Diversity is Key by Bryan Smith is a delightful introduction for kids to cultural diversity. The story follows Amelia, as she and her class gear up for a week of exploring different cultures. Due to the brevity of the book, only a few cultures are looked at, but the most important thing is the stress put on valuing other cultures and the insights and experiences they can offer.

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Boys Town Press for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book just didn't have any new information or substance to it.
I'm also troubled that a book about diversity being key was written by a person of the dominant culture.
This book is an easy pass for me and my students.

I know I have been down on my of the Boys Town Books, but that is not the case this time. This book does a great job of not only introducing new cultures, but in teaching kids what to do when a person, process, or event is different from what they consider normal. Things like asking questions, trying new things, and listening to what others have to say so you can gain new knowledge. The art work goes nicely with the story, and it is all around a great book for a classroom or a library.

Thank you Boys Town Press and Netgalley for this ARC .

This children’s book explained diversity by briefly exploring a few different cultures and showing how they do things differently. The book message was to respect others amd their differences.

The books message was good but it isn’t a book I would race out to buy. I think the message was nice but it just felt a little lacking. I would have loved some more vibrant, beautifully coloured photographs of the countries mentioned in the book to really draw children in.

I was really excited by the premise of this, but I honestly think it fell short on execution. There are some vague "positive" stereotypes against the characters whose cultures the story explores, which is obviously not as directly harmful as exploring negative stereotypes, but still made it glaringly obvious that this book was written by someone speaking from within a lot of privilege. Besides that, the overall layout and design of the book seemed low-quality and unrefined.

This brightly illustrated book will be a useful addition to classroom and library shelves. In this story, it is diversity week at school. Students from Japan, Mexico and Hawaii share some of their traditions and the children learn from one another. Suggestions for responding to new experiences will encourage politeness among those who are being exposed to something for the first time. Diversity is presented as a positive value in which all have something to contribute. The book also includes suggestions for the adults in students' lives.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book with our 8 year old and it was a great conversation starter about cultural differences. It was easy to read and the illustrations were bright and engaging. I would have liked to see a little more depth and range of diversity for this age group but I think it was a great introduction to talking about how our differences make us unique and can also help bring us together. I really appreciated the strong emphasis on respect even when things seem very different at first. Thank you to NetGalley and Boys Town Press for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I would definitely keep this book in every school so children in their youngest age can access it and learn about different cultures.

At first, I was suspicious of Diversity is Key, which is written by Bryan Smith and illustrated by Lisa M. Griffin. The first-person narrative unfolds from the point-of-view of a blond girl with pale white skin named Amelia. A new student from Japan will be joining her class, and this just happens to coincide with “diversity week.” The plot is a bit contrived and the tone is a bit didactic, but overall it works.

The narrator seems to have never heard of diversity before her teacher begins discussing “diversity week.” But she quickly catches on and is receptive to the lessons her peers impart about their cultures. For instance, the new Japanese student demonstrates how school in Japan differs from school in the US. She explains that in Japan students serve lunch, eat in classrooms, and cleanup after themselves. A Mexican American student describes the importance of family to her community through a discussion of Dia De Los Muertos. The week ends with a Hawaiian celebration at a student’s home.

Importantly, learning about cultural difference prompts the narrator to reflect on and change her own behaviors. She will clean-up after herself at school and she will celebrate her deceased grandmother’s birthday by making spaghetti and meatballs.

Although it’s not a must have title, I appreciate the book. Back matter introduces activities parents and educators can use to extend the story’s lessons.

I'm really glad that books like <i>Diversity is Key</i> by Bryan Smith and illustrated by Lisa Griffin exist. We need more of them, plain and simple. There's far to much intolerance in the world to justify not having an ample supply of books that support diversity as well as understanding, accepting, and respecting others for their differing cultures. And I couldn't be more thrilled to have gotten a chance to read this book here. If you've not had a chance, you should definitely make it a point to get yourself a copy because even adults could benefit from reading this book.

<i>Diversity is Key</i> follows several different characters as they share their cultures with their classmates, almost in a class project/science fair kind of way. Each student is able to teach their classmates key factors in their lives that others might not experience growing up. It's a wonderful book that celebrates people for being different and really pushes the idea that we need to be compassionate and appreciative of others. And I cannot support the message this book sends more.

Please read it.

<i>I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. </i>

This book hopes to promote diversity and model how students can learn more about one another's culture and heritage. I enjoyed the idea about the students offering to create a learning experience by bringing their customs from home into the classroom. However, that is also when some of the language and comments are problematic and can be viewed as insulting. Words like disgusting, poo, etc. can make students of color feel like their culture is not being celebrated. Great concept but might come across as a microaggression when read aloud in the classroom.

This is a great children's book about cultural diversity, looking specifically at the cultural practices of Japan, Mexico, and Hawaii. This book is a great tool for introducing children to the benefits of cultural diversity, and I think it would be an excellent book to use in schools or at home.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Net Galley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I liked the premise of the book. I think children need to see different cultures and be respectful and aware of different cultures.I liked the idea of different classrooms with different cultures. I also liked the tips and ideas at the end for promoting diversity on an ongoing basis. I thought that in an effort to bring humor to the book (pu near my face) I think the character was a bit disrespectful to the culture. Aside from that I thought the book was a cute introduction to diversity. I do wish more cultures were portrayed.

Thank you Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Great storybook for kids on cultural diversity. Loved the pictures and the writing. It shows kids the importance of respecting differences and discovering different foods and customs. A definite must buy for all kids!