We're Different, We're the Same (Sesame Street)

This book is absolutely great for young children. It stresses the importance of how even though we are all different, we are all basically the same. It teaches children to accept everyone no matter how they look, what race they are, etc. This should be on the bookshelf of every child. It is also great for those with multi-racial families.

As I said in the title of my review, this is one of those books that every child should own a copy of as well as the book " 12 Gifts of Birth". I often give these 2 books when I attend baby showers. Both are wonderful and so very important for growing up and even when you are already grown-up. We're Different, We're the Same and We're All Wonderful show despite all of our vast difference, we are so alike! We all have beating heart, have hopes and dreams for our future, we all laugh and smile the same even though we may speak different languages. When cut we all bleed the same red blood. We need to remember that even though we look different, we are all very much the same. If we all start and teach our children that just because we are diffent looking or speak a different language that one of us is better than the other.

I have a dog-eared copy of this book that I have used for years in my preschool classroom. The format of the book is repetive - "We are all alike. We all have hair to keep us warm." Then on the next page, "We are all different, our hair looks different". The children are immediately attracted to the Sesame Street characters and the possibility of guessing each character by their distinguishing feature. Often the favorite page is the one about noses, each character's nose is shown as if in a page of photographs showing just the noses - ... to The Count to Snuffalupagus.

I teach kindergarten and use this book every year at the beginning of the year. It takes each part of a person and shows how they are both the same and different. Example "our hair is different" then they show a variety of hair types. On the next page it continues: "Our hair is the same. It grows on us in several places. It warms our heads and frames oour faces."

We really like this book for our 3-yr old chinese-born daughter. It not only teaches her racial harmony, but also shows her that her parents are more like her than different. We like to give this book as a gift to other children and it is appropriate for any child. The illustrations are cute and we have had many a giggle as we point each other out in the pictures ("Daddy's hair looks like Big Bird's!").