Living in Culture

Through my non-profit, Culture 4 Kids, I have found some incredible books. I love finding books that relate to our programs, and without Culture 4 Kids, I would have never come across these books. Below are three of my favorite books that I have found that correspond with our programs. Don’t forget, if you want to schedule a program with Culture 4 Kids, check out our website, culture-4-kids.org, or email us at contact.culture4kids@gmail.com

Alpaca Pati’s Fancy Fleece

This book by Tracey Kyle is a part of our Threads of Tradition Presentation. That program was the first program we ever developed, so this book will always be one of my favorites. One of my favorite parts of this book is all of the Spanish words incorporated throughout the book. That is something I look for in books that I incorporate into my programs. While my pronunciation may not be the best, I love learning what all the words in Spanish mean and teaching them to the kids.

Pati, the protagonist in the book, teaches kids about more than just the shearing process. She overcomes her fear of losing her fleece and conveys the message that beauty comes from within, not just on the surface. I would highly recommend this book for libraries and classrooms. The illustrations are incredible, and the fun, light-hearted story goes perfectly with our presentation.

Ciao, Sandro!

Ciao, Sandro! is a part of our Buon Ferragosto program. Although this book does not specifically focus on that holiday, I love using it to introduce Venice, one of the major cities in Italy. The book follows a gondolier’s dog as he travels throughout Venice, seeing friends along the way. As I mentioned above, I love it when books have some words from another language. This book follows the trend! I believe the Italian words are a great addition to the book and are so fun for kids to learn and practice saying.

Another thing I look for in a book for a program is a clear storyline. It would be easy to find a book that gives you the top ten facts about something like Italy, but I think the books that are the best books for our programs are fictional books that have a clear story, but are still very educational. These books align with our mission to combine education and fun, and books like these will always be included in my recommendation bundle.

Bisa’s Carnaval

Last but not least, I would recommend the book Bisa’s Carnaval by Joana Pastro, and it is a part of our program, Dancing through Brazilian Carnival! This book focuses on a girl and her grandmother as they experience the Brazilian tradition of Carnaval. I love that this book shows a different variation of Carnaval from the traditional one in Rio. Also, you guessed it- the book has Portuguese words in it! The glossary in the back is very helpful, and I loved reading the author’s note to learn about her experiences.

The illustrations in the book are also incredible. They are fun, bright, and full of life. Normally, I will read the book after I go through our presentation, and I think the kids love seeing illustrated versions of images they saw in the presentation. This book is a great reminder of the importance of family, and it is such a fun read!

Don’t forget, if you like any of these books, you would love our programs! Please reach out to contact.culture4kids@gmail.com or head to culture-4-kids.org if you want any more information.