Teaching children about real-world events can be frightening. We want them to know that they are lucky to be able to go to school and learn, but it is difficult to express to them that there are parts of the world devastated by war and poverty, where not every child is guaranteed the right to an education.

Children's literature is not only for developing reading skills, but is also a crucial part of a child's journey to learning empathy and compassion.

You may know him as the creator of The Very Hungry Caterpillar or Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Eric Carle is an extremely prolific children's book illustrator and his designs never fail to impress. Recently I've been completely absorbed in these two poetry collections, Eric Carle's collaborations with librarian Laura Whipple

Sulwe tells the story of a young girl experiencing embarrassment and sadness over the darkness of her skin tone. She is visited in the night by a magical star who tells her a story of how the day and the night are sisters, and how lightness and darkness are both beautiful in their own way. Sulwe learns that even the darkest night can shine brightly with beauty. 

Summer is a great time to engage children with the natural world by turning the outdoors into a classroom. Help them get excited about plant and animal diversity by exposing them to picture books that stimulate their sense of wonder about nature and ecosystems.