I’m always on the lookout for great multicultural products for my family. It’s great for the kids to be exposed to different people, not just people with different skin color but also different cultures and beliefs as well. Here are some of our favorite items. Items marked below will also be available as giveaways.
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella. Both hubby and I come from a theatre background so we would be remiss if we didn’t expose Sophia to musical theatre. Rodgers and Hammerstein are masters of musical theatre, and their take on Cinderella is fun and light. Disney’s 1997 made for tv version starred Brandy as Cinderella and Whitney Houston as the fairy godmother. The diverse cast continues with Paulo Montalban as the Prince, Whoopi Goldberg as his mother the Queen, and Victor Garber as the King. There are plenty of other familiar faces like Broadway alums Jason Alexander and Bernadette Peters. I love movies where the cast is diverse and there is no need to explain to the audience how Whoopi Goldberg and Victor Garber produces an Asian-looking prince. The sets and costumes are bright and fun. The entire movie is great eye candy and makes for a great family movie night flick. Sophia loves Cinderella and I don’t mind watching this version more than once a week.$11.99 for DVD at Amazon. We borrow our Cinderella DVD from our local library (quite often, it would seem).
Mixed: Portraits of Multiracial Kids by Kip Fulbeck makes a great gift for kids and adults alike because it portrays so many beautiful multi-racial children. Kip Fulbeck captures them as regular kids. He’s not highlighting their ethnic background. One kid is sipping chocolate milk. Another is in full ballerina gear, tutu and all. One girl is having a staring contest with her Elmo toy. Everyday kid stuff. Read my full review here. List price is $19.99, currently $13.57 on Amazon. I received a copy of the book for review.
Amimal Mastermind Towers from Pressman Toys. I loved playing the original Mastermind game as a kid and this version was a great way to introduce critical thinking skills to Sophia. Each player chooses 3-5 animal tiles and slides them into the “tower” or holder. Each player takes turns asking yes or no questions to determine what order the other player’s tiles are. This game is good for younger children because no reading is required. At first glance you wouldn’t think this game is multicultural. One day as we played, I added another rule. I would ask my questions in Vietnamese while Sophia speaks whatever language she is comfortable with. Without realizing it she responds to my questions in Vietnamese! It was an easy, low pressure way for us to practice speaking Vietnamese together. Recommended for ages 6 and up. Retails for 12.99. I received this game for review.
Giveaway Alert: Read below to learn how you can win a copy of this Animal Mastermind Towers.
Shades of People by Shelley Rotner and Sheila M Kelly celebrates how fun it is that we’re all different shades. The book is filled with pictures of children. They are happy. There are children hugging each other, reading together, playing together. With each picture, is a description of the person’s skin color. The lists of colors sound luscious and beautiful. Race is never mentioned in the book. We discovered this book at the library, and it’s a favorite of ours. My full review is here. Recommended for ages 4-8. Retails for $6.95.
I’m so happy that Jaxson loves books, just like everyone else in the family. He will frequently bring us books to read to him. One of his favorites is That’s Not My Baby… (Usborne Touchy-Feely Books). Each page has a touchable, textured surface for him to touch. The babies are all diverse, different colors and hairstyles. Jaxson is very interested in faces recently so this is perfect for him. Often he’ll ask me to read the book for him several times in a row. $8.99 retail. Also available in a girls version. I personally purchased our copy of this book.
The Princess and The Frog DVD from Disney. This version has a slightly different twist than the version we grew up with. SPOILER ALERT Tiana turns into a frog herself when she kisses the prince. Set in Louisiana, the movie features jazz music as well as some pretty fun characters. I have a soft spot for Ray the lightning bug. Princess Tiana has been a welcome addition to Disney’s line up of princesses. Tiana dreams big and doesn’t need a prince to rescue her. In fact she works hard for her dream. I personally purchased our copy of the movie.
Enter to win your very own copy of Animal Mastermind Towers. Leave a comment telling me what your favorite childhood game is.
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The last day to enter the giveaway is December 15, 2010.
Come back tomorrow for a great round up of multicultural books from Lee and Low Publishing plus win a gift pack of their books.