Kelsey Gottschalk
Interim Program Director at Tandem, Partners in Early Learning
“Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop talks about how diverse children's books must serve as mirrors, windows and sliding glass doors.
At Tandem, Partners in Early Learning, we use Dr. Bishop's guidance in building our book collection. The diverse characters, foods and art forms represented in ‘Soul Sisters’ give any child an opportunity to see their own life reflected in the story, while learning new vocabulary about other cultures and relating to children with experiences different from their own. ‘Soul Sisters’ invites young readers into a world full of children playing together and learning from each other not despite, but because of their differences.”
-
Jamila Crawley, Parent
“This book does a great job showing how kids can have shared interests as well as great appreciation for other cultures if they are given the opportunity to be exposed them.”
-
Shawn Peyatt, Vice Principal at Figueroa Elementary School in South Central LA
“I cannot wait for our students at Figueroa to read this book! Our kids will truly be able to see themselves in the characters. Thank you for writing such an insightful and thoughtful book!”
-
Thomishia Booker, Parent & Author
“This book is so cute and needed! Soul Sisters uses a relatable topic such as friendship to highlight cultural awareness. The illustrations are eye catching and appeal to young readers. There are hidden details throughout the book that make for good conversations with children.”
Dr. Ashley Williams
Senior Policy Analyst at the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment at UC Berkeley
“Soul Sisters/Hermanas Del Alma serves as a possibility model for children's books to help inspire exploration of culture through friendship. This is a beautiful and necessary foundation to help children learn about and honor different cultures starting early on.”