The Inclusive Atrium

This is part 2, Part one, for 0-6 children’s books, discusses more background.

Please let me know what I’ve missed in this list. 

Remember to order from your local book seller. The links for the majority of these support Itinerate Literate our local seller.

The color coding denoting people who in their biographies or articles identify as people of color.

• Authors or illustrators of color are in blue.
• Foreign authors or illustrators of color are in green.
• Foreign authors or illustrators are in red.

6 to 12 books

uplift God’s moral focus

Bible Storybooks and Bibles

We must to ponder the child’s needs so we can support their discovery of core of God’s kingdom. The elementary child is oriented to knowing how the rules are, how they make the world better, the story of God’s gifts, and pondering the Bible’s place in history.

We really recommend reading from the actual Bible and not from “story book Bibles.” The focus of the passages is the Psalms and the ministry of Jesus, praying the Lord’s Prayer; and singing the songs of the Church with the elementary children in your life. Most of the Bible isn’t there to answer questions that they are pondering.

Children of God Storybook Bible, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and a multi-ethnic range of illustrators.

Desmond Tutu retells more than fifty of his most beloved stories, artfully highlighting God’s desire for all people to love one another and to find peace and forgiveness in their hearts.

Many of the finest artists from around the world have been selected to illustrate the stories. In an attempt to create the first truly global Bible for children, the artists have been invited to portray the stories with the style and richness of their own culture. Archbishop Tutu’s wisdom, compassion, and sense of humor shine throughout, as he reminds us that ‘We are all God’s children.’ (Back Cover)

The Voice, New Testament – Large Print  (there were people of color on the translation team, but not a majority)

This translation (not a transliteration) of the Bible is written like a script for easy group reading and widely inclusive language. It allows for poetry and flow in the scriptures. It is the translation we most commonly use in the atrium.

De Nyew Testament (Gullah New Testament)

This is a must for folks living in the Low Country – this is part of the cultural heritage of the coastal South, USA and having an understanding of the other language spoken, sung, and prayed throughout this region is part of living in a multi-cultural space. There are English comments interspersed to assist the reader. It is the Gullah translation we most commonly use in the atrium.

When the Great Spirit Walked Among Us retells the story of the Gospels from one great oral storytelling tradition to another. With the feel of the indigenous oral storytellers, Terry Wildman captures the beauty and cadence of an oral story in written form. Imagine the story of Jesus from four different Gospels combined into a single narrative and retold for Native Americans and all English speaking First Nations Peoples. The surprise felt by many, even those who have no Native American heritage, is the profound effect on the reader. Hearing the familiar story told with a different voice, an indigenous voice, opens a world of wonderful insights and meanings.

Advent and Christmas Books

This smoothly told story focuses on Ameer, a kennel boy (and most probably a slave) for one of the Magi who are following the star to Bethlehem to see the “Baby King.” Ameer owns a white dog named Ra who is the boy’s loyal best friend and only possession of value. As the caravan of the Three Kings approaches Bethlehem, Ameer worries about what gift he might offer, as everyone is taking gifts of some sort to the baby. When he finally meets the Holy Family in the stable, Ameer leaves his beloved dog behind to watch over the Christ Child and his parents.

The well-written text is full of rich language and dramatic moments, concluding with the Ra prancing along at the head of the procession on the flight into safety in Egypt. An author’s note gives details of a white dog often seen in Renaissance paintings of the Nativity. Cooper’s distinctive oil-wash paintings add depth and personality to a worthy entry in the long list of tales about bringing gifts to the Christ Child.

The Spirit Child: A Story of the Nativity (Translated from the Aztec), Author: John Bierhorst & Illustrator: Barbara Cooney (Hardcover)

This acclaimed picture book brings to life a stirring message of hope and salvation. Beneath the light of a brilliant star in Bethlehem, a “spirit child” is born to rescue the world from evil. He is Jesus, “savior of the people, ” and his story has not been told in these words for over four hundred years. This Native American nativity story from the Aztec tradition, rediscovered by noted scholar John Bierhorst, is filled with vivid language and some of the most striking imagery of Caldecott Medalist Barbara Cooney’s distinguished career. NOTE: this book was first publish in the early 1980’s and the writing style is Anglo.

This telling of the birth of Jesus comes from the First Nations Translation of the Scriptures. It tells the story from from a First Nations perspective. This book helps remind children that the Christmas story is also for their Native American neighbors. It also shows them that the Gospel is contextual, taking on many forms.

