All Are Welcome

 

Author: Alexandra Penfold

Illustrator: Suzanne Kaufman

Grade Level: Preschool- Third Grade

Purchase Here!

Resources for Teachers:

 All Are Welcome Literature Guide

All Are Welcome Classroom Activities

Summary:

All Are Welcome celebrates diversity and the safe community school is. The story goes through all the activities children do in school such as play, make art, lunch time, nap, reading books, and celebrating holidays. No matter how anyone does any of these activities everyone is welcome to be themselves. The children in this book represent many different cultures where they all play along side each other. The book embraces strength in diversity and community no matter anyone's background. It shows children with hijabs, yarmulkes, and impairments which are often not represented in any literature, let alone one book. All Are Welcome shows children that no matter where they are from, what they celebrate, how they look, what they eat, they all have a safe place to be themselves and are welcomed at school.

Element Two: Respect For Others

All Are Welcome shows children from all different backgrounds in which their culture is accepted and shared in school. Having respect for others means we must learn from each other's culture and identity that helps deconstruct stereotypes built around that culture or identity. When students learn from their friends diversity they realize they have similar values and are able to show empathy and kindness for others. This book shows marginalized groups sharing their culture in school and everyone being accepting of it. It also says how having diversity in school makes the community stronger and more resilient. Students learn to have respect for diversity and each other.

An activity centered around this book would be to research one's one bread. In the book there was an important part in the lunch room where everyone shares the bread from their culture and everyone is fed. I would make students research a traditional bread made or eaten regularly in their culture. Find significance and the importance of that bread. Students would share their findings with a picture and description of the bread alongside it. This allows students to learn something new about themselves while also teaching something new about their culture to others. Food is key for bringing people of all races and backgrounds together and this would be amazing to see students have pride in theirs.