Who doesn't have a time when they feel different?

Some people might have been teased for looking like 2nd graders. This might be why.

4th grade

People who like to paint and draw, but also like to play team sports are cool.

When they wore the pink bow headband their grandmother gave them, their friends told them it looked like they were babies.

Do what's "acceptable," don't stand out from the crowd, and try to be like everyone else.

But in reality, each person is unique, with their own skills and interests, personalities, and looks.

Letting kids know that they are unique is hard to do when the world and even their friends say that they aren't.

Helpful: Hearing stories about people who are different from the rest of the people but still have success and happiness can help. 11 books for kids show why it's OK to be different and show off your own uniqueness.

Books About Why It’s OK to be Different

Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon

It sounds like a "bullfrog being squeezed by a boa constrictor." Molly Lou Melon is very short, has buck teeth, and her voice sounds like that. Molly Lou, on the other hand, is encouraged by her grandmother to see the good in each of these seemingly bad traits. As she starts a new school, she has a lot of confidence and doesn't let other people's comments get her down.

Woolbur, by Leslie Helakoski

Woolbur the sheep is a little naughty. In place of staying with the herd, he goes for a run with the dogs. Instead of shearing his own wool, he lets it grow long, and instead of dying yarn, he dyes himself. When Woolbur doesn't follow the rules, Ma and Pa sheep are afraid. Grandpa tells them not to be afraid, and in the end, other sheep start to think like Woolbur.

Be Who You Are, by Todd Parr

"Be who you are" tells kids to "love your differences! You are unique!" It's okay to be different. Be proud of where you come from and the things you do! "Everyone needs to be loved." Always love and be who you are.

Tacky the Penguin

Tacky is very different from the other penguins in that he doesn't have a tail. Tacky is not quiet or polite. Instead of walking in a straight line, Tacky walks this way and that. This is not how Tacky likes to dive. He likes to do a lot of splashy cannonballs instead. All the other penguins thought Tacky was weird because he was so different from the other penguins. But then, when a group of penguin hunters come to the area, Tacky's differences prove to be very useful for the group.

Giraffes Can’t Dance

Gerald the giraffe really wants to dance at the Jungle Dance that is coming up soon. He's not very good at dancing. He decides to give it a try anyway, only to have other animals make fun of him for not being able to do it. In the end, Gerald walks off the dance floor and is very sad because of what they said. But then a cricket, who heard what the other animal was saying, said: "Sometimes when you're different, you just need a different song." This makes Gerald want to keep trying, and he eventually proves the people who don't believe him wrong.

Not Your Typical Dragon

On his seventh birthday, Crispin Blaze will be able to breathe fire. It's only a problem that when it's time for him to show off his new fire-breathing skills, whipped cream comes out of his mouth. To fix his inability to breathe fire, Crispin does everything he can. He soon realizes that being different from other dragons is a good thing.

Chrysanthemum, by Kevin Henkes

When I was little, Chrysanthemum was very excited about the fact that she had her own name. That is until she starts school. Because Chrysanthemum is too long, it doesn't fit on a name tag, and it is the name of an animal or plant. When Chrysanthemum doesn't like her name anymore, she wants to change it and doesn't like the one she has now. Music teacher: Then she tells the class that her soon-to-be-born child will be called Chrysanthemum. She now loves her name again, and so do all of her friends.

Elmer

When you see Elmer, you won't see any other elephants like him in the world. Rather than having bluish-gray skin, Elmer's skin is a mix of different shades. With his funny jokes, Elmer makes everyone else laugh. But even though his patchwork skin makes him feel different, he's not happy about it. On one day, Elmer paints his skin with the juice of berries that look like bluish-gray grapes. This makes him look like all the other elephants. Finally, Elmer realizes that his skin is unique and should not be hidden.

The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush

Little Gopher is smaller than the rest of the kids in his tribe, so he doesn't fit in. The other boys ride, run, shoot their bows, and wrestle to show off their strength. No matter how hard Little Gopher ties his bow, he can't keep up with the other boys who do all of these things. Instead, Litte Gopher likes making crafts and painting, but even though he has these skills, he sometimes wishes he were like the other boys. But then, he has a dream and hears a voice in the night. This leads him to give his people a great gift, one that changes the way his tribe sees him and his skills.

The Story of Ferdinand

Ferdinand is a bull from Spain who likes to relax under trees rather than run around and show off like other bulls do, like they do. He also likes to be alone, which worries his mother until she finds out that he's happy that way. Ferdinand is chosen for a bullfight in Madrid in a funny twist of events. But instead of fighting, Ferdinand sits in the arena and does nothing.

Horace and Morris but Mostly Dolores

It is a good friendship until one day Horace and Morris decide they can't play with a girl anymore. The three of them do everything together until that day. The two boys go to the Mega Mice clubhouse, and Dolores goes to the Cheese Puffs clubhouse for girls, which is only for girls. In the end, however, Dolores grows tired of the girls' activities and finds a friend who wants to go exploring with her. She convinces Horace and Morris to join them, too. "Horace, Morris, but Mostly Dolores" talks about the stereotypes that are put on boys and girls, and gives examples of how kids can break free and be who they are.

---