Blog Post 2: A Children's Book That Made A Difference

“Once in jungle, far far away a herd of zebras grazed each day. They pranced and played and had great fun, except one…his stripes were not black but of a brighter hue. Of yellows, greens, and reds, and blues!”

One children’s book that made a difference in my life was entitled The Rainbow Zebra, the basis for the title of this blog. The Rainbow Zebra was a story about a zebra exterior appearance was a source of ridicule and ostracizing. It was especially written and illustrated by a family friend for myself and my younger sister as children. It was always Daddy’s favorite book to read to us more so than our personal favorites (like Tikki Tikki Tembo and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom). Now as an adult and an educator I can see why. Its subject matter was socially and culturally inclusive of gender, race, sexuality, culture, and even personality. The fact that the main character was a rainbow colored animal allowed for less social/political signifiers that could potentially distract us from the morals. My sister and I could easily identify with the main character and learned that there are some differences that come without explanation. We learned that you shouldn’t be ashamed of who you are, and that once everyone gets past their initial differences we can “all play and have fun together”.