Red: A Crayon’s Story
June is Pride month, a time packed with opportunities to explore how we can best support one another in a safe and inclusive way. The vital tasks of promoting equity and preventing gender-based violence require a multidimensional and intersectional approach in which all can partake. One of the most impactful avenues for advocacy lies in how parents and caregivers present the topic of inclusivity. There are many wonderful books out there that can help teach children about diversity, many about specific dynamics and situations present in their lives. For those searching for a children’s book that is more widely applicable, look no further than Red: A Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall.
In this story, we meet Red, a crayon who can only color blue things no matter how hard he tries. Red tries everything he can think of to change himself in order to be able to color red things, but to no avail. Finally, he meets a new friend named Berry, who asks him to color a blue ocean for his boat. Red does it! Red and his friends celebrate all the wonderful blue things he can color just by being himself.
The magic of this book is in its universal applicability. Grown-ups can refer back to this book when teaching a wide range of lessons, all about respecting diverse interests, skills, beliefs, and identities. Whether your child is struggling with feeling like the odd one out, or you want to teach them how to support a friend, reading this book together will provide an easy-to-understand foundation for discussion. Whenever the need arises in the future, you can just remind them, “Remember Red?”
You can find Red: A Crayon’s Story in print, e-book, and audiobook at these retailers:
Morning Light doesn’t receive compensation for sharing book recommendations, nor do we receive a commission if you choose to buy the book. We just love them and think some of our clients may find them useful!