages to capture the delight of an incredibly sacred annual event in the Muslim community. 

Fly, Eagle, Fly: An African Tale by Christopher Gregorowski

5 - 8 years

This book presents a dramatic story in a simple, intuitive way. Children will have the opportunity to learn about freedom, fulfillment, and African culture as they read the story of a baby eagle raised amongst chickens. One forward, written by Archbishop Tutu, proclaims that the piece will delight and encourage children to "lift off and soar."

Handa's Surprise: Read and Share by Eileen Browne

5 - 9 years

Most of us are familiar with the tale of the very hungry caterpillar. Handa's Surprise is yet another mouthwatering children's book that focuses on food and counting, but this tale brings in a little cultural twist. The books centers around Handa, a young Kenyan girl, who sets out to visit her friend. She brings along a basket of seven different fruits to offer as a gift, but hungry critters along the way foil her plans.

Fruits: A Caribbean Counting Poem by Valerie Bloom

5 - 6 years

It must be the fact that summer is just around the corner-- we can't get fruit out of our minds! Much like Handa's Surprise, this short book reminds us of the tale of a hungry little caterpillar munching his way through a smorgasbord of delicious foods. The book is essentially one long rhythmic counting poem. Your kiddo will get the opportunity to learn about the beautiful variety of Caribbean fruits that help enrich local cuisine and culture.

Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan

8 and up

While perhaps not an easy read for the more sensitive among us, Esperanza Rising serves as a sobering reminder of what happens when you're separated from the culture that you love. Children will follow along with the story as Esperanza goes from a beautiful life on her family's ranch in Mexico to the struggle to survive a Mexican farm labor camp in California. The novel teaches us that culture can help us rise above difficult circumstances and find our way home-- literally and figuratively.

The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis

10 and up

The Breadwinner is certainly a book best left to children with a little more age and maturity to their names, but it's worth the wait. The novel explores how a young girl, Parvana, and her mother and sisters struggle to make life work following Parvana's father's arrest. The catch? The women are house-bound under the Taliban's law stating girls and women aren't to enter public on their own. Tweens and teens will be faced head-on with the ugly truth that sometimes, other cultures look different from ours in ways that aren't so pleasant. 

Teaching your kids about cultures other than their own doesn't need to be difficult. Bringing these cultures into your reading routine is an excellent way to make learning about other people and countries a fun, easy, and natural experience. Tell your kids that you're excited to hear about any questions or comments they have once they've set their books down-- you may just be surprised by what you hear. 

Reading books is an excellent way to expose your children to new cultures or deepen their understanding of the ones they already know about. With recent social shifts paving the way for improved cultural diversity in our every day lives, a number of authors and publishers have happily stepped up to the plate and started putting out compelling, meaningful children's books designed to improve cultural awareness.

Photo by Brina Blum on Unsplash

10 Great Kids Books With Global Appeal

Sail away with your kids to magical lands across the sea – just by picking up a book. These 10 great kids books will give your family a glimpse of cultures and a taste of languages around the world. You can read all of them in English, but if you’re feeling up to it, several (such as the French classic The Little Prince) can easily be found in their original language. Whatever you choose, reading with your kids is a great way to bond and let their imaginations grow. Plus, it’s one step closer to getting ready for school, which will be here before you know it.

Europe

1. The Adventures of TinTin (Belgium) – A dog and his intrepid young reporter owner solve mysteries around the world – the comic strip imagery is especially popular with young children; and the comics are also available in French.

2. The Little Prince – A lovely French classic that tells the story of an aviator who meets a prince from a distant asteroid while stranded in the desert. This is a good one to try in French if you can.

3. The Invention of Hugo Cabret – Take a trip through Paris with the vivid pencil images in this imaginative story of Hugo, a boy who lives in a train station in Paris, and the friend who helps uncover his mechanical secret.

4. Strega Nona—Although written in English, this is the tale of an Italian “Grandma Witch” who lives in Calabria and makes enough pasta to bury an entire town. There are more than a dozen Strega Nona stories to keep the pasta-fueled fun going.

