Sharing this post on social media? Use this description to make it accessible: [Image description: Illustration from ‘Shelter,’ by . Two polar bear brothers and a family of foxes share tea and the warmth of an oil lamp in an emergency snow shelter.]
Shelter
Picture book, Recommended for ages 3.5 – 7
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Kind people can be mean when we’re afraid
Seeking transformative justice means raising kids who refuse to label people as good/bad, while recognizing the harm and healing in our actions.
Otherwise it becomes so easy to do something terrible and be okay with it – justifying the harm we cause because we believe we’re still fundamentally ‘good people,’ after all.
So these nice little woodland families won’t offer shelter, spare acorns, or a moment of refuge to the strangers – except for one little fox who has a tiny bit to give.
When kindness requires courage
It’s easy to be nice – to smooth things over and gloss over conflict and tension. But it’s hard to be kind. When we choose a harder path for the good of others – even if that puts us at risk.
This was where we get to discuss giving – even when what we have to give seems insignificant, and how ALL our actions matter. This is a valuable lesson for a 3-year-old, empowering, and important.
Both the Earthquakes loved this at 3 & 5 – many books are hard to read to two different ages at the same time.)
How we calculate the overall awesomeness score of books.
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