If you were asked by your six year old daughter why the kids in her class always made fun of her because of the color of hair, eyes, and why she was taller than they were, what would you say, and how could you explain to her how to deal with being different?
This shocking and provocative question is at the core of the remarkable and inspiring book, TeTe The Colored Calico Cat. This book emerged from real-life experiences that children face such as self-discovery, self-love, and race. Children see and learn from each other on a daily basis while in their world of discovery. Maneuvering this environment can be challenging but good while learning that there are so many differences in their world that teaches them how to love each other regardless of what they see physical and hear verbally. This children's book speaks their language on their level and helps them see that while differences do in fact exist on many levels, they are not controlled nor defined by this word called different.
In this book, Sharon Gaines-Lee goes beyond the event of discovery when one is faced with learning who they are as a human being. She goes to great lengths when writing this masterpiece. As she understands the pressure that young children are faced with, she uses very simplistic language that is descriptive, beautiful, and entertaining that teaches children about their differences and embracing who they are while accepting others regardless of shape, skin color, language, or gender. Writing a book in language that children can grasp and understand while helping them grow into a wonderful person that impacts others positively is what this book is all about. If you feel as a parent being more authentic would allow you to have a greater impact on your young children, or you cannot find the words to really explain to them how to overcome and deal with being different, this is the book for you. Make no mistake; the path Sharon lays out is simple. She has a pulse on writing for children, and Sharon understands how to help you handle this tough subject. She wrote this book because she understands that your greatest gift is the words that you deposit into the lives of your children daily.