Scandinavia

5. Pippi Longstocking –Sweden’s contribution to global kids’ imaginations is this firecracker of a main character, a red-headed 9-yr-old with a with a suitcase full of gold, a pet monkey, and horse on her front porch. A great read out loud book that will make you and your kids laugh out loud.

6. The Moomins – A Swedish/Finnish illustrated collection of books about a family of animal-like creatures. The pictures are sure to captivate kids, and if they really love it, there’s even a Moomin theme park in Finland!

Asia

7. Lon Po Po – A Red Riding Hood Story from China – In this Chinese reworking of the classic Grimm fairytale, three sisters in rural China outwit the (heads up, relatively scary looking) Lon Po Po (Granny Wolf). Great for kids who like their stories to keep them on the edge of their seat.

8. The REAL Story of Stone Soup – Another children’s classic story with a Chinese twist. This time three clever brothers turn stones into egg drop soup – keep an eye out for Chinese vocabulary sprinkled throughout the story.

Africa

9. Anansi The Spider – From West Africa comes this Ashanti fable of a small spider who must make a big decision.

10. We All Went on Safari -- A counting journey through a safari in Tanzania. There’s a surprising amount of rhythmic Swahili vocabulary tucked into the illustrations of animals.

Little Pim books are here!

Little Pim Books are here! We are very excited to share with you the publication of our first books for young learners of Spanish and French, called FEELINGS and COLORS. The books make delightful companions to our Spanish and French learning system of DVDs, flash cards, CDs and interactive games. They tell colorful simple stories for kids aged one through age four, and are full of pull tabs, lift the flaps, and of course, their favorite panda, Little Pim!

In FEELINGS, Little Pim helps kids learn how to say useful phrases like “I am happy” and “I am scared” and “I am shy” and in COLORS we learn seven colors, through a balloon treasure hunt that ends in a surprise party! The books are written in English, with French and Spanish words and phrases throughout, and as always, we include easy phonetics so that parents can use these even if they don’t speak the language themselves.

I love reading books to my children and never found the right bilingual books that were engaging and interactive. These books will help you bring French and Spanish learning to storytime in a new, super fun way.

Like all Little Pim products, our books are beautifully designed, affordable, and easy to use. Two more books in this series, published by Abrams Publishing, will come out in the Spring, so stay tuned. For languages other than Spanish and French, look out for our e-books, coming soon!

To order the books, click here.

Full Stomach, Happy Heart

If you’re anything like me, you are delighted if you can find a cute new book that will:1) stimulate your child’s mind

2) teach a few new words in another language

3) introduce different cultures

I recently discovered the adorable and beautifully illustrated, “A Mango in the Hand” that delivers on all three! This new title from Abrams Books is about a little boy named Francisco, who goes on a mission to pick some mangos and has adventures along the way that are both entertaining and teach valuable life lessons. The book is written in English, but is full of Spanish sayings like “no hay mal que por bien no venga” (every cloud has a silver lining) and all the Spanish expressions are listed in a glossary at the end.

I had fun doggy-paddling my way through the Spanish phrases (neither Emmett nor I actually speak Spanish, but we both like the way it sounds!). The book offers a lot of chances to ask your child “what do you think that saying means?” and have an interesting talk about the challenges of growing up, making mistakes, and sometimes misreading people. I actually got a little teary at the part where the “crabby aunt” turns out to be the hero and teaches her nephew “amor con amor se paga” (love is repaid with love). I’m also a big fan of expression ”barriga llena, corazón contento” (full stomach, happy heart). I can’t believe they don’t have the equivalent in French!

Make sure to have some mangos on hand when you read the book, you’ll be craving one after you’re done!

If you like books that teach, look out for Little Pim books, coming out this summer! Your children will have fun learning words and phrases with their favorite panda in these colorful board books. There will be four books in all, starting with COLORS and FEELINGS, in English with Spanish and French lift the flaps and pull-tabs. Check back on our website or sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know when the books are released!

Little Pim Books – Colors and Feelings in English, Spanish, French.