On Celebrating Differences (Because Not Everyone is Itsy-Bitsy): A Guest Post by Ethan T. Berlin, Author of The Hugely-Wugely Spider

I’ve never been itsy-bitsy. I was a large baby, a heavy kid, and am an adult who strangers love to call “big guy.” In elementary school, I learned that I could avoid being picked on if I made fun of my weight before the other kids did. I went from being the fat kid to the fat, funny kid. This is an identity I’ve kept for most of my life and turned into a career as a TV comedy writer.  Who knows, if I’d been a skinny kid, maybe I’d be a Nigerian prince email scammer.

Not Your Typical Dragon, by Dan Bar-el, Illustrated by Tim Bowers
This hilarious book tells the story of Crispin, a young dragon who discovers that, unlike every other dragon, he can’t breathe fire. Instead, he breathes whipped cream, band aids, and even teddy bears, all of which makes my kids laugh out loud. Sadly, Crispin’s family doesn’t know how to deal with their different child and he runs away. In the end, however, it’s Crispin’s non-typical powers that help him save the day.

Geraldine, by Elizabeth Lilly
It’s hard to fit in at a new school, especially if you’re a giraffe and all the other students are human. While hiding from her classmates, Geraldine meets Cassie, a human girl who also feels like she doesn’t fit in. Together, they discover that owning your differences is the key to making friends and feeling great about yourself.  The message is great and the illustrations of Geraldine are delightfully goofy.

You Are (Not) Small, by Anna Kang
Reading this book, I feel like I’m listening to a conversation between my 2-year-old and his friends. A big bear and a small bear argue over who is big and who is small. When a gigantic bear and a tiny bear arrive, however, the first two bears realize that in comparison to the new bears, they are bigger than some bears and smaller than other bears. We learn that we’ll always be different from some people and the same as others and it’s all okay.

Leonardo the Terrible Monster, by Mo Willems
Leonardo the monster desperately wants to be scary like all the other monsters, but no matter how hard he tries, he can’t even scare Sam, the most “scaredy-cat kid.” So, instead he decides to embrace who he is and use his non-scary self to become a friend to Sam. I like seeing Leonardo using his differences as a means to connect with others.

Big Dog, Little Dog, by P.D. Eastman
I love this classic book because it makes differences in body size an incredibly simple matter. Fred, the big dog, spends a restless night trying to sleep in a small bed. Ted, the small dog, spends a restless night trying to sleep in a big bed. A bird suggests they switch beds and the two have a great night of sleep. As the bird says, “Big dogs need big beds. Little dogs, need little beds. Why make big problems out of little problems?”

A Bad Case of Stripes, by David Shannon
This surreal story is a cautionary tale to those who would chose to deny what makes them different. Camilla loves lima beans, but hides it from her schoolmates because she’s obsessed with what they’ll think of her. As she tries to impress others, her physical appearance bizarrely morphs to please them. Only publicly avowing her love of lima beans converts her back to her original form.