Description
Authors' Note This picture book uses soccer balls as real-life examples to convey the importance of understanding and respecting diversity from a child's perspective.
Through colourful, aesthetic watercolor illustrations and rhythmic reading with repeated rhymes, we help children develop a sense of enjoyment from reading as well as an inclusive, open, and respectful mind toward other languages and cultures. In addition, through activities to find a common ground using various objects and cultures around them, these children can naturally take pride in their own language and culture as well as learn respect for other languages and cultures.
As people who have immigrated to Canada, we have seen a lot of children who have emigrated to English-speaking countries. Children living in English-speaking countries sometimes reject a new immigrant child if he or she does not speak English well-without even understanding why. On the other hand, immigrant children may be ashamed of their inability to speak English well, or they may be embarrassed to or even refuse to use their native language.
So, this picture book-through the appearance of Cheol-Su, a new immigrant child, and his new soccer ball-conveys through beautiful sounds that everything has different names in different languages and that these differences are not something to be ashamed of but rather are special. In addition, the book shows, from the pure perspective of a child, that despite differing languages and cultures, all children can be united through one medium, like a soccer ball.
We humans belong to one community with the same destiny, living on one planet-Earth. Various countries, peoples, languages, and cultures coexist in this world. Countries such as Canada and the United States that were created by immigrants can be seen as countries that have moved the world.
Citizens of these immigrant countries communicate with one another through English, but they also have their own cultures, traditions, and languages that they use in their homes. We want children to recognize and acknowledge this from an early age to prevent discrimination in society based on race, culture, language, or any other reason.
Through colourful, aesthetic watercolor illustrations and rhythmic reading with repeated rhymes, we help children develop a sense of enjoyment from reading as well as an inclusive, open, and respectful mind toward other languages and cultures. In addition, through activities to find a common ground using various objects and cultures around them, these children can naturally take pride in their own language and culture as well as learn respect for other languages and cultures.
As people who have immigrated to Canada, we have seen a lot of children who have emigrated to English-speaking countries. Children living in English-speaking countries sometimes reject a new immigrant child if he or she does not speak English well-without even understanding why. On the other hand, immigrant children may be ashamed of their inability to speak English well, or they may be embarrassed to or even refuse to use their native language.
So, this picture book-through the appearance of Cheol-Su, a new immigrant child, and his new soccer ball-conveys through beautiful sounds that everything has different names in different languages and that these differences are not something to be ashamed of but rather are special. In addition, the book shows, from the pure perspective of a child, that despite differing languages and cultures, all children can be united through one medium, like a soccer ball.
We humans belong to one community with the same destiny, living on one planet-Earth. Various countries, peoples, languages, and cultures coexist in this world. Countries such as Canada and the United States that were created by immigrants can be seen as countries that have moved the world.
Citizens of these immigrant countries communicate with one another through English, but they also have their own cultures, traditions, and languages that they use in their homes. We want children to recognize and acknowledge this from an early age to prevent discrimination in society based on race, culture, language, or any other reason.