A New Day / Un Nuevo DÍA, Author: Don Bolognese (Softcover)

Set in the Southwest near the Mexican border, this bilingual novel adapts the Christmas story to contemporary times. Jose and Maria are farmworkers heading back to Mexico after working the harvest. Maria is about to have a baby and they can’t find a hotel or motel to take them in, so they take shelter in an abandoned service station.

Word of the new baby spreads and three cowboys come to visit him, followed by many other people. Eventually, the police ask Jose and Maria to leave and they continue their journey to Mexico, promising to return to see their many new friends. The text is presented on each page in both English and Spanish. 

Carlos, Light the Farolito, Author: Jean Ciavonne & Illustrator: Donna Clair (Hardcover)

On Christmas Eve, Carlos is dismayed to see the procession of neighbors and friends coming up the front walk for Las Posadas. His parents and grandfather aren’t home yet — so it’s up to Carlos to take over Grandfather’s role as the Innkeeper. But he’s so frightened, he can hardly breathe, let alone sing! Carlos’s triumph over his shyness, and the joyful celebration that follows, make this a satisfying story for any season.

Personhood

The shootings keep coming, and so do Jeremiah’s questions. Dad doesn’t have easy answers, but that doesn’t mean he won’t talk about it—or that he won’t act. But what if Jeremiah doesn’t want to talk anymore? None of it makes sense, and he’s just a kid. Even if he wants to believe in a better world, is there anything he can do about it?

Inspired by real-life events, this honest, intimate look at one family’s response to racism and gun violence includes a discussion guide created by the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Kentucky, a multicultural center and museum committed to promoting respect, hope, and understanding.

When I Pray for You, Author: Matthew Paul Turner & Illustrator: Kimberly Barnes

When I Pray for You celebrates the dreams, hopes, and longings parents pray over their children, and shares with the little ones how much care and concern a loved one feels for them.

These chapter books feature a spunky Black protagonist who is hilariously making her way in the elementary world.

General Faith

Who Counts? 100 Sheep, 10 Coins, and Two Sons, Authors: Amy-Jill Levine & Sandy Eisenberg Sasso & Illustrator: Margaux Meganck (Flyaway books) (Board book and Hardback)

Who Counts? is a creative retelling of three of Jesus’ most popular parables: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son. As young readers count to help the characters find what’s missing, Who Counts? teaches that every one of us counts in God’s eyes and that everyone should feel counted. The stories are beautifully illustrated with modern-day characters and a diversity of ethnicities so that all children will be able to see themselves in the stories.

Weatherford uses the Beatitudes (Mathew 5: 3–12 KJV) as backdrop for a powerful, beautifully produced book. In free verse, she relates the story in first person—”I am the Lord your God,”—tracing the African-American journey from slavery through the Civil Rights Movement to the inauguration of Barack Obama.

Each page begins, “I was with…” as Weatherford focuses on a particular person (Harriet Tubman, Marian Anderson, Emmett Till, Martin Luther King, Jr.) or an event (slave ships, freedom rides, right-to-vote movement). The words of the Beatitudes, which are printed in their entirety at the book’s beginning, run across the bottoms of the pages in softly colored type, making a constant connection to the pictures.

In addition, the artist’s choice of perspective is exemplary: angry white hecklers back an image of a hopeful-looking Ruby Bridges; Lincoln looks down on a crowded Mall as Marian Anderson sings to the throngs, and Martin Luther King, Jr., gazing into a reflecting pool, sees the smiling faces of two girls (one black and one white).

The Marvelous Mustard Seed, Authors: Amy-Jill Levine & Sandy Eisenberg Sasso & Illustrator: Margaux Meganck

Discover the surprising potential of one small seed in The Marvelous Mustard Seed. Based on Jesus’ parable of the Mustard Seed, this inspiring children’s book shows young readers that one tiny seed—just like one small child—carries a world of potential.

The late Rachel Held Evans loved the Bible and loved showing God’s love through the words and pictures found in that ancient text. Through these pictures from the Bible, children see that God is like a shepherd, God is like a star, God is like a gardener, God is like the wind, and more. God is a comforter and support. And whenever a child is unsure, What Is God Like? encourages young hearts to “think about what makes you feel safe, what makes you feel loved, and what makes you feel brave. That’s what God is like.”