87. All Are Welcome, by Alexandra Penfold

87. All Are Welcome, by Alexandra Penfold


Penfold, A. (2018). All are welcome. NY: Alfred A. Knopf. 

This story is about a school where children have a place, no matter their background or home life, and are loved and appreciated.   It follows a group of children through a day in their school, where everyone is welcomed with open arms. They play music, and do art.  They study together, eat together, and play together.  There is even a science fair!  They have a festive celebration for Chinese New Year.  All are accepted.  It is the kind of lessons we want our children to learn to help make the world a better place.  If you are open minded and want your children to learn about different home-life situations, then this is a great book to teach differences.  It is simple and has a fun rhyme.   If you are more on the conservative side, be warned, it has a Lesbian couple as the parents of one of the students and one of them is pregnant.  There is also a gay couple with a child as well.  It also has a row of flags from different countries across the top of the page and tucked behind some of the others is the LGBTQ flag presented as a nation.  I found a site with activity ideas and a song to sing that goes along with the book.

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