Early Childhood: Learning About Economic Class and Fairness

TFC DESCRIPTION: Wonderful story of a loving family of migrant apple pickers and a little girl's sense of accomplishment as she helps the family pick their quota.

TFC DESCRIPTION: The boy, Panchito, dreams of getting a red ball for Christmas, but there's no work and no money for presents, and the family must move again. The surprise on the last page reveals Papa's true gifts of kindness and love.

TFC DESCRIPTION: In simple words (in Spanish and English) and sun-drenched paintings, we travel into the fields and orchards where our food grows, and into the lives of the people who work there. Moving in its simplicity and candor, this collection of poems tells the story of migrant farm workers and their deep connections to the earth they till. Each gentle poem begins with a letter of the Spanish alphabet and appears in both Spanish and English. Vibrant gouache paintings wash each page in color from dawn to twilight in a work that celebrates a people, a language, and the land.

TFC DESCRIPTION: A beautiful story told from the perspective of a young African American girl growing up in a rural area where adults tell black children and white children not to play together. Clover becomes curious about a lonely white girl who lives on the other side of her family's fence, and makes a bold move in deciding to join the girl on the fence. Clover becomes a leader, as her African-American friends who were hesitant decide to sit on the fence too, hoping that some day someone might knock it down. An excellent text for introducing the history of segregation or sparking discussion about leadership and seeking commonalities. Can be paired with other stories about inclusion, such as Moss's Say Something and Otoshi's One. Also see Woodson's Coming On Home Soon.

TFC DESCRIPTION: Swimmy is an exquisite picture book. Swimmy, a little fish, the lone survivor of a school of fish swallowed by a tuna, devises a plan to camouflage himself and his new companions. Swimmy, who is “different” from the other fish, bands together with other little fish to stand up to the bully.

TFC DESCRIPTION: A moving text about wants and needs. Jeremy, a young Black boy in a diverse school, dreams about getting a pair of black sneakers with two stripes like his classmates wear, but when his grandmother, who has been saving up, sees the price, "she sits down heavy." Jeremy tries wearing the too-small pair they find at a resale shop, and spends a few days with his "too big feet shuffling around in my too-small shoes," wistfully saying, "sometimes shoes stretch." Eventually, though, he finds a better owner for these shoes -- Antonio, whose shoes are taped up and who is the only boy who didn't laugh at the shoes Jeremy had to borrow from the principal. A refreshing story told by the kid who gets old things from the principal's office, instead of about him. Cartoonish illustrations are delightfully fun and present kids with varying body types.