Diversity Picture Book: "Be My Neighbor"

Ajmera, M. & Ivanko, J.D. (2004). Be My Neighbor. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.

This book doesn't appear within our text, but it is a quality children's book about diversity around the globe. It has even been recognized as a "Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People."

I definitely think that this should be on the shelf in every school media center. The authors do a wonderful job by describing the neighborhoods of children from around the globe. This picture book shows children how one can live in a village, town, or large city, but they are still part of a neighborhood. Neighborhoods are diverse depending upon the location and the cultures present in that area. Through photographs and descriptions, readers learn about how neighborhoods have certain characteristics such as places to play, schools, places to worship, and work places. These characteristics may be similar or different from your own neighborhood. Around 40 countries total are referred to throughout the book. The last two pages provides a world map with each referenced country labeled.

I love how the authors decided to use actual photographs taken of children living in their neighborhoods. Readers are able to see and read about children going about their daily lives in neighborhoods across the globe. The authors stress that no matter where one's neighborhood is located, it should be a place where you learn to cooperate, respect, and be a friend to others.

Ajmera and Ivanko have written many other children's works such as: To Be An Artist and To Be A Kid. Their books are usually filled with pictures showing great diversity among the characters in order to help children grasp the concept of diversity.

I learned a great deal from this story because it included popular countries, but also countries that we don't often learn about such as Brunei and Togo. It was interesting to see photographs taken of children from neighborhoods in these countries that aren't usually emphasized. The map included in the back helped me a great deal to pinpoint where the country was located.