Great Books to Read with Your Kids

We love the messages in each of these books!

"I like myself--inside and out! Why? Just because I'm ME! And me is all I want to be." This book that instills in children a confidence in being themselves no matter what others might think.

Teddy's Favourite Toy by Christian Trimmer

This book is about a boy whose favourite toy is a doll, but the fact that he's a boy and it's a doll is not the point of the story. It's about how his favourite toy breaks, he tries to fix it, and it almost gets mistakenly taken away by the garbage truck. His favourite toy just happens to be a doll. Completely normal. We need more books like this in the world!

Dogs Don't Do Ballet by Anna Kemp

Biff the dog will stop at nothing to become a ballet dancer. After being told repeatedly that "dogs don't do ballet," he shows everyone that anyone can do anything, regardless of whether people approve or not.

Jacob's New Dress by Sarah and Ian Hoffman

Jacob loves playing dress-up, when he can be anything he wants to be. Some kids at school say he can't wear "girl" clothes, but Jacob wants to wear a dress to school. With creativity, imagination, and resilience Jacob teaches us there are many ways to be a boy.

I'm a Girl by Yasmeen Ismail

The main character in this book is a girl who is always being mistaken for a boy because she likes to wear shorts and t-shirts, gets messy, and runs around outside. When she meets a boy who likes dresses and playing make believe with dolls two become good friends.

Be Who You Are by Todd Parr

With bold pictures and simple text, this book has a positive message of individuality and confidence. It describes all the ways to be who you are - "...wear everything you need to be you, be proud of where you're from, learn in your own way..." Another great book by Todd Parr is It's Okay to be Different.

Not Your Typical Dragon by Dan Bar-el

Crispin is a dragon that can't breathe fire like everyone else. He's not so happy about being different. But when a family emergency breaks out, Crispin saves the day with his unique abilities. Crispin and his family teaches us that we should celebrate our individuality and be proud of who we are.

If you have any great book suggestions, we'd love to hear them! Please email them to us at info@be-me.ca.